Mauprat (1926) Movie Script

At his chateau of Ste-Svre,
on the borders of La Marche and Berri...
...the Chevalier Hubert, head of the
Mauprat family, leads a tranquil life.
Edme, his beloved only daughter
enjoys long rides on horseback...
...which often leaves her father worried.
The Rock of Mauprat spread terror
for 20 leagues around.
Bad news never comes alone.
The Vicomte de la Marche, the King's
Lieutenant General for the Province,
and Edme's suitor, hesitates to add
to the Chevalier's obvious burdens.
His Majesty has lost patience with
these impious and riotous gentlemen.
The local constabulary being powerless,
I've been ordered to attack their lair...
...and destroy them this very night
without mercy.
Do your duty!
My good Marcasse, the weather is bad,
and I'm worried - Edme hasn't returned.
You know our woods so well go look
for her, and I will search on horseback.
Do us the honor of coming in,
Mademoiselle de Mauprat.
Your cousin, the Marquise de Rochemaure,
whose house this is, will be sorry...
...not to be able to welcome you herself,
as she is confined to her bed.
Gentlemen! For the second time this year
the constabulary honors us with a visit.
Prepare to receive them
in an appropriate manner.
I declare, Mademoiselle,
you please me greatly!
And I will have a kiss from you,
or my name isn't Bernard de Mauprat!
Mauprat! Edme was in the clutches
of her impoverished cousins,
a fearsome band of outlaws
and reprobates!
Bernard! I am your cousin...
Edme de Mauprat!
Oh, indeed, my cousin, are you?!
Edme de Mauprat?!
The constabulary is hitting us hard,
you yellow skunk!
Get up to the ramparts at once,
or you'll find out what I do to cowards!
Heavens! It must be my father
your uncles are attacking!
He's come looking for me!
Bernard, I beg you:
prevent this crime!
If you really are my cousin, Edme,
and they're firing on your father,
I swear I will stand between him
and any who would do him harm.
It's not your father it's the army
and the peasants who are attacking us.
And whether you fall into the hands
of soldiers and enraged peasants...
...or the hands of my uncles drunk with
bloodlust, your fate will be the same.
Stratagem of war
Feminine wiles
You love me, don't you, Bernard?
Can't you think of some way to save me
from these brutes...
...so that I can be yours alone?
Mlle de Mauprat is within the walls
of the castle you are bombarding.
We will hand her over safe and sound...
...if you halt the attack
and spare us from death and destruction.
Just be patient, Monsieur!
We will go and inform Edme,
who is resting upstairs.
Please be seated.
Edme! Listen!
Our only chance is to flee.
But you will not get out of here
until you are mine!
I'd rather kill myself!
You tricked me! Go, then!
The left-hand corridor leads out
into the countryside.
As for me, I will share
the fate of my uncles.
Their treachery is no worse than yours.
Bernard! I won't leave without you!
You can't stay here your uncles
will punish you for me escape.
Let's flee together!
If you swear to be mine...
I swear... that I will never belong
to anyone if not to you...
On condition that this be
a secret between us!
What are they going to do to Bernard?
Bernard? What does it matter to you?
Our relative, Bernard de Mauprat,
saved my honor and my life.
The soldiers took him away -
have pity on him!
Bernard is my nephew. Poor child!
Ah, if only I had succeeded,
fifteen years ago.
Bernard, an orphan, was the sole
surviving member of the middle branch...
...of the Mauprat family.
Hubert and Tristan, heads of the senior
and junior branches...
...fought over custody of the child.
I thank you, sir. Because of you,
this child has finally come back to me,
and it will be my task
to turn him into a gentleman.
And here is your rescuer of last night,
the Vicomte de la Marche.
Work to deserve his friendship,
especially as his marriage with Edme...
...will make him one of the family.
Edme! You're making fun of me!
You gave your word...
Bernard gazed rapturously upon
his old rags.
Their folds breathed the perfume of
the outdoors, the appeal to liberty!
Get back, bumpkin!
Learn the respect due from a servant
like you to a freeborn gentleman!
What will Edme say when she sees you
fallen back into your wild ways?
Her beautiful eyes will weep!
Her noble mind will regard you
with scorn, my young gentleman...
After this escapade,
Bernard devoted himself...
...to the development of his character
and his behavior.
He expected a reward for this hard work,
and only Edme's love could content him.
But Edme refused to speak to him,
and seemed to flee from every
private meeting with her cousin.
That boy is a barbarian, a brute!
Yesterday he shoved me on the stairs,
when I caught him watching you go out.
Edme! I've had enough of your behavior;
you owe me an explanation!
I charge you to keep the promise
you made to me...
...or I will consider you a liar
whose word means nothing.
I promised to belong to no one
unless it was you.
I did not promise to belong
to a boorish lout!
Take heart, Bernard,
I didn't mean to hurt you so.
I will never be yours through force.
But work hard, become a noble man
like my father...
...and one day I may love you.
Their almost equally headstrong natures
ensured that it was not long...
...before tension flared again
between Bernard and Edme.
Sir, you do me great honor...
Edme, I've finally discovered
your secret: Bernard loves you.
But I am sure you do not love him...
For myself, more than ever I am
resolved to offer you my name;
I pray you will accept it.
Ah, so it's to Monsieur de la Marche
that you write with so much care.
Edme, what did you tell him?
I want to know.
My father is wasting his time
trying to educate you.
You'll always be a low vulgarian!
Sir, I am most grieved by the generous
sentiment you say you have for me.
It is possible that at one time
I might not have cared much for Bernard;
but now it's possible that I love...
The unconquerable pride of the Mauprats
poisoned the useless quarrel,
each holding firm to their position.
Edme, I see clearly that you
will never love me...
...and all the efforts I could make
would only inspire more mockery.
So I've decided to leave Ste-Svre.
With my uncle's consent,
I am going into the army.
Good Marcasse, you must go into the army
with Bernard to watch over him.
He is so impetuous. Do it for me!
But never tell him that I asked you to.
Mlle Edme, I entrust Blaireau to you
while we are away; take good care of him...
That night, in the park, mysterious
figures lurked about.
The dull year passed without any great
changes to the routine at Ste-Svre.
The good Chevalier feeling age creeping
upon him, thought of Edme's future,
and so waited impatiently
for Bernard's return.
Ah, no one loves me; all thoughts are
for the absent, awaiting his return.
You're not deserting us,
are you Monsieur?
Would you care to come fox-hunting with
the young people next Tuesday?
My dear Bernard, thinking of your future,
I've kept for you the inheritance...
...that your uncles' misconduct
has unfortunately ruined.
You must go to Mauprat
and see what can be rebuilt.
The Lieutenant General had a strange
encounter while leaving Ste-Svre...
...as did the chaplain walking in the park.
There, there, dear brother!
All sins shall be forgiven, and I will
support you in the path of goodness.
Accompanied by Marcasse, Bernard wanders
among the ruins of Mauprat...
...and views his new property.
A local farmer's daughter is their guide.
Marcasse! I had an awful dream:
My uncles appeared before me
threatening me with a horrible death.
Afraid of awakening painful memories,
Bernard said nothing to the Chevalier...
...about his terrible dream.
So on a lovely fall morning, the horns
rang out merrily through the forest.
Get down, Edme!
Finally I can speak to you alone!
Alas, age now bars me from hard riding.
But there's no need for you to lose
this pleasure because of me.
Go rejoin the children.
A strange hunter, this lame monk whom the
Lt. General seemed fated to meet...
...in the most unlikely circumstances.
Miserable wretch!
What madness overtook you?
How could you have committed...?
Ah, now I see that you
are innocent, my friend;
but alas, what an unfortunate accident!
Some clumsiness while handling your gun,
a slip of the finger...
But it wasn't me, Marcasse! I swear it!
And I know nothing of this crime...
Edme being unable to speak, suspicion
rested heavily on Bernard...
...whose fiery temper and stormy past
caused tongues to wag.
My dear child, I have brought you
this holy man whose pious conversation...
...will while away the long days
of your convalescence.
Only Marcasse believed in Bernard's
innocence and visited him in prison.
Alas, my poor Bernard! No news.
The doctors are still keeping
visitors away from Edme.
And malicious people
continue to accuse you!
However, I had an idea;
I remember the sharp eyed little
peasant girl at the Rock of Mauprat...
Who are those men?
Tonight you will show me their
hiding place, or else the gendarmes...
The trial opened before
the county court of Bourges.
A great throng of people attended,
eager to see brought to justice...
...the last member of the Mauprat gang.
I don't know anything...
I never saw anything.
I hardly know Bernard de Mauprat!
Gentlemen, you don't know all the facts!
The Rock of Mauprat still harbors
strange occupants...
...men who are no strangers to crime!
But the protests and words of a poor man
like Marcasse are of little consequence.
Certainly, gentlemen! Bernard is quite
capable of such a crime...
...and his past conduct and brutal nature
leave him open to suspicion.
The Chevalier, overpowered by shock,
is still too weak to testify in person.
He asked me to express his feelings,
which I share, on this sad event
This case cannot be properly tried
without the presence of Mlle de Mauprat.
She is better, and I offer
to fetch her here at once.
The chaplain's friend, the penitent monk,
arrived at Edme's bedside as usual.
I recognize you, you devil's monk!
You got tangled in my horse's hooves
during the tragic hunt...
...just about the time poor Edme...
The hearing resumed the same night.
I solemnly swear that I believe
Bernard to be innocent...
...and if I said anything else,
it was due to delirium.
Why would Bernard do such a thing?
He loves me and I love him,
and I am going to be his wife.
And here is the skulking owl who nests
in the ruins with a gun under his robe:
Jean de Mauprat!
Second in command of the bandits...
Jean "Squint-Eye" de Mauprat had no choice
but to admit his complicity.
Marcasse swore to punish with
his own hands the chief culprit:
the elusive Tristan de Mauprat who hid
among the ruins of his ancient fortress.