[sitar music]
They called me many things.
A girl, a woman, a mother, a lover, a harlot.
A spy.
But through it all, I was a dancer.
My dance is a sacred poem.
In which each moment is a word.
In my life, in this world.
I encountered riff-raff and good people.
I defended myself and I was attacked.
I took from people, took from me.
Sometimes I lost, and sometimes I won
I didn't set out to get fame,
wealth, or countless lovers.
I didn't want to hurt anyone.
Or to change the world.
I lived like a colorful butterfly, in the sun.
[waves crashing]
For most of my life all I wanted was to be in a loving family.
To be a happy wife and mother.
[seagulls squawking] But it was not meant to be.
[Margaretha] John, my poor boy.
[sighing]
Father please, let's not take any longer than necessary.
Say goodbye to your brother,
-Give this flower to him. -Bye.
-You're a good girl-- -In the name of the Father,
the son, and the holy spirit.
-Amen. -Hurry please, I need to go.
Where you going?
To see your mistress?
I'll not have this conversation here.
[seagulls squawking]
Here is the address of the convent that's in Amsterdam.
The letter of reference is inside.
The sisters will take care of Nan.
So you could find a job.
Thank you. Thank you.
[shuffling]
Mom.
Yes darling?
Why are you packing?
We found a beautiful place for your brother. It's time to leave now.
-And travel the seas? -Yes.
We'll be happy. Very happy there.
And what about papa, will we leave him here?
No, of course not.
He'll come later. Sometimes you have to leave to be happy.
How will he find us?
Because he loves you, now close your eyes and sleep.
-It's time to sleep now. -[gentle kiss]
[door banging]
Where have you been?
At the club, but I told them I must leave,
because I have a wife.
[shushes]
Nan is sleeping.
Then she won't disturb us.
[heavy breathing and sighing]
[sighs]
Margaretha?
Margaretha!
Bitch!
Father Bernard!
Captain MacLeod.
I intended to visit you.
Explain this. Where is my wife?
[shrugs]
Your wife wants a divorce.
I don't care what she wants.
In spite of my position and my faith,
I support her decision to leave you.
I'll ask you one more time. Where are my wife and daughter?
Right now,
they are on board a ship
to Amsterdam.
-What did you say? -No.
-I loved him--
Captain Macleod you, you killed your son.
He was sick you stupid bastard--
You--are a murderer.
-It wasn't my fault. -Murdered--Captain Macleod.
Amsterdammer! Who want to buy?
The Macleod's case takes a new turn!
Hanover will become British! Who want to buy? Amsterdammer!
Who want to buy?
The Macleod's case takes a new turn!
-Amsterdammer! -Did I hear correctly?
-The Macleod's case? -Yes?
Can I have one please?
One florin please.
Thank you.
Amsterdammer! Who want to buy?
-One florin. -[floor scraping]
When was the last time,
you'd seen your daughter Margaretha?
Two days ago.
The sisters brought her from the monastery to the court.
To join the hearing.
How is she?
She misses me.
And I miss her too, horribly.
What about your husband?
He also filed, for divorce.
And he's demanding custody of Nan.
What kind of court,
would give a child to a drunk and cheater?
It will never happen.
[bell chimes]
Regina!
Hey sweetheart, you're here.
It's time for breakfast, come.
See, I made your favorite.
Good morning.
Good morning Madam.
Tell me Margaretha,
it must be very hard taking care of someone else's child,
when you can't see yours?
It is.
I do miss her so.
She's so sweet.
Like Regina.
I hope the courts rules in my favor tomorrow.
Margaretha Zelle might be,
permanently deprived of raising and seeing her daughter,
the ruling will take place today the 12th.
The 12th, did you say the 12th?
[gasps]
He lied to me!
Whereas,
Margaretha Geertruida Zelle has failed to appear in this matter.
The court hereby rules in favor of the father, Rudolf Macleod.
In regard to his claim for custody of their daughter,
Jeanne Louise Macleod.
The court further stipulates,
that due to the disrespect she has shown the court,
Margaretha Geertruida Zelle
will have no right to appeal this verdict.
Hey! Go after her!
-Stop her! Stop that girl! -That's my horse!
From this moment forward Margaretha Zelle
will have no rights of visitation with their daughter.
Except as granted by her father, Rudolf Macleod.
Mr. Macleod
will make all decisions regarding Jeanne Louise.
And shall endeavor to raise her properly under his care,
in the absence of her mother.
To aid Mr. Macleod in raising his daughter,
a governess, Reverend madam Tilde Struckman is appointed.
This court is adjourned.
Let's go dear.
-Steer clear of me. -If you say so.
-Too many eyes. -I understand.
Stop her!
-Nan! Nan! -Mommy!
Rudy!
Don't you dare, you're no longer allowed to talk to my daughter.
Please Rudy don't do that, please. Please!
Police, she's violating the court order. Take her away.
Come with me please.
No it's illegal. I did not know.
You have no right to do that without hearing me out, please!
You never had time for your family,
you cared about clothes and admirers,
now you have all the freedom to wallow.
Please!
Don't take away my baby from me!
-Please! -Gentlemen excuse me,
you should not be doing this.
[reporter]Your son Norman-John, he died as an infant.
Was it really your fault?
Are you the reason he got sick?
Your horse is by the entrance, you better go now.
-This isn't my horse. -Did you steal it?
No, monsieur, she did not steal the horse.
She was given permission by monsieur Molière,
who is my boss.
Your name and documents please.
I am Gabriel Astruc.
I work for monsieur Molière as a riding instructor,
in his school.
Evening paper, urgent!
I can't believe this.
What they say about her is horrible!
Good evening, madam, sir.
We need to talk.
You can't stay in our house any longer.
So you have half an hour to collect your things.
But none of this is true.
It's all Rudolf's fault.
As I said you have half an hour!
But where would I go?
It's almost dark out.
Give her what we owe her.
If you are in our house past nine o' clock,
I will call the police.
I beg of you Mr. Peterson, don't put me out on the street.
There is nothing I can do.
Follow me.
You worked little less than two weeks this month.
12 days.
Your pay for 12 days.
It was my wife who hired you, but I can hire you too.
I have a small apartment near the port.
I keep it for business meetings.
It needs a woman's touch.
You won't regret it my dear. I'm very generous.
Shame on you!
[thunder]
[distant laughter]
Please, please, please?
Good evening lady.
Where you going?
-[grunts] -Money, now!
Don't be so rude.
Don't you see how nice she is?
She'll be nice to us,
and then she'll give us money on top of that.
I'm sure you can figure out how to work my trousers madam.
It's you again you bloody bastards!
[grunts and groans]
I see you one more time and you're dead!
You okay?
Take a seat.
Sit please.
Are you okay?
Thank you sir.
You can call me Cyrus.
What are you doing here?
I've come to see madam Polly.
Do you want to work with her?
Of course not.
I came to see my friend.
Okay, let me walk you down there. Come on.
Come.
[sitar music]
[inaudible chatter]
Oh, so you finally decided to accept my offer?
No, no, I needed a place to stay tonight, so I came to see Patti.
Ah.
I am sorry about your daughter.
Your ex is a degenerate, evil man, like all of them.
Patti's room is upstairs.
It looks like she said something to you.
And you answered.
That's right.
That's just tricks from an Indonesian dance.
I learned it when I lived in China with my husband.
[distant chatter]
[moans]
Cyrus thank you so much, really.
My pleasure madam.
What else would please you madam?
Oh sorry. I'm so sorry.
Come on, come on, it was a joke.
Have a good night.
Thank you for everything Cyrus.
[thunder]
[door opening]
Margaret!
Hi.
[laughter]
Hello.
Look at you.
-This is Soriah. -Hello
-Hi -I'm Margaretha.
-Can I stay the night here? -Of course.
We will be working the whole night.
You can take any bed.
Thank you so much.
You know I really loved the way you danced the Sanghyang.
Thank you.
You know the dance?
I do.
[Margaretha chuckles]
You know, when I was a little girl...
I was raised by a servant.
Taught me how to dance.
She was Javanese
I loved her so. [sighs]
I dreamed that one day... I would teach Jeanne how to dance.
But now I can't.
-See you tomorrow morning. -Of course.
-I love you so. [poignant music]
-I love you too, Mommy. -[Sister] Come along.
Can I help you, monsieur ?
[Rudolf] I'm taking my daughter with me
[poignant music continues]
[Surya] Patty tells me she was a servant at your house in Sumatra.
And she told me you paid for her boat fare to come here and escape her husband.
True.
Then I had to do the same.
-Escape. -Yeah.
It is hard with them.
Men with bad manners are like animals.
[Surya] But here it's better.
We choose our clients, and our prices are higher than the ordinary prostitutes.
Yes! I dance naked and then sleep with the men. So...
whether I'm dancing or having sex with them, I feel in control.
But I cannot love anyone, or God will punish me.
[Patty] Love for her is forbidden.
[Surya] If I fall in love, I'd have to stop what I do here.
And then I'd be poor and hungry again.
I don't want that. I like this.
Want to see how we dance?
Patty has a client right now.
[sensual exotic music]
[sensual music continues]
[Gabriel] So, what about Margaretha Zelle?
-What about her? -Well, she certainly proved she knows horses.
-Should I hire her? -I'll get her to say yes.
And on your terms, I promise.
You fell in love with this girl, Gabriel, didn't you?
Well, to be honest...
It seems to me that I did. [chuckles]
[laughs] Only a Frenchman can say
"it seems to me" in answer to that question. [both laugh]
[church bell ringing]
[women chatting indistinctly]
[women singing and laughing]
[wistful music] [sighs]
[wistful music continues]
Morning Margaretha. No, Margaretha? No.
Good morning, Ma'am. Ma'am?
Good evening, Madam. Good morning, Madam.
No! Oh, what is wrong with me?
[frustrated laugh] Right.
So I was, eh, I was just in the area, and, eh...
I was just passing by here and I thought-- No.
[nervous groan]
Right.
Well, perhaps I could, eh... take you, em...
Perhaps I could just take you to lunch. Would that be okay?
[nervous chuckle]
Goodness, this is ridiculous. Let's go.
[bell rings]
Hello, sorry to disturb you. I'm here to see Margaretha Zelle.
-She no longer works here. -I'm sorry? I don't understand.
She was fired.
Oh.
-Hello, Madam. -Mm-hmm.
-Where should I put an ad? -Yes, Miss. Over there.
Thank you.
-Hello, Sir. -Hello.
I would like to advertise my services in your paper.
Your services? As a governess?
-Yes. -I think you would be spending your money in vain.
But you have no right to refuse me.
As you wish. I was only trying to save your money.
It will be one and a half florin.
[slams coins on counter] Thank you.
You were in court!
How do you write all this filth about me?
No, no, Madam, I didn't lie. I just embellished a bit.
But hey, now that you're famous, I could pay you for an interview.
-If you can give me juicy stuff. -Juicy stuff?
[shouting] Juicy stuff!
I can't believe it.
[church bell ringing]
Hello, Father. I need to confess.
It keeps coming back.
I see myself striking my husband with an axe.
It wakes me up. Shaking, terrified.
And then, I lie awake.
And I can only think of how to kill him.
And this violence I have in my heart, it scares me, Father.
I'm having strange feelings towards men.
[sighs] [soft solemn music]
I want to make them pay.
I want to make them eat out of my hand.
Hate will rot inside you.
Love is the only path to God's kingdom.
The man you hate so much...
Did you marry him for love?
No, I did not.
But I tried, with all my heart.
[sighs] I feel abandoned. I feel betrayed.
I feel humiliated.
I'm starting to blame God.
What am I to do, Father? Please help me.
I beg you.
[priest] You must pray every day, my dear.
So that you will find the way back to God.
[priest continues] God will guide you.
So they're calling you a whore? To hell with them.
Prove them right!
Make enough money to shut them all up,
starting with that bastard husband of yours.
And how will I make money?
No one in this town will ever hire me.
I will. Patty says you can dance.
You will be dancing with the girls.
I have been dancing since I was five.
She could never do what I do.
I think she can. But she cannot sleep with men.
They will never give her daughter back if she is a prostitute.
-Could I just dance? -No.
Patty and Surya have clients.
We are paid much more than the ordinary prostitutes.
But I can not do that.
You understand? Patty's right.
If the court found out that I was sleeping--
Patty needs to shut up and talk less.
And remember where I pulled you from!
-Thank you. -I do remember, Madam,
But Margaretha is different.
If I had any money, just enough to get my daughter back
I would go far away from this town, far away.
[Cyrus] Hello, Polly.
-Hello. -Can I pour myself a drink?
-I'll do that. -Thank you.
[exotic music]
[exotic music continues with soft drumming]
I can help you.
What did you say?
How?
The Aquatail is leaving for Paris tomorrow morning.
It's in France.
I happen to know the man who chartered the boat. He's a friend of mine.
And I'm sure he would take a woman and her child in distress on board.
You're so kind, Cyrus.
Can I count on you for that? Is it true?
Yes. Don't you worry, Miss Zelle.
Everything's going to be alright.
I'm very sorry about what happened to that woman, Gabriel.
But you understand that this ship will be leaving tomorrow at 7:30 in the morning.
I know.
I just...
I don't understand what she could have done to them.
Well, uh, read the paper.
"Margaretha Zelle has disgraced herself with every possible sin.
She used to drink, smoke opium...
had several lovers while being the wife of a Dutch officer and mother to his children.
She is also responsible for the death of her youngest child,
having contracted a disease from her lover while pregnant.
Her husband, who could no longer cope with his sorrow, has had to resign--"
I don't believe any of this rubbish!
[sighs] You don't know this woman, Gabriel.
You have no reason to believe otherwise.
I understand that you're trying to protect me, and that...
-you'd like me to stop thinking about her because-- -Yeah. Yes, you're right.
Just want you to think about your job.
-Good afternoon, Monsieur Mollier. -Hello.
Everything is ready to be loaded. You want me to check?
Gabriel, go with Cyrus. I'll join you later.
[Gabriel] I just wanna go over some last minute things...
[Gabriel] By the time I got to the courthouse...
Well, the reporters were already everywhere.
Well... tomorrow we leave and I'm not going to see her again.
[chuckles] She's made a real impression on you, hasn't she?
She's made an impression on everyone. Look at that.
[Cyrus] Wait... This is Margaretha.
That friend I was telling you about
-who needs a seat on the ship. -Are you serious?
[laughs] You bet I am.
This is Margaretha, I know her. She's a friend of Patty.
What are you saying? Where is she?
She's going to be on the port tomorrow morning with her daughter.
Tomorrow morning. A time to set sail.
-Let's drink to that. -Cheers, then.
[anticipatory music]
-Shhhh... -Rudolf--
-Quiet! You'll wake the girl. -[Margaretha gasps]
I could kill you. The police would be on my side.
[Margaretha gasps]
-[Margaretha gasping] -Do what I say if you want to live.
[Rudolph grunts] [Margaretha screams]
[heavy breathing]
[moaning and crying]
[Rudolph grunts] [Margaretha yelps]
[both shout]
[Margaretha panting]
Dad!
-[Rudolf] Please! Don't kill me Margaretha, please! -[Tilda] Rudolf!
[Rudolf] Run away! She's insane!
-Are you hurt? -She's trying to kill me.
You! You abandon your child. You almost kill her father!
You're a monster.
-You don't understand. -[Tilda] Well, I do understand.
Rudolf told the truth about you. I've seen it.
You see how you've frightened your daughter!
Get out!
Take the child to bed, then go to my room.
What's the time?
You have to pull yourself together, Astruc.
I just asked about the time.
She'll be here, okay?
Yeah well honestly, what is the time?
Five past seven.
-Another 25 minutes. -Something's wrong.
She'll be here.
Do you have the address for that tavern?
There's only 20 minutes left. She should be here by now, something's wrong.
Hey, guys! What's happening?
Monsieur Mollier, would it be possible to have a bit more time to go and get Margaretha Zelle?
-Captain? -Twenty-five minutes.
Alright. But not longer than half an hour.
No problem, thank you! Let's go.
Where is Margaretha?
You're so goddamn polite, Cyrus.
I'm sorry. Good morning. Where is she?
-On the Aquatail with you. -Margaretha's not here?
[Cyrus] No.
[Patty] She said she was going on a trip. She is not with you?
No.
Well, where did she go? We have to stop her.
She put on a warm dress and a coat. I asked her if it was so cold in France?
But she just smiled.
-A coat? And a dress? -Mm-hmm.
[Cyrus] That'll drag her down to the bottom faster.
-I'm afraid she's planning to drown herself. -Yes, but where?
She asked from which pier she'd get the best view of the city.
She said she wants to say goodbye to the city before leaving.
And what did you say?
Ecofe Pier.
-Come on Cyrus, we have to go. -[Cyrus] Thank you!
[somber music]
[somber music continues]
[Cyrus] It's this way! Let's go!
Margaretha!
There's the pier!
Where--
[somber music continues]
-[Gabriel] Bring her in! Quickly! Hurry up! -[Cyrus grunts]
[Cyrus] Margaretha! Margaretha, breathe!
[coughs and splutters]
-[Gabriel] Bring her up, bring her up, she can't breathe. -[Margaretha gasps]
We need to bring her inside.
I thought I'd lost you.
Come with me to Paris, Margaretha. You can stay at my house, as long as you need.
We'll find a way, we will fight to find your daughter.
I will be there with you, every step of the way.
I'll help you find a new life.
[uplifting music]
[uplifting music continues]
[ending music]