The Rose of Versailles Episode 33 "A Funeral Bell Tolls in the Twilight" translated by GinRei [] = description of the scenes () = alternative translations (feel free to put them or drop them), and sometimes my comments or explanations {} = translation of what it says on the screen ********************************************************************** notes on names: Andre should be spelled with "/" accent acute over the "e" Francois should be spelled with a cedilla (like "5") under the "c". ********************************************************************** MUSICIAN Why has the River Seine become so murky? Where is Paris, the city of flowers? Everyone fights over a piece of bread. People used to sing about flowers and whisper (their) love. Where is the Seine flowing to? NARRATION The winter of 1788... The political chaos and financial crisis of the royal family repeatedly led to new taxes; Dissatisfaction and poverty of the French people had already reached the limit. But still, Versailles tried to cling to its authority. [cabinet meeting] CHAIRMAN If you'd like to impose a new tax, and borrow 420 million Livres, you'd have to convene the Estates-General. Not only the clergies and nobles from the First and Second Estate, but the commoners from the Third Estate (should be added) as well. Representatives from every Estate must be included. Your Majesty, there isn't any other way to solve the financial crisis of the royal family, which is bloated by debts. Only then, are all the nobles, clergies, and citizens likely to accept this new tax. Please make a decision as the King! NOBLES Wait a minute, are you saying that the commoners must participate in the politics?! You should never allow that, Your Majesty! The commoners are already conceited and starting to have everything their own way. Your authority must not be degraded any further! CHAIRMAN You must reconvene the Estates-General for the first time in 200 years! NARRATION The prelude to the French Revolution started with a rebellion of some nobles, contending to rule France in place of the King. CROWD The Estates-General! The Estates-General! Send Our Delegates to the Estates-General! [opening title] {Episode 32: A Funeral Bell Tolls in the Twilight} BERNARD The Ancient Regime is about to crumble down! There will be no discrimination between the First, the Second, and the Third Estates! ANDRE Bernard... BERNARD Someday, we'll all be able to live equally! All men are created equal! ANDRE Bernard! Hey, Bernard!! BERNARD Andre! Andre, it's you! ANDRE I heard your speech. It was wonderful! BERNARD Thanks. Oh, I want you to see someone. Come to my house. It's very close. [Bernard's] ROSALIE Oh! Welcome, Andre!! ANDRE Rosalie...?! ROSALIE It's really been a while. ANDRE It's been longer than a while. What have you been doing? You lost contact with us. And...so... Why are you here with Bernard? I don't get it. Ah! You two got married!! BERNARD Yeah, a little after that Black Knight incident. ANDRE I see, I now know. Congratulations! ROSALIE Uh... how is Lady Oscar? ANDRE She's fine. She was transferred from the Royal Guards to the French Guards. But she's working hard as always! ANDRE Don't worry, Rosalie. Nobody and nothing has changed from that time. None. CROWD The Estates-General! Send our Delegates! BERNARD Right. Nobody and nothing has changed yet. But a change WILL come! ROSALIE Andre, please make yourself at home though I'm leaving now to work. ANDRE Yeah, I will. Thank you, Rosalie. ROSALIE Please give my regards to Lady Oscar. ANDRE Yeah. We should all get together sometime. BERNARD Rosalie is now working at Monsieur Robespierre's organization with me. She just went out to make leaflets and posters for our next gathering (rally). ANDRE You both look happy. Really... BERNARD Andre, why don't you join us? You sure aren't someone who'd be content as a noble's stableman! ANDRE A very nice coffee. It tastes humble, but full of love. BERNARD Then why were you listening to my speech?! Why did you attend the rally just now? ANDRE I just happened to be off duty. I had time. That's all. MAN Bernard! Bernard! It has just been decreed! The Estates-General will be convened! BERNARD What?! Really? NARRATION In January, 1789, Louis XVI decreed that the Estate-General be convened on the May 1st. To convene the Estate-General meant limiting the king's dictatorship. But Louis XVI had no way of changing the course of history. The Castle of Meudon was an old castle (in Meudon) where the Queen had moved for her sickly son, Crown Prince, Joseph. [Oscar arrives on horseback, looking really cool!] OSCAR I'm Brigadier Oscar Francois de Jarjeyes I am here at Lady Antoinette's urgent request. Please tell her (that I'm here)! OSCAR Lady Antoinette! ANTOINETTE Oscar! Thank you for coming, Oscar. Joseph desperately wants to see you. OSCAR The Crown Prince? (Dauphin?) ANTOINETTE He might not live another 6 months. His backbone is all jagged, even his ribs are awry (warped?). Terminal symptoms of spinal meningitis are already developing. He just turned 7... JOSEPH Shut up! Go away! MAID You should not, Crown Prince! Crown Prince! JOSEPH I'm going out! I want to go out!! Let me go! Leave me alone! ANTOINETTE Joseph... OSCAR Crown Prince. JOSEPH Oscar... OSCAR (It's nice to see you.) Please forgive me for not visiting you for a long time. JOSEPH Oscar... OSCAR Yes, Highness... JOSEPH Please, take me... take me outside! Please let me ride your horse! OSCAR Your Highness... JOSEPH I want to ride a horse with Oscar! ANTOINETTE It's all right, Oscar. Please... please make his dream come true. Oscar Yes, Your Majesty. [horseride] JOSEPH Gallop! Gallop! Gallop! OSCAR You shouldn't push the horse so hard. JOSEPH Gallop! Gallop! Gallop! Gallop! JOSEPH I wish we could go on riding like this for forever and ever... OSCAR Crown Prince? [spring] OSCAR Are you all right, Your Highness? It might be better to go back soon. JOSEPH I heard the Estates-General will be convened. OSCAR Yes. JOSEPH I'll come back to Versailles Palace by then. Since the day will probably remain in the history of France. France...which I'll rule someday. OSCAR That's right. Your Highness will become Louis XVII... [Joseph gives Oscar a kiss] JOSEPH I love you! When I get reborn, I won't be sick, I'll grow up healthy, ...and become a fine man. So, wait for me till then! ANTOINETTE Lord, please let Louis-Joseph live another month...no, even another week or day longer! Please, please, my Lord... LOUIS Excuse me, please. ANTOINETTE Your Majesty... LOUIS Let us pray together. ANTOINETTE Yes. [barracks] COMPANY MEN Hey, it's Alain! Squad Leader! ALAIN Haven't seen you all for long. I'll be counting on you guys again. COMPANYMEN We've heard about Diane. It must have been hard for you. I'm so sorry for her. Your mother died soon after? What have you been doing for half a year? We thought you weren't coming back. ALAIN Yeah, I wasn't thinking about coming back. I was going to live in the country side with an ocean view, guarding (keeping) the graves of my mother and Diane. But it's May after this rain. I'm ought to come back if the Estates-General is to be convened. I want to watch closely how the commoners' delegates will question the nobles. Right, Andre? I'll see what your blind eye can't see. ANDRE Oscar, Count Fersen has returned to Sweden. A message from the Army says: he sends you his best regards. Oscar...? OSCAR Andre, a special training will start tomorrow for the security guarding of the Estates-General. Tell the others (about it.) ANDRE OK. NARRATION On May 4th, 1789, a day before the opening ceremony of the Estates-General, a solemn Mass was held at St. Louis Cathedral in Versailles and all the delegates attended. The parade of the delegates heading to the Cathedral was guarded by the 1st French Regiment, which was the French Guards, and by the Swiss Royal Guards. OSCAR His Highness must be watching from one of the windows of the Versailles Palace. He's come back for this day. JOSEPH Where would Oscar be? The hats of the French Guards are shining. (I'm sure there's a term for those hats, but I couldn't find it. Sort of reminds me of those movies about the French Foreign Legion.) [flashback] JOSEPH I love you! I'll become a fine man. So, wait for me till then! ANDRE All in position! We're waiting for orders! OSCAR Andre, I almost became a Queen. ANDRE Huh? CHAMBERLAIN The parade is about to start. Please be ready. ANTOINETTE I'll be going, Joseph. CHARLES I'm going, too (, Brother). I'll be parading on the same carriage with Mother! JOSEPH Louis-Charles, go and see things closely. You do it for me. It's possible that you may become the next Crown Prince. OSCAR Present Arms! [parade] NARRATION Through the crowds which lined the roadside, the delegation of the Estates-General headed toward St. Louis Cathedral. The 621 delegates of the Third Estate headed the parade, all dressed in black, followed by the delegates of the nobles. Their gaudiness only appeared pathetic to the eyes of the people. Maximillian Robespierre, representing Artois (Province), was 31. (He was) the future ruler of France. Commoners' delegates numbered 621. But nobles who were supported by commoners were elected as their delegates. The prestige of being a noble no longer had any meaning, let alone the military for the royal family. [Joseph becomes unconscious] MAID Prince Louis Joseph! Crown Prince! Call the doctor! Crown Prince! Take him to Meudon (castle)! Prepare the carriage! (Get a carriage (ready)?) Crown Prince! NARRATION The next day, on May 5th, 1789, the opening ceremony of the Estates-General took place in the Hall of l'Hotel des Menus Plaisirs. ANTOINETTE Is there a messenger from Meudon? How is Joseph (, the Crown Prince)? CHAMBERLAIN Your Majesty, the ceremony is about to begin. It is the duty of the Queen of France to attend the opening ceremony (of the Estates-General). PAGE Presenting His Majesty! CHEERS Long live the King! Long live the King! PAGE Presenting Her Majesty! [silence] NARRATION There was no applause for Antoinette. Not only from the Third-Estate, but neither from the nobility. The Queen realized in the cold silence that French people attacked and hated not the King nor the Royal Family but only the Queen -- Marie Antoinette. ANTOINETTE in her mind A battle is about to begin. I will no longer run away or hide, because I AM the Queen of France! ANDRE A month without a break has passed since the opening (of the Estates-General). It seems like things are rough (inside). ALAIN I was informed that the commoners' delegates are challenging tough debate against (the delegates of) the clergy and nobility. I wanna join them, (if I can)! Here she comes. ALAIN Commander, how's it going inside? OSCAR As disorderly as it has been. When this is over, you'll all get a vacation. So hang on till then. [finds a empty bottle] Hey, this is unsafe. The delegates might get hurt when they leave. I told you before to dispose of things like this. ANDRE I'm sorry, I didn't notice it. OSCAR Throw it way. ANDRE Aye, Ma'am. [Andre's vision blurs and he misses the tossed bottle] ALAIN Hey, you're no good, Andre. It's all right, I'll put it away. OSCAR Andre, is your right eye...? ANDRE Uh...what, Ma'am? ALAIN Anybody will slacken after standing day after day. Isn't that so, Andre? ANDRE Yeah, that's right. Maybe I'm a bit tired. Or perhaps dazzled by the sun. OSCAR OK. If that's the case... [carriage] OSCAR That's Lady Antoinette's carriage. [at Jarjeyes'] ANDRE A rain again... Rain again. Or, More rain... The condition of the Crown Prince seems to be worsening. To the point where the Estates-General was suspended, and the Royal Couple rushed to Meudon. OSCAR He'll be OK. Things like this have happened many times before. I'm sure he'll rally again this time. ANDRE I hope so. OSCAR I'm more worried about one other thing. ANDRE Oh, what is it? OSCAR Andre... [holds a knife up to Andre's eye] ANDRE Why, are you checking my eye? OSCAR Can you see it all right? ANDRE Of course I can. It's a knife. Made in 1612, handed down through generations of the Jarjeyes family and your favorite. OSCAR So your eye is really all right? ANDRE Cut it out. It's such a bad joke. OSCAR I'm sorry. ANDRE What's wrong, Oscar? OSCAR Can you hear it? OSCAR It's the bells of Notre Dame. The Crown Prince is in a critical condition. NARRATION On June 2nd, at 10 o'clock, the bells of Notre Dame tolled solemnly. A 40-hour-long prayer had begun for the Crown Prince who was in critical condition. ANTOINETTE Joseph! LOUIS Joseph... JOSEPH Father, Mother... ANTOINETTE Joseph!! JOSEPH (I know) you're busy. I'm sorry... ANTOINETTE Joseph... JOSEPH Is the Estates-General still stormy? Why can't the delegates talk in a more cordial manner? ANTOINETTE Ah, Joseph... You don't have to worry about such things. Joseph, my Joseph!! JOSEPH I want...I want to go back to Versailles! ANTOINETTE Of course, you will. LOUIS That's right, you will, Joseph. You'll get better and the three of us will ride on the same carriage, back to Versailles. Ah! I'll ask Oscar Francois, your favorite, to be in charge of the guards for our carriage. You'll like that! JOSEPH Ah, a lady on a white horse...! Her blond hair in the wind... [dies] ANTOINETTE JOSEPH!! JOSEPH! Don't leave your mother behind! Oh, Lord-!! OSCAR He was only 7 years and 8 months old... NARRATION On June 4th, at 1AM, the tragic life of the Crown Prince, Louis Joseph, came to an end. But one fortunate thing for him (at least) was that he died without knowing the suffering the Royal Family must face.... OSCAR I'm going to offer my condolences at the Meudon Castle. NARRATION [this is a continuation from the previous narrative.] ....the road France, which will be violently shaken by the (opening of the) Estates-General, must take. [eek, it's so confusing!] And the road the survivors and those who try to (survive) in the new era, must choose. [ending title] NEXT EPISODE: Oscar applauded for the Estates-General, drawing high expectations from the People. But the nobles and the royal family, afraid of the power of the Third-Estate, ordered Oscar to close the assembly hall (of the Estates-General). Oscar's agony deepens. Next time on Rose of Versailles: "Now 'The Tennis Court Oath'". END - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bruce Carlson carlsn1@ix.netcom.com Phoenix, AZ