"[Quivering Breathing]" "[WomanSighs]" "[Man] Dearreader, I'veanaughtylittle tale to tell, pluckedfrom thepages ofhistory-- tartedup, true-- butguaranteed tostimulate thesenses." "butguaranteed tostimulate thesenses." "Thestory ofMademoiselle Renare,:" "aravishing, youngaristocrat whosesexualproclivities... ran thegamut from winsome tobestial." "Who doesn'tdream ofindulging everyspasm oflust ?" "Feedingeach depravedhunger?" "Owing tohernoblebirth," "Mademoiselle Renare was granted fullimmunityto dojust that.:" "inflictingpainandpleasure with equalzest." "Untilone day..." "Mademoiselle foundherself at themercyofaman... everybitasperverseasshe." "A man whoseskill in theartofpain... exceededherown." "[ Gasps ]" "[ Whimpering ]" "[ Gasping ]" " [Man Continues Reading] Howeasily, dearreader, - [ Mademoiselle Gasps ]" " one changes frompredator..." " No." " toprey." " [ Crying ]" "Andhowswiftly pleasure is taken fromsome... andgiven to others." "[ Crowd Laughing ]" "[Man] Theregoesanotherone." "[Mademoiselle Crying]" "[ Crowd Shouting ]" "[ChildrenSinging, French]" "[ Man Chuckling ]" "[ Children Continue Singing ] [ExecutionerHumming Children'sSong]" "[Children Continue]" "[ Gasps ]" "[ Humming Children's Song ]" "[ Continues Humming ]" "[WriterContinues Humming]" "[Woman] Yourlinens, please." "Your linens, please." " [Guard] Moveyourself." " [Man] We'regoingoutside." "Come on, Pitou." "That's right." " It's breakfast time." "Good morning." " Good morning." " [Pitou] I'mgoingoutside." " [Guard] Go on." "[ Guard ] Stop doing that." "Everybody up." "Your linens, please." " [ Humming ] - [Laundress] Psst." " It's me." " [ Stops Humming ]" "Careful." "The ink's still wet." "Now, hurry." "[Footsteps Departing]" " [FootstepsApproaching]" " Thatyou, Maddie ?" "Yes, Mother." "Here are the dirty ones foryou." "[ Sighs ]" "Just, uh" "Just taking the bleached ones out to dry." "[Woman] Aren'tyou gonnagive usahandthen ?" "[RoosterCrowing]" "[Talking, Indistinct]" "[ Laughs ]" "[Man] Bouchon!" "Rememberyour manners." "[Men Laughing]" "[ Laughing ]" "Here it is." "It's the last chapter." "Monsieur Masse says he'd like another manuscript quick as he please." " He can't print them fast enough." " I'll pass the word on." "I'll payyou anothervisit with a share ofthe profits once it's sold." " I'll be waiting." " Perhaps, one day, you'll tell meyour name." "[ Sighs ]" "[Man Talking, Indistinct]" "All right, we're all clear." " Thankyou." " [Hawker] Marquis de Sade's Justine." "Latestedition, straight from theprinter's." "Justine." "Marquis de Sade." "Justine." "[Man] "Ourstoryconcerns anymphnamedJustine,:" ""as pretty a maid as ever entered the nunnery," " "with a body so firm and ripe..." " [Woman] Come on, boy." ""it seemed a shame to commit it to God." "One morning, the bishop placed his hand upon her thigh."" "[Man #2] "'Holy Father, 'criedshe," ""'I've come to confess mysins, notcommit them anew. '" ""Heedless, the oldpriest turnedheroveronhisknee..." ""and lifted her skirts high above her hips," ""exposing the pink flesh ofher backside." ""There between the orbs ofher dimpled ass..." ""lay a blushing rosebud..." ""begging to be... plucked." "" BeforeJustine could wrestle from his grasp," "" BeforeJustine could wrestle from his grasp," ""this most ungodly man took a communion wafer," ""the body ofour Lord, Jesus Christ, and placed it on the girl's twitching orifice."" "Must I, Your Majesty ?" ""As he loosened his manhood from beneath his robes," ""the bishop muttered a Latin prayer..." ""and then, with a mighty thrust, drove it into hervery entrails."" "The novel's lewd subject matter and its overripe style... reveal it to be the work ofthe Marquis de Sade." "He composes his prose from inside a madhouse." "Enough !" "Seize every copy !" "We'll torch them all on the palace lawn in full public view !" "As for the author, shoot him." "A note ofcaution, Sire." "We all rememberwhat happened to Robespierre, Danton." "Put the marquis to death and history might even regard you as a despot." "[ Sire ] But I am history." "Ofcourse, Your Majesty." "Nevertheless, cure the Marquis de Sade, succeed where countless... physicians and priests have failed" "No one can fault Napoleon... for bringing a man to his senses." "Might I suggest... an appraisal at the asylum ofCharenton ?" "A rather notorious inmate in her care." "I have the perfect candidate for thejob:" "Dr. Royer-Collard, a distinguished alienist who's a staunchly moral man... ofimpeccable character... andironresolve." "[ManScreams, WaterSplashes, Gurgling]" "[ Gasping ]" " [WaterSplashes]" " My colleagues have called me old-fashioned." " [Gurgling]" " Even barbaric." "[ Gasping ]" "But here we favor an aggressive course oftreatment." " [ Gasps ]" " Quite." "I do not seek popularity or renown, Monsieur Delbene." "Mine is a higher mission." "[ Screams ]" "To take God's tiny blunders and those He has forsaken... and condition them with the same force, the same rigor... one would employ to train a feral dog or a wild stallion." " [ Screams, Gurgling ]" " This may not be pretty, but it is mercy just the same." "A few more months ofthis, and he'll be fine." " [ Screams, Gurgling ] - [Delbene] Itis the emperor'shope... thatyou bring your expertise, your proficiency..." " to the asylum at Charenton." " [Man] I'm muchbetternow." "Charenton ?" "The administrator there is quite well-loved, isn't he ?" "He's young, an idealist." "You'll have to be politic." " You know how I define "idealism" ?" " [ManScreaming]" "Youth's final luxury." "[Man] Notsohard." "Don'tforceit." "Let the quillguideyou." "Good." "Slowly." "We mustn't just copy the words." "It's important that we know what they mean." "St. Augustine tells us that angels and demons walk among us on the Earth... and that sometimes theyjointly inhabit the soul ofa single man." "Then how can we know... who is truly good and who is evil ?" "Well, we can't." "All we can do is guard against our own corruption." "Soyou'll practice reading tonight on your own for me ?" ""Andso theprofessorlifted Columbe'sskirt..." ""high above herwaist." ""'Let me beyour tutor,' said he, 'in the ways oflove.'" ""With that, he slid her pantalettes down," ""down, down overherknees." ""Andthere, nestledbetweenherlegs," ""waspink ofthe tulip... as slick as an eel--"" "We oughtn't tobereading hisnastystories." "No one's forcing you to listen." "" He gazed upon herVenus mound," "her flaxen quim, the winking eye ofGod."" "You've been in his quarters, haven'tyou ?" "Once or twice." "Ihearhe'sgota whetstone anda chisel, andhe uses them tosharpenhis teeth." "He's a writer, not a madman." " What's he doing in here then ?" " Murder." "[ Laughing ]" "That's not so." "[ All Continue Laughing ]" "He writes books so wicked, so blackwith evil, that one man killed his wife after reading them." "And twoyoung mothers miscarried their babies." "[BlondMan] I'dsay that'smurderenough." "Ifyou're going to slander him, then you don't deserve to hear his stories." "Ibelieve she'ssweetonhim." " That's what I think." " It's not the marquis she's sweet on, is it, Madeleine ?" "[ Girl Laughing ]" "[Laughing Continues]" " [ Continues Laughing ] - [Inmate Panting Heavily]" "They'venorightsendingsomeone tositonyourshoulder." "I work foryou." "I won't take orders from a stranger." "You needn't worry." "It's administrative, nothing more." "Please don't eat the paint, Pasqual." "Ah, bravo, Dauphin." "It's far better to paint fires than to set them, isn't it ?" "Yes." "Wonderful." "[ Opens, Closes Door] Fresh linens." "Fresh linens." "I'm hungry for a propervisit." " Don't start." " Go ahead." "You've a key." "Slip it through my tiny hole." "[DoorSlides Shut]" "Marquis ?" "Where did you get to then ?" " [Marquis Clears Throat] - [ Gasps ]" "[ Sighs ]" "Marquis ?" " Well" " Did I frighten you ?" " [ Gasps ]" "Frighten me ?" "That's a good one." "I'm twice as quick as you are." "Isupposeyou want toknow about thatsillybook ofyours." "What about my book ?" "[ Whispers ] It sold like the devil." "Then they started burning it." "That's the peril ofcomposing such incendiary prose." "Ifonly these coins purchased your other talents too." "[ Whispers ] There's something else I want from you." "You've already stolen my heart... as well as another prominent organ south ofthe equator." "Your publisher says I'm not to leave without another manuscript." "I'vejust the story." "Inspired by these very surroundings." "The unhappy tale ofa virginal laundry lass, a darling ofthe lowerwards where they entomb the criminally insane." " Is it awfullyviolent ?" " Most assuredly." " Is it terribly erotic ?" " Fiendishly so." " [ Laughs ]" " But it comes with a price." "A kiss for each page." "Must I administer them directly or might I blow them ?" "The price, my coquette, is every bit as firm... as I am." "[ Scoffs ] Oh, you." "You talk the same as you write." "[ Sighs ]" "[ Stifled Gasping ]" "Hello." "[Humming]" "[Woman Panting]" "So what are we today, Cleante ?" "Is it bullfinch or nightingale ?" " There's but one kind ofbird in a madhouse, Abbe." " Oh, don't tell me." " A loon. [ Laughing ] - [ Laughing ]" "Sorry, I've heard that one before." "[ Bird Chirping ]" " [ Both Gasping ]" " It's a long story, this one." "The climax comes at a higher cost." " You must sit on my lap." " [ Groans ]" " You demand a lot from your readers." " [ Groans ]" "The story's thrilling conclusion comes at a premium." " What's that then ?" " Your maidenhead." "And then you must sew it up as tightly as the dayyou were born, and come back to me renewed so I can defloweryou a second time." "Some things belong on paper... others in life." "Blessed fool who can't tell the difference" "Mademoiselle LeClerc." "You're in the nick oftime." "This old letch forgot himself." "He thought I was a character in one ofhis nasty stories." " Madeleine." " Yes, Abbe ?" "The next timeyou feel the urge to visit the marquis..." "I hopeyou'll come to confession instead." "Care for a splash ofwine, Abbe ?" "It's not even noon." "Conversation, like certain portions ofthe anatomy, always runs more smoothly when it's lubricated." "This is a rare vintage from an obscure village in Bordeaux." "Rather than crush the grape underfoot, they place the fruit on the belly ofa bride, reap itsjuices when theyoung husband steers his vessel into port." "Full-bodied flavor, just a hint ofwantonness." "Bottoms up." "[ Laughs ] It's from our own cellar." "I recognize the taste." "I should have told you it was the blood ofChrist." "You'd believe that, wouldn'tyou ?" "We treatyou well enough here, don't we, Marquis ?" "Yourvery own feathered bed in lieu ofa straw mat." "Your antique writing desk, all the way from La Coste." "Enough quills to feather an ostrich" "Yes, yes, yes, dear heart, it's true." "You spoil me pink." "And in exchange, we ask only thatyou follow the rules." "You know as well as I do, you're not to entertain visitors in your quarters." "I'm entertaining you now, aren't I ?" "Yes, but I'm not a beautiful, young prospect ripe for corruption." "Don't be so sure." "[ Laughs ]" "Takeyour pen in hand, Marquis." "Purge these wicked thoughts ofyours on paper." "Maybe they'll govern you less in life." "I'll fill page after page, my cherub." "I promise." "[Horses Whinnying]" "[Coachman] We'rehere, Doctor." "Mindyourstep, sir." "Good day, sir." "We've been expecting you." "[Singing, Indistinct]" "[ Continues Singing ] [Continues]" "Good." "Very good." "Dr. Royer-Collard, welcome to Charenton." "This may feel a little awkward, my friend, but it needn't be." "I've come merely to overseeyourwork here." "Understood ?" " Ofcourse." " It's a formality." "Truly." "Well, you're a man ofscience, and I'm a man ofGod." "Charenton stands to profit from us both, I'm certain." "I shall need an office on the grounds, somewhere to store my things." " This way." " Ifyou don't mind my asking, why has the emperor taken such sudden interest in my-- in our affairs ?" "It seems a particular patient ofyours..." "has captured his fancy." "[Royer-Collard] Iunderstand hepractices the very crimes hepreaches inhis fiction." "Certainly not here." " There were a few indiscretions in his youth." " "Indiscretions" ?" "Abbe, please, I have read his case history." "At 1 6, he violated a servant girl with a crucifix." "After six months in a dungeon, he mutilated a prostitute, carving her flesh with a razor and cauterizing the wounds with hot wax." "I hopeyou'll judge him by his progress here," " No !" " not his past reputation." "I can't go on like this." "Why should this be happening to me ?" "Once again, gentlemen." "I'mjustalowlycobbler." "I have been all my life." "And with this shoe, I'm asking you to be a cobbler's wife." "It'sa dreadfulplay, a festeringpustule on the face ofliterature." "Why, the parchment it's written upon isn't worthy to wipe my ass." "[Inmate Laughs]" "Butyou need not make it worse." "Sayyour lines with conviction, my happy little shoemaker." " Like a true actor." " But I'm not an actor." "I'm a dyspeptic." "Just seduce her, you goon !" "He's actually made a great success ofour little theater." "There's seldom an empty seat, not to mention its therapeutic value." "Playing dress-up with cretins... sounds like a symptom ofmadness, not a cure." "Homo perversio:" "a species that thrives in captivity." "Marquis, this is Dr. Royer-Collard." "He'sjoining us here in" "An advisory capacity." "Welcome to our humble madhouse, Doctor." "I trustyou'll find yourselfat home." "[ Giggling, Whispering ] There he is, the new doctor." "Tellme, Abbe, whyisheinyour care andnotaproperprison ?" " His wife's influence." " " His wife's" ?" "Better to have an insane spouse than a criminal one." "And he has never once tried to escape ?" "A man ofhis notoriety ?" "He wouldn't last a day on the streets without capture." "Besides, every wholesome thing hemightdesire, hehasat Charenton.:" "alibrary filled with the world's greatbooks, music lessons, watercolor exercises." "What effect have all these amenities had on his psyche ?" "He no longer roars or spits." "He no longer taunts the guards or molests his fellow wards." "And his writing ?" " Ah, yes, that." " Well ?" "It's essential to his recovery, a purgative for the toxins in his mind." "Doyou favor its publication ?" " For sale ?" "To the general public ?" " Yes." "Yes." "No, certainly not." "It's unprintable." "[Inmate Yelling]" "[ Groans ]" "All France is aghast at this book, yetyou've never heard ofit." "Oh, dear God." "Silence the marquis, or Charenton will be shut down by order ofthe emperor." ""Shut down" ?" "But he's one among some 200 wards." "You could try my calming chair on him." "Or, perhaps, try bleeding him with leeches." "Or maybe flog him at the stake." "Why ?" "So he'll learn to fear punishment... rather than to see virtue for its own rewards ?" "Doctor, let me take up this matter with the marquis myself." " Charenton's my life's work." " I am not without a heart." "But this book is a profound insult to decent people everywhere." "Can you personally guarantee this won't happen again ?" "You have myword." " What is it, Abbe ?" " The marquis has embarrassed us." " From Napoleon himself." " Why ?" "What's he done ?" "He's been slipping manuscripts to a publisher." " [ Unlocking Cell ]" " He has ?" "I placed my trust too carelessly, Madeleine." " This is a complete and utter..." " Oh." "disappointment." "Yes, it is." "The paper's cheap." "The type's too small." "What did you do, bribe one ofthe guards ?" "Butyou implored me to write for curative purposes, to stave offmy madness." "Butyou've no right to publish... behind my back without my sanction." "Haveyou truly read it, or did you run straightaway to the dogeared pages ?" "Oh, enough to discern its tenor." "And ?" "It's not even a proper novel." "It's nothing but an encyclopedia ofperversions." "Frankly, it even fails as an exercise in craft." "Characters are wooden." "The dialogue is inane." "Not to mention the endless repetition ofwords like "nipple" and "pikestaff."" "There I was taxed, it's true." "And such puny scope." "Nothing but the veryworst in man's nature." "I write ofthe great eternal truths... that bind together all mankind the whole world over." "We eat, we shit, we fuck, we kill and we die." "But we also fall in love." "We build cities, we compose symphonies and we endure." "Why not put that in your books as well ?" "It's a fiction, not a moral treatise." "But isn't the duty ofart to elevate us above the beasts ?" "I'd have thought that was your duty, Abbe, not mine." "One more trick like this... and I'll be forced to revoke all your liberties." "It's that doctor fellow, isn't it ?" "He's come to usurp your place here, hasn't he ?" "Marquis, more than your writing'satstake." "The ministry has threatened us with closure." "Ah, they can't be serious !" "Our future lies in the stroke ofyour pen." "Mightier than the sword, indeed." "Putyourselfin myplace." "Ihave your fellowpatients to consider." "IfCharenton folds, theyhave noplace togo, nomanner to clothe orfeedthemselves." "Fuck them !" "They're half-wits !" "Let them die on the streets as nature intended !" "You among them ?" "Ifever I showed you a kind hand, Marquis, ifever I granted you walking privileges on a spring day... or slipped an extra pillow beneath your door, ifever I shared yourwine, laughed atyourvulgarities or humored you with argument," "then you will oblige me now... foryour sake..." "and for all Charenton." "You've a touch ofthe poet too." "Perhaps you should take up the quill." " Do I haveyourword ?" " Honestly, you cut me to the core." "What's the point ofall your valiant attempts at rehabilitation... if, when I finally succumb, when at long last I pledge myselfto righteous conduct, you regard me with nothing but suspicion ?" "Haveyou no faith in your own medicine ?" "[Doctor] My, my." "At Charenton, even the walls have eyes." "Don't they ?" "Well ?" "Well, I spoke to him with reason and compassion, the tools which serve us best here." " And ?" " He's sworn to obedience." "He's more than a patient, Doctor." "The marquis is my friend." "You keep strange company, Abbe." "Ifyou have the matter here truly in hand," " [Abbe] Ihave." " then Ihavea friend ofmyown to visit." " Ah, Doctor." " I've come for my bride." " Oh, yes." " [ Horse Whinnying ]" "We'venotexpectedyou forsome time." "Simone has notyet come ofage." "I've taken a new post at Charenton." " I need the succor only a wife can provide." " Mmm, yes." "Simone... you remember Dr. Royer-Collard." "I'd not forget the man to whom I was promised." "He's come to collectyou." "Today ?" "This minute ?" "I apologize, mademoiselle." "I had no time to write." "Be grateful, child." "In my experience, poor girls who are orphaned neverwed." "Theywind up spinsters or, worse still, nuns." " Thank God that fortune has spared you..." " [ Nuns Laughing ] from such a fate." "Good-bye, Simone." "God bless you, Simone." "Let's move it !" "[Delbene] The emperor wishes toassure yourcomfort whileat Charenton." "Consider the chateau a gift, provided you're willing to finance the necessary repairs." "Monsieur Prouix is the court's most promising young architect." "He'satyour disposal." "[RatsSqueaking]" "Ofcourse, the place hasn't been occupied since the Terror." "It has possibilities, yes ?" "Simone ?" "I am to live here ?" "Itbelongedto the Duke du Blangie, aavowedmonarchist." "TheJacobins were most unforgiving." "His wife tried to escape." "They caught her here on the stairs." "Set about herwith bayonets." "There but for the grace ofGod, eh, Doctor ?" "I shed no tears for the past, Monsieur Delbene." "I look to the future." "Monsieur Prouix." "We should quarry fresh marble, don'tyou think ?" "You must humor mywife in all things." "Ifshe wants Venetian glass, she shall have it." "Italian tile, Dutch velvet-- Spare no expense." "But in her bedroom, see to it that the door locks from the outside... and on herwindows are iron grates." "Bars, sir ?" "In the convent, Simone was spared the world's temptations." "I will not allow her to fall prey to them now." "She is a rare bird." "I intend to keep her caged." "[FootstepsApproaching]" "[DoorCreaking Open]" "Perhaps the sisters... failed to instructyou... in the ways ofmarriage." "The nightly duty... ofa wife..." "to her husband." "[ Grunting ]" " [Man] No." " [Nun] It'sascandal, truly." "He's a doctor pretending to be a God-fearing man." "And that's not all." "He's far too old to marry her, and she's far tooyoung." " Hasn't finished her schooling." " Whisked awaywith barely a word." " And that's not all." " Tell me more." "The sweet little thing is barely 1 6." "I say she's even younger, only a child." " That's not all the nuns told us." " Tell me more." "Listen to this." "[ Whispering ]" "[ Laughing ] No." "[ All Gasping ]" " [Whispering] Andthat'snotall." " Whatelse ?" "She'snota coquette." "She'smeant tobeanun." " [ Gasps ]" " I swear." " Tell me more." " She came with a statue ofthe Virgin Mary." "[ Continues Whispering, Indistinct ]" "She arrived with a statue of the Virgin Mary and a crucifix around her neck from a convent." "Hmm." "Tell me more." "He's old enough to have fathered her twice over." "The hypocrite." "This has all the makings ofa farce." "[ Humming ]" "Abbe de Coulmier, you rascal." "Your comedies are becoming quite the rage." "I had to claw myway to a ticket." " I can hardly take" " So expertly acted." "That charming young man in last week's comedy" "I had no idea he was an imbecile." "Everyone has talents ifwe look for them." " Yes, yes, I'm sure." " Oh." "[Woman] Isn't that thenewdoctor?" "Howthrilling foryou." " A renownedexpert righthereat Charenton." " [Abbe] Yes, indeed." "I will say one thing for him." "He has a beautiful daughter." "[ Women Laugh, Continue Chattering ]" "[Marquis] Enough ofthisbilge!" "We're better than this." "Remember, gentlemen, inside each ofyour... delicate minds, your distinctive bodies, art is waiting to be born !" "So let's give the doctor a performance tonight I hope he'll remember forever." "[ Overture ]" "[Continues] That's Madame Bouginal and Mademoiselle Clairel." "And in front ofthem, the marquis' wife." "Indeed." "[ Grunting, Giggles ]" "Begging your pardon, it's time to begin." "[ Overture Concludes ]" "You !" "You're the north wind." "Madames and monsieurs, there's been a change in tonight's program." "We will not be performing The HappyShoemaker." " [AudienceSighs]" " Instead, we'd like to premiere a new play... inhonorofthenewlyappointed Dr. Royer-Collard... and his lovely bride." " [AudienceApplauding]" " A comedy entitled" " Crimes ofLove." " The Crimes ofLove." "Writtenbyone ofCharenton's veryown wards, the Marquis de Sade !" " [Fanfare] - [AudienceApplauding] [ Madeleine Laughs ]" " Wait." "Statue, statue." " Thereyou are." "[Audience Tittering]" "[Continues]" "[ Laughing ]" "Sister Senfone, whither do we go, passing over rivers, canyons and snow ?" "Hurryyou, forwe must not tarry." "I deliveryou now to the man you shall marry." "[Audience Murmurs]" "When you have rested, atyour leisure, he will coach you in the ways ofpleasure." "[ Audience Chuckling ]" "Atlast, shearrives, myhard-wonbride." "[Audience Murmuring, Tittering]" "Hurry, my child, andscurryinside." "Thereyou'll find such treasures awaityou." "Marzipan and meringue to sateyou." "Such gallantry in men is sadly a rarity." "How lucky I am to receive his charity." "Thankyou, dear sister, for abetting me so," " bringingherhere to thissecludedchateau." " Quickly." "[Madeleine] Standstillandbe quiet." " Was that good ?" "[Laughs] Little doessheknow that terror's instore... when I tutorherin les crimes... del'amour. [ Whispering ] Take this side ofthe curtain." "One, two, three" "[Continues]" "Quickly, mysuckling, outofyour clothes." "My scepter awaits." "How solid it grows." " Stop it, I beg you." "Have pity I say." " [ Audience Gasping ]" "You're not my lover." "You're a monstrous roue." " Do as you're told." " [ Audience Laughing ]" "Stickyourlegs in theair." " Leave at once." " But it'sjust begun." " Do as I say." "Madame." "[Pitou Groaning] It's true, I'm a pig." "[ Snorts ]" "And you've truffles down there." "[ Audience Gasps, Laughs ]" " Oh, God !" "Oh, God, what's this ?" " [ Snorting ]" " Such a wicked sensation." " [Snorting Continues]" "A feeling somewhere between shame and elation." " Oh, God !" " [ Laughing ]" "Useyour tongue like a wand in much the same manner as Sister Semfone." "Leaving already ?" "Ofcourse, you've seen it all before." " [Audience Laughing] - [ Laughs ]" "[Cleante] Ihadasuspicion thesister wassapphic." "I'dtellyoumore, butit'ssimplytoographic." "Sufficeit tosay she'sapreference forlasses." "Evenat Vespers, shealwaysmadepasses." "My darling, dainty morsel, get on your back." "Let's try it dorsal !" "I won'tescape." "He wants to takeme in every way." "I'll plunder every lovely pore till you're weak and cry, " No more !"" " No, more, more !" " [ Laughing Continues ]" "Give me this !" "More !" "More !" "[ Whispering ] Everybody, come forward quietly for the next bit." "Then to proveyou're truly mine, I'll plunderyou, darling, from behind !" "Yes, yes, yes, let's doit." "Andwhatofmylips ?" "Willyousoil them too ?" "Whenyou'vebroken everyothertaboo ?" " [Audience Howling] - [Cleante] ...everyslipperyhollow." "Ifyou're obliging, thenyou'llswallow!" "[Laughing Continues]" "[Dialogue Continues, Indistinct]" "[Audience Howling, Actors Continue]" " [Building] - [Dialogue Continues, Indistinct]" "Manners !" "[ Muffled Screaming ]" " Now that body has been broken and swollen, - [ Marquis ] Yes !" " [ Audience Laughing ] - [ Bouchon Grunting ]" "Lust, power and greed are no longer" "[ Madeleine Gasping ]" "Juliette !" "[ Screaming ]" "[Screaming Continues]" "Take him to the infirmary." "Maddie ?" " Has he hurtyou ?" " His breath made my eyes run, that's all." " [ Crying ]" " It's all right." " [AbbeShushing Madeleine]" " Madeleine ?" "Doyou mean to take us all down with you ?" "Don't be absurd." "[Man Yells] Disgraceful!" "It's only a play." " [ Man Boos ] - [ Applauding ] That playwas filthy." " [Woman] It was disgusting." " [Applauding, Booing]" "I wonderwho's to blame, the author or his muse ?" " It was fiction, ofcourse." " Ofcourse." " It was not inspired by circumstance." " It certainlywas not." "You ought to be ashamed, Abbe, exploiting these pathetic cretins for financial gain." "This is not our intention." "It was a freak show for tourists and curiosity seekers." "Charenton is a sanatorium, not a circus !" "The theater is henceforth closed." ""Closed" ?" "As foryour friend, playwright emeritus ofthe madhouse" "I'll do everything in my power" "Do more, or I shall be forced to inform the ministry... that the inmates are, indeed, running the asylum." "[DriverCracks Whip, Horses Whinny]" "[Coach Departing]" "Mmm." "Mmm." "Well, I hopeyou're satisfied." "He shut down our theater." "He can't do that to me." "[ Scoffs ] How can one man be so selfish ?" "We merely held up a mirror." "Apparently, he didn't like what he saw." " What the devil areyou doing with my quills ?" " You've left me no choice." "I kept my promise." "I didn't publish." "Perhaps, in time, youcan earn them back." "You can't." "I've all the demons ofhell in my head." "My only salvation is to vent them on paper." "Try reading for a change." "The writerwho produces more than he reads" "[ Clicks Tongue ] A sure mark ofan amateur." "Here." "[ Blows Off Dust ]" "Start with the Bible." "It's cheerier andmoreartfully written." "This monstrous God ofyours ?" "[ Spits ]" "He strung up His very own son like a side ofveal." "I shudder to think what He'd do to me." "Why areyou doing this to me ?" "Stop it." "I'll die ofloneliness." "I've no company but the characters I create." "Whores and pederasts !" "You're better off without them." " I have a proposition." " You always do." "Madeleine." "She's besotted with me." "She'd do anything I asked." "She could payyou a visit." "I don't know whoyou insult more, her or me." " Part the gates ofheaven, as it were." " That's enough !" "You're too tense, darling." "You could do with a long, slow screw." "Good night, Marquis." "Then bugger me !" "Goddamn you, Abbe !" "Haveyou no true sense ofmy condition ?" "Ofits gravity ?" "Mywriting is involuntary, like the beating ofmy heart." "My constant erection !" "[Key UnlockingDoor, DoorOpening]" "I've donejust as you bade me." "I've paid a visit to the craftsmen." "He laughed and called me a whore." "Tookmymoney just thesame." "I don't know which gives you greater pleasure:" "the objects themselves... or the humiliation I endure procuring them on your behalf." "And last, but not least," "I broughtyou some aniseed drops... and some chocolate pastilles." "Did you now, madame ?" "They're filled with cream, yes ?" "You know I shan't touch them unless they're positively... bursting, erupting with cream." "What else haveyou brought that I might nibble upon ?" " Donatien, you mustn't." " Hmm ?" "Tell me." "What other little treats ?" "Shame on you, truly." "[ Gasps ]" "For fuck's sake, woman." "Bonbons ?" "Am I to sit here gorging myself on useless trifles, sucking on your little sweetmeats, when what I truly require, what I truly need... are a few quill pens, perhaps a pot ofink ?" " Forgive me." "I beg you." " Don'tyou see ?" "[ Crying ] I've been raped." " Far more egregiously than any ofmywretched characters." " How was I to know, darling ?" "How was I to tell you, bywriting a letter ?" "With what, my asinine bride ?" "I beg you, Donatien, asyour wife, youronlyally, youmuststopmakingamonstrous spectacle ofyourself!" " You have come to lecture me ?" " To flauntyour deviance in public upon a stage ?" "They have putyou up to this, haven't they ?" "You should court the doctor's favor, not his contempt." "The doctor ?" "I ought to carve my name into his backside and fill the wounds with salt !" "You're here, safe, surrounded by brick and mortar." "My prison is far crueler." "It has no walls." "Everywhere I go, they point and whisper." "At the opera, they hiss at me when I take my box." "When I went to church, the priest refused to even hear my confession." "He said I was already damned." "Why must I suffer foryour sins ?" "That's the way ofall martyrs, isn't it ?" "Give me back my anonymity." "That's all I ask." "Let me be invisible again." "You tell me, haveyou ever done anything to secure my release ?" "No." "Haveyou petitioned the courts ?" "Never !" " Sought an audience with the emperor ?" " How ?" "He refuses to see me !" "It's a convenience having your husband locked away." "You no longer have to hold your tongue or hoistyour skirts... or crackyour mouth so I can put it to its one pleasurable use." "You're not mywife !" "No, you're one of my manyjailors !" "Out !" " What in God's name ?" " Take this cow away !" "I can't look at her !" "Perhapsyou'll findaplace forher in the west wingamong thehysterics !" "Lock her up as well so she knows how it feels !" "[ Yells ] The sow !" "[ Crying ]" "Fora woman ofhumble origin, your wifehas refinedtastes." "When I suggest granite for the foyer, she's quick to counter with Peruvian marble." "Peruvian marble." "It costs a fortune to import." "Whatever her heart desires, Monsieur Prouix." "I would like nothing better than to grant her everywish, sir, but on the modest sum you have accorded me" "I'm an architect, not a magician." "[ Panting ] I must see the doctor at once." "It's a matter ofdire urgency." "It is customary to write and request an appointment." "Desperation has driven me past etiquette, all the way to frenzy." "My schedule is not subject to the whim oflunatics." "I beg to differ, Doctor." "You work in a madhouse." "Your everywaking moment is governed by the insane." "I prayyou, be succinct." "You're new to Charenton, yes ?" "Perhaps you're notyet familiarwith my husband and his unusual case." "With all due respect, madame, all France is familiar with your husband." "Would you grant me a moment alone, please, Monsieur Prouix ?" "Humbly so." "Your servant, sir." "Uh, gentlemen." "Madame, please." "Good morning, madame." "Iassumeyou've comehere topleadforclemency onyourhusband'sbehalf." "You do, doyou ?" "It's my dearest hope, Doctor, that he remain entombed forever." "And that when at last he perishes in the dank bowels ofyour institution, that he be left as carrion for the rodents and the worms." "I stand corrected, madame." "Ifyou can't cure him... truly cure him... then at least, I beg you, harness the beast that rages in his soul." "That is not easily done, madame." "You are aware, areyou not, that it costs a great deal... to houseyour husband at Charenton ?" "I pay his stipend every month, far more dutifully than I should." "But that barely covers the cost ofhis room... with nary a penny left over for appropriate treatments:" "opiates to quell his temper, restraints to chasten him when he misbehaves." "Perhaps, ifyou could buttress your entreaties with the means to oblige them" "I'm not a wealthywoman." "You have a pension, haven'tyou ?" " From the sale ofhis books ?" " It's tainted money, Doctor." " What a beautiful thought." " What thought is that ?" "That the ill-gotten funds born ofhis degeneracy... might now affect his salvation." "It's beyond perversity... that honor should carry a price tag." "Imagine... old friends deigning to kiss your hand again." ""Why, Marquise, enchanted to seeyou again." "Welcome back from your long, dark descent into the abyss ofinfamy."" "Don't toywith me, Doctor." "Now is the time to secureyour epitaph:" ""The benevolent Marquise," "Charenton's most revered philanthropist"... or "Satan's bride."" "Restassured, Marquise, your generositywill speed your husband ever faster towards a cure." "The Peruvian marble, without question." " I'm eternally in your debt." " And I in yours, Marquise." "Doctor, can I impart toyou his cruelest trick ?" "Ofcourse." "Once, long ago... in the folly ofyouth... he made me love him." "[ Spits ]" "[Knocking, WindowSlides Open]" "[ Whispers ] Madeleine, my sweet, can you smuggle me a quill and some ink ?" "[ Whispers ] I don't dare." "The doctor's got his eye on you sharper than ever now." "[ Humming ]" "[Continues]" "[ Thinking ] Dr. Montalivet was, politely put, diminutive." "[Marquis Continues] When flaccid, hismember was littlemore thanabobbin." "Andwheninflamed, it toweredamere fourinches." "To compensate, hestrove toimpresshis ladylove withahostofotherendowments.:" "fine wine, freshgame andahouseas largeashis otherfortunes weresmall." "We've ceiling beams en route from Provence." "And next week, a muralist from Paris arrives... to paint a trompe l'oeil in the ballroom." " Doesn't that pleaseyou ?" " Very much." "I would prefer brandy in the salon... where we can sit side by side before the fire." "I'd rather read, thankyou." "You prefer a book toyour husband's company ?" "Well, no wonder." "I'm only flesh and blood." "That's no match, is it, for the printed page, hmm ?" "Good evening then." "Enjoyyour solitude." "[Madeleine In Distance] Yourlinens, please." "[Madeleine Knocking] Yourlinens." "Now or never." "Voila !" "Well, ifyou won't read it toyour own mother, perhaps you ought not to be reading it at all." "It's notyour cup oftea, Mother." "Oh, go on, darling, give it a read." "[ Clearing Throat ]" "" Monsieur Bouloirwas a man whose erotic appetites..." ""might discreetly be described as... postmortem." " [ Chuckling ] - "A habitue ofcemeteries," " [ Chuckling ] - "A habitue ofcemeteries," ""his proudest conquest was a maid... six decades his senior, deceased a dozen years."" " [ Chuckles ] - [Mother] That's terrible." "Oh, that's too, too terrible." "Well, go on." ""The vigorwith which he made love..." "Mm-hmm." ""caused her bones to dislodge." " [ Giggling ] - "Still..." ""he granted her the highest compliment he accorded anywoman." " [ Snickers ]" " Yes ?" "Well worth the dig." [ Laughing ]" " [ Growls ] - [Madeleine] Youaskedmyname once." "It's Madeleine." "Sweet then, like the pastry." "Haven'tyou a nameyourself?" "Ride awaywith me someday." "Perhaps I'll tell you." "[ Women Singing, French ]" "[ Women Stop Singing ]" "[Doctor] Yourmothermaybeblind, butyouhaveakeenpairofeyes." "My mother is blind on account of the lye in the laundry kettles." "Soaking sheets for lunatics has cost this woman her sight." " This could cost her far more." " You'll get more from her with kindness than" "What could cause a tincture like this ?" " I'm only a laundress, not a detective." " Now is not the time" "Perhaps your kettles are stained with rust." "Or maybe the lye is rancid." "Ormaybe,justmaybe... these sheets once belonged to our friend the marquis." "We've over 200 beds." "They could have been anybody's." "With such a fine thread count, decorated in his very own script ?" "She's lying." "It shows in her face." " We're clearing everything out." " [ Grunting ]" " Almost done, sir." " Remember, anything he could fashion as a quill." "His entire room stripped bare." "So the doctor cracks his whip and you dance !" "My bed, gone." "Am I to freeze to death ?" "Go on, take his rug." " [Man] Takeit." " That's a Turkish weave, you idiot." "It costs more than you'll earn in a lifetime." " [Abbe] His chair." " Fine." "Take it." "Take it all." " Here." " Thereyou go." "And this-- Careful, it's slippery." "You've no idea where it's been." "Let's not forget Mary, sweet Mary, thejewish whore, God's little harlot." "Virgin birth ?" "An entire religion built on an oxymoron." "His wine." "From now on, nothing but water at every meal." " Water ?" " And your meat shall be deboned." " Why this sudden torture ?" " Becauseyourwriting continues unchecked." " I didn't create this world ofours." "I only record it." " Its horrors, perhaps." "Its darkest nightmares." "And to what end ?" " Nothing butyour own morbid gratification." " No, I write what I see:" "the endless procession to the guillotine." "We're all lined up, waiting for the crunch ofthe blade." "The rivers ofblood are flowing beneath our feet, Abbe." "I've been to hell, young man." "You've only read about it." "I'm sorry, Marquis, truly." "These chastityvows ofyours-- How strict are they ?" " Supposeyou only put it in her mouth ?" " [ Yells ]" "Pious little worm." "In conditions ofadversity, the artist flourishes." "[BellRinging, Crowd Chattering]" "Curious, aren'tyou ?" "I fuckin' pleasure myself." "I can pleasureyou too." "You don't know whatyou're missing, darling." "I'm in search ofa book." "Perhaps you know it." "I've only got one copy left." "Rescued it meself from the bonfire." "Please hurry." "My husband locks the door at dusk." "Sweet little thing likeyou... shouldn't be reading such filth anyway." "Igrewup ina convent, sir." "Everything I know in the world, I owe to books." "[Marquis] To theyoungmaidens ofthe world, wrestyourselves free from the tyrannyofvirtue... andtaste withoutshame thepleasures ofthe flesh." "Malepowerlies in the clench ofa fist, buta woman'spower lies elsewhere.:" "in the velvetcavity betwixtherthighs." "It's late, Simone, darling." "Putyour poems aside." "[ Humming ]" " [Continues] - [ Talking, Indistinct ]" "[ Softly] Breakfast." "Madeleine, I beg you" "[ Softly] What have they done toyou now ?" "Tortures so ugly, so medieval... even I haven't the words to describe them." " Go on." " Ifyou have an ounce ofpity in your heart, throw caution aside... and unlock my door." "[ Softly] God help me." " I don't dare." " Don't be a dunce, child." "I have a surprise foryou." "Now open the friggin' door." "[DoorUnlocking]" "My newest book." "It starts at my left cuff... and continues right across my back." "Thelongestsentence, you'llnotice, runs the entire length ofmy inseam." "And it all completes itself... at the base ofmy right shoe." "[ Laughs ]" " [ Laughing ] - [ Laughing ]" " Oh, my. " Pikestaff" ?" " Yes." "[ Chuckling ]" " Yes." " [ Laughing ]" " " Naked on a plate" ?" " Yes." "[ Gasps ] "One hundred unhurried tongues" ?" "Yes." " You're a genius !" " Yes !" "Shh !" "Go quickly... soyou won'tbeblamed formymisbehavior." "Maddie, you traffic with the devil, you'll pay the devil's price." " [ Marquis ] Sorry." " Guards !" " Guards !" " [ Laughing ] Yes !" " Shh !" " You'll pay !" "Guards !" "[ Patients Cheering ]" "Lookwhat I've broughtyou, my darlings." " There's something written." " Two chapters, one for each cheek." "[ Laughing ]" "Mywriting lives !" "[ Laughing ]" "[ All Cheering ]" "Take this beast back to his cage !" "Don't tell me." "You've come to read my trousers." "Don'tkeepmeinsuspense." "What willitbe, 50lashes ?" "A nighton therack ?" "I won't sully my hands with him." "Nor should you." "That's the first rule ofpolitics, isn't it ?" "The man who orders the execution never drops the blade !" "[ All Yelling ]" "[ Abbe ] You're fortunate they've forced me to punish you." "Ifit were up to the doctor, you'dbe flayedalive." "Well, the doctor is a man after my own heart." "What in God's name am I to do with you ?" "T-The more I forbid, the moreyou're provoked." "[ Chuckles ]" "Strip." "Your britches as well." "You started this little game... you finish it." "Or haven'tyou the courage ?" "I thought not." "It's a potent aphrodisiac, isn't it, dumpling ?" "Having power over another man." "Yourwig." "You'll no longer spread your insidious gospel." "From now on, you will not even write your own ignominious name." "Areyour convictions so fragile, they cannot stand in opposition to mine ?" "Is your God so flimsy, so weak ?" "For shame !" "Don't flatteryourself, Marquis." "You're not the Antichrist." "You're nothing but a malcontent who knows how to spell." "[DoorOpens, Closes, Locks]" "I saw herwith my own eyes." "She put the key in the latch just as proud as she pleased." "[Whipping]" "[Whipping Continues]" "Free her now !" "Leave her duly strung." "Maddie." "Ifonly blood will appeaseyou," "then shed mine !" " Abbe, no." " Go on." "Now !" "That won't be necessary." "Ifyou're going to martyryourself, Abbe, do it for God, not a chambermaid." "[Crowd Chuckling]" "Now putyour clothes back on." "[CrowdLaughing]" "Had I known your taste in novels," "I neverwould have taughtyou to read." "[ Madeleine ] Don't say that." "Reading's my salvation." "But why mustyou indulge in his pornography ?" "It's a hard day's wages, slaving away for madmen." "WhatI'veseenin life, it takes a lot to hold my interest." "[ Gasps ]" "I put myselfin his stories." "I play the parts." " Each strumpet, each murderess." " Oh, Maddie" "IfI wasn't such a bad woman on the page," "I'll hazard I couldn't be such a good woman in life." "[ Groans ]" "This is no place for a child likeyou." "I'msendingyou away from here." "[Doctor] It would take the whole den ifyoustop there." "[Doctor] It would take the whole den ifyoustop there." "Now this is not good enough." "You understand ?" "I refuse to pay" "We could line the walls with Chinese silks." "Or, ifyou prefer, a Florentine tapestry." " Areyou a literary man ?" " Excuse me ?" "I do so admire men with an appetite for... books." "Madame, how could you ?" "Haveyou actually read this volume ?" "I've memorized it." "There comes a time in a young lady's life... when she must cast books aside... and learn from experience." "That, monsieur... requires a teacher." "[ Sighs ]" "[ Talking, Indistinct ]" "Oh, yes, come on." "We'll have some fun." " Maddie, what areyou-- - [ Closes, Locks Door]" "Is something wrong ?" "Abbe, don't send me away, I beg you." "I shouldn't refuse your kindness... but my heart's held fast here." "Bywhom ?" "The marquis ?" "[ Sighs ]" "Mother's not halfso blind as you." "Oh, Madeleine." "There are certain feelings..." "we must not voice." "Why not ?" "They incite" "They incite us to act... in ways... we should not." "No." "[ Crying ] What have I done ?" "Go." "Go back toyour room quickly." "You'll hate me now, won'tyou ?" "No." "I loveyou, Madeleine... as a child ofGod." " [ Sobs ]" " Forgive me." "[ Crying ]" "[ Whispers ] Madeleine." "[DoorCloses]" " [ Gasps ]" " Maddie." "You don't fear the marquis' sway on me." "You fearyour own." "Ifyou'd grant me a final favor, I'd like to explain myself." "[ Sighs ]" "Don't come any closer, Abbe." "God's watching." "Maddie" ""Mostesteemed Dr. Royer-Collard," ""At long last your chateau is complete." ""You will find everything in its assigned place:" ""the chintz draperies, the English bellpulls," ""even the ivory doorstops." ""Only one detail is missing-- [ Gasping ]" "[ Panting ]" "Yourwife."" "Tell him I'm no fool." "A prison is still a prison, even with Chinese silks and chandeliers." "" By the timeyou read this, we'll be long gone." "Bound for England or points beyond."" "Tell him ifhe discovers ourwhereabouts, you'll slityourwrist with a razor and I'll plunge a hat pin through my heart." "You'd do that..." "rather than forsake our love ?" "No... but tell him I would." "Sign it... quickly." "Then you can ravish me again on linens forwhich he so dearly paid." "And then, I beg you, on the bearskin rug in his study." "And finally, as a crowning gesture, we'll leave puddles oflove on the Peruvian marble." "Simone !" "Simone !" "Simone ?" "Simone ?" "Stop !" "[ Gurgling ]" "Stop !" "I beg you !" "I'll write dainty stories, odes to virtue." "Children's verse." "I promise !" "[WaterSplashing, Gurgling]" "It excites you, doesn't it, to hurt me thus ?" "Look, you're solid as bone, straining your trousers." "[WaterSplashing, Gurgling]" "[ Gasping ] Don'tyou see, you self-righteous fuck ?" "The longeryou continue yourvexations, the deeperyou root my principles in my heart !" "[ Gurgling ]" "Haven'tyou seen... a man naked before ?" "The abbe's sending me away." "Yes." "Ofcourse he is." "Marquis... tell me one little story." "How doyou propose I do that ?" "With dust upon the air ?" "Whisper it to me now." "Child, that's far too dangerous." "I may never seeyou again." "Let me transcribe it foryou, something to rememberyou by." "This is neither the time nor the place." "We've lost." "I never thought I'd seeyou defeated." "There are thousands ofstories..." "I would dearly love to tell." "Then tell me one." "[Distant Voices]" "[ Chuckles ]" "Perhaps I can." "Tonight, placeyourself in the linen pantry... with a bottle ofink and a quill." "And then you shall have a story... that will make the angels weep... and the saints all gasp for air." "[Thunderclap]" "[Thunderclap]" "[ Softly] Psst, she's here." "Dauphin." "Dauphin." "Dauphin." " [Dauphin] Cleante." "Cleante." " [ThunderRumbling]" "[ Softly] Psst, Cleante, areyou ready ?" " [ Louder] Areyou ready ?" " [ Softly] Marquis, is thatyou ?" "For fuck's sake, who else would it be ?" "Haveyou alerted the others ?" "[ Softly] I'm no longer a man." "I awoke to discover I turned into a sparrow." " [ Chirping ] - [Marquis] Is thatso ?" "[ Softly] Well, I awoke to discover I'd turned into a cat !" "Ifyoudon'tdo as Isay, I'llsinkmylittle fangs intoyour drumsticks... andsuck themarrow straightoutofyourbones !" " Haveyou got that, little bird ?" " [ Whimpering ]" "[ Softly] Atyour service, Count." "[ Softly] To my beloved reader, prepareyourself for the most impure tale... ever to spring from the mind ofman." "Offyour hump." "Dauphin." "To my beloved reader, prepareyourself forthemost... impure tale ever told." "To my beloved reader, prepareyourself for an impure tale." " Psst, Bouchon." " Huh ?" "To mybelovedreader, prepareyourself." "I have an impure tale to tell." "[Bouchon MovingRocks] Prepareyourself." " [Rocks Continue Moving] - [ Softly] Bouchon ?" "Whatdidyousay ?" "[Bouchon] Prepareyourself." "I'vea tale, animpure tale." "Our story concerns the prostitute, Fauchau, whom nature had equipped... with a tight and tiny fissure between her thighs... and the most finely cleft ass ever molded... by the hand ofGod." " [Thunderclap] - [ Chuckling ]" "Fauchau was a prostitute... witha tight anddowny fissure... between her thighs and" "The most finely cleft ass !" "The most finely cleft ass." " [Continues]" " My glorious prose filtered through the minds ofthe insane." "Who knows, they might improve it." "It's about a harlot named Fauchau." "It's about a harlot... namedFauchau witha downy fissure." "One day, Fauchau's firstclient wasasurgeon." "He ranhis fingers acrosshernakedskin, pulling apart folds offlesh." "[Cleante] He ranhis fingers acrosshernakedskin, pulling apartfolds offlesh." "[Dauphin] Pullingatherfoldsand" "[Frannal] He ranhis fingers overhernakedskin," " [ Laughs ] - pullingatherfolds." "[Bouchon] Feelingoverhernakedskin." "Her naked skin." " Naked" " Yes, I've got that bit." ""What shall I make ready ?" asked Fauchau." "" My mouth, my ass... or my succulent oyster ?"" "What shall I make ready ?" "My ass or my succulent oyster ?" "" None !" cried the surgeon, brandishing his scalpel." " Yes ?" " Which hole ?" "My mouth, my ass or my succulent-- succulent oyster." "" For I'll carve new orifices where there were none before."" " None" " Cried the surgeon." "I'll carvenew--new--neworifices where there werenonebefore." "With that, Fauchau expelled a scream so extravagantly pitched... that the surgeon was obliged to tear out her tongue." " [ Laughing ]" " Fauchauexpelledascream ofsuch extravagantpitch" "With that, the extravagant bitch-  screamedsoloud" " She screamed... solongandsoloud" "[Bouchon] Shescreamed, sohe felt heshould" " He ought- [Marquis] Tosealthe wound, he tookapokerfrom the fire." " A poker !" " To tear out her tongue." " [Thunderclap]" "He took a poker from the fire." "From the fire." "From the fire !" "He took a poker from the fire." "From the fire." "From the fire." "He took a poker from the fire." "From the fire." " Dauphin." " [ Softly] From the fire." " What's the next bit ?" " [Madeleine] Bouchon, the words ?" " Tell me the words." " Fire." "[ Gasps ]" " Dauphin ?" " [Dauphin Gasping]" " [ Gasping ]" " Dauphin ?" " [Dauphin] Fire !" " What's the next bit ?" " Fire !" "Fire." " What's thenextbit ?" " [Dauphin] Fire!" "Fire !" " Tell me the next bit !" " You must tell me the words." " [DauphinScreams]" " You must tell me the words." " [DauphinScreams]" " [BellRinging]" " Fire !" "Openall the doors !" "Let thepatients out!" "Get some water !" "Hurry !" "Come on !" "Get some water !" " [ Laughing ]" "Jesus !" "What the hell haveyou done ?" "[Yelling, Indistinct]" "[ Both Continue Yelling ]" "Where's that water ?" "Get thebeds !" "Stomp them out!" " [Panicked Yelling]" " Fire!" "Fire !" "Fire !" "Fire !" " Fire !" " [ Whimpering ]" "[ Guard ] Where areyou going with that ?" "Bouchon ?" "Bouchon ?" "Rememberyour manners, Bouchon." " [ Laughs ]" " Don't" " No !" "No !" "No !" " Madeleine." " [ Continues Screaming ]" " Madeleine !" " Madeleine !" " Madeleine !" " [Marquis] Madeleine!" " Madeleine !" "Madeleine!" " Madeleine!" " Madeleine." "[Inmates Yelling] Madeleine!" "Madeleine!" "Madeleine!" "Madeleine!" "Madeleine!" "[Panicked Yelling]" " [ Woman Screaming ] - [Abbe] Maddie ?" "Madeleine !" "[ Woman Screaming, Man Laughing ]" " Maddie !" " It's awful !" "The devil's unleashed himself upon us !" "It's her fault !" "Up thestairs !" "[Madeleine] No!" "No!" "No!" "[MadeleineScreaming]" "[Screaming Continues]" "No !" "No !" "No !" " [Marquis] Maddie !" " [Screaming Continues]" " Madeleine !" "Madeleine !" " [ Continues Screaming ]" "[Doctor] Wemustsave Charenton!" "Keep the chaingoing !" "We've got to stop it before it gets to those beams !" " [ Band Playing ] - [DoctorContinues Shouting]" " [ Screaming ]" " Get him offofme !" "Pitou !" "[WomanScreaming]" " Madeleine !" " Madeleine !" " [ Woman Screaming ] - [ Inmates Leering ]" " Guards !" "Guards !" " [ Whimpering ]" "Guards !" "Brigitte." "Areyou all right ?" "[Thunderclap]" "Madeleine !" " Madeleine !" " [Footsteps Running]" "Madeleine !" "Go !" "Quickly !" "Madeleine !" "Where areyou, Maddie ?" "[ Murmuring ]" ""She screamed..." " so he felt he ought to tear out her tongue." - [Scissors HitFloor]" "Bouchon, wait !" " [Thunderclap] - [ Gasps ]" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry, Abbe." "I couldn't help it." "No." "Oh, my God." " [ Gasping ]" " No." "[ Crying ] Oh, no." "[Continues Crying]" "[ Whimpers ]" "[ Groaning ]" "[Rider] Madeleine!" "[ Praying, Latin ]" "Now, now, don't be shy." "We've a nice surprise just waiting foryou." "There'sagoodboy." "Huh ?" "Huh !" "There's a good boy." "Huh ?" "[ Bouchon ] I'm sorry." "Wait." "I promise I won't do it again." "I promise." "Ofcourse, we mustn't blame Bouchon." "He is merely one ofnature's experiments gone awry." "No discipline, no conscience, no morality." "In fact, it is our duty... to provide such things on his behalf." "Is it not ?" "As you say, Doctor." "He was so impressed by the marquis' tale... thathe chose toreenactit, yes ?" "Upon a certain chambermaid." "Perhaps you would be so kind as to remind me ofher name." "[ Whimpering ] I beg you, Doctor, don't make me say it." "Her name, Abbe." "Madeleine." "Tell me, Abbe, when you are called before God, how will you answer for Madeleine's death ?" " Murderer." " [ Rat Squeaking ]" "Yourwords" "Yourwords drove Bouchon to" "Oh, for fuck's sake, Abbe !" "Suppose one ofyour precious inmates attempted to walk on water and drowned ?" "Would you condemn the Bible ?" "I think not." "An innocent child is dead." "So many authors are denied the gratification... ofa concrete response to theirwork." "I'm blessed, am I not ?" "It's no secret thatyou loved her." "I wanted to fuck her, that's all." " And did you ?" " It's notyour province to ask." " Whywas ityou never took her by force ?" " Who's to say I did not ?" " Was it impotence ?" " Never !" "Then... it must have been love." "I fucked her countless times... and all the while she pleaded for more." "We inspected the body." "She died a virgin." "[ Crying ]" "Give her..." "a proper burial... in the churchyard... at my expense." "Donotinter... her sweet body... in the same ground... as the devils who inhabit this accursed place." "Your terrible secret revealed." "You're a man after all." "I've opium to numb the pain." "Our intention is punitive." "Ifwe numb the pain, what's the point ?" "Abbe de Coulmier." "I'm here." "Would that I were so easily silenced." "[ Gasping ]" "There's a good boy." "[MarquisScreaming]" "[Screaming Continues, Gagging]" "[Screaming Continues]" "[ Grunts ]" "My, my." "You have exceeded my expectations." "Have I ?" "I'm not the first man God has asked to shed blood in His name." "I willnotbe thelast." "And will you sleep soundly tonight ?" "No, sir." "Plainly put," "I never expect to sleep again." "[FootstepsApproaching]" "[ Sobs ]" "[ Crying ]" "[ Gasping ]" "Don't send me away, Abbe." "Abbe." "Abbe." " Abbe-- - [ Cries Out, Panting ]" "[Man] Abbe." "Abbe." "Abbe." "Abbe." "[Pounding, Yelling] Abbe!" "Abbe!" " [ Gasping ] - [Pounding, Yelling Continue]" "You best come quick, Abbe !" "He's written alloverthe walls." "[ Coughing ]" "Usedhis own filth." " Made himselfa kind ofpaint." " Dear God." " [Gagging]" " The stench !" " Free his mouth." " You mustn't do that, sir." "I must grant him his last rites." "Give meyour dagger." "Leave us." "[Marquis Gasping]" "[ Groaning Weakly]" "[ Sighing ]" " [ Groans ]" " Shh." "I failed to saveyour soul in life." "I won't fail in death." "Dear Heavenly Father, prove Your infinite mercy... and open Your gates to this man, no less Your child than any other." "There is... in each ofus... such beauty... and such abomination." "No man is exempt." "Forgive him." "Forgive us all." "Kiss the cross." "Marquis !" "Marquis !" "[Gags]" "[ Gasps ]" " No !" " [ Screaming ]" "[Screaming Continues]" "[Doctor] Welcome to Charenton, Abbe." "I'm pleased to have the new post, sir." "Areyou ?" "Thankyou." "I'm afraid our endowment has shriveled to a mere pittance." "We are the laughingstock ofall France." "However, on a happier note, the hospital is now in my sole command." "My policy here is that each man must earn his keep." "The Charenton Press, Abbe." "We produce books for the discriminating collector." "The compulsive inmates set the type." "[ Groaning ]" "Thelistless ones do thebinding andprepare theink." "It's remarkable, Doctor." "The patients are so subdued, so docile." "Yes, they are at peace." "They have the satisfaction that only a hard day's labor can provide." "[Abbe] Idon'tbelieveit." "The Marquis de Sade ?" "You're actually publishing his novels ?" "Yes." "Ever since his unfortunate death, there's been a surge ofinterest in his works." "Ofcourse, I will use the profits to restore Charenton to its former glory." "[Woman] Oh, Doctor." "We have a meeting with Herr Becker at 4:00." "He wants to publish a Swiss edition... on gilded paper bound in calfskin." " Thankyou, Charlotte." " My pleasure." "Have a look at page 205." "I turned the corner down." "[Man] Come on, move." "Onyourleft." "Come on." "Nextone." "Go on." "Get thesebooks onboard." "Come on!" "Thoseboxes overthere !" "Moveyourself." "Right." "Right, old mate, that's it !" "Seeyou next week !" "[Doctor] Ofcourse, everything isnot quiteasharmonious asitseems." " [ Woman Yelling ]" " I hopeyou have a strong constitution." "Myyears tending lepers steeled me for life's grisliest offerings." "We still have a few lone incurables... prone to violence and perversion." "So... you're my successor, yes ?" ""Successor" ?" "Oh." "Listen to me..." "Abbe, and listen well." "I've stared into the face ofevil... andI've lived to tell the tale." "Now, I beg you, foryour sake, let me write it down." "Gibberish, my friend." "He rants and he raves." "Ifyou've an ounce ofchristian charity, then you'll bring me parchment, ink and a quill." "You'll do no such thing." "This patient poses a grave danger to himselfand others." "[ Gasping ]" "Areyou all right, sir ?" "[ Panting ]" "Doyou not see, Abbe ?" "Doyou not see, Abbe ?" "Some men are beyond redemption." "No." "Wait." "Please." "Pleasebringmea quill." "Please ?" "Wait." "I'msorry." "Goddamn you, Abbe !" "A quill !" "[ Panting ]" "A quill." "Use it well." "You owe her that." "[ Humming ]" "[Marquis] Belovedreader," "Ileaveyounow witha tale pennedby theAbbe de Coulmier, aman who foundfreedom in the unlikeliestofplaces.:" "at thebottom ofaninkwell, on the tip ofa quill." "[ Humming ]" "[Marquis] However, be forewarned, itsplotisblood-soaked, its characters depraved, andits themes..." "unwholesomeatbest." "Butin ordertoknow virtue, wemustacquaintourselves with vice." "Only then can weknow the fullmeasure ofman." "So come." "Idareyou." "Turn thepage."