TROPICAL BIRDSONG
WAILING
Shhh. Shhh!
Tommy, shut her up, for God's sake!
It's a dream, it's a dream! Elizabeth!
Soldiers!
DOOR OPENS Where is she!? Search the hut!
Sarge!
SHE GASPS
Ah! Ah!
No! Ah!
~ Let me do this! ~ No!
Let me do this, I will let you go.
~ Let me do this! ~ No! Argh!
Argh! Argh!
~ No! ~ So be it, bitch! Thieving hag!
SHE GASPS
REVEILLE BUGLE CALL
DRUMMING
WOMEN CHATTER
Get your rations, stow your bags and get outside! Now!
Yes, boss.
Oh, I'm sorry, master.
Yes, boss.
Keep those lines moving. One pancake each.
Yes, boss.
If it is your day to shave, make sure you eat first.
Blade down, boss.
Not seen you before.
James.
When a man tells you his name,
it is only common decency to tell him yours.
It's common sense, too.
Otherwise he might GIVE you a name
and in five minutes, that name could be all over the camp... Gertrude.
Anne.
Pleased to meet you, Anne.
~ Have you got yourself a soldier, Anne? ~ Yes.
I do not mind sharing.
I like men, James.
~ Grown-up men. ~ Mm-hm.
~ What is his name? ~ One pancake. ~ One pancake?
Strange name. Is it Spanish?
Give me back my food. Give me back my food right now!
Give me back my food, you big bullying bastard. Give me it!
Would someone help me, please?
Is there not one man amongst you?
Give it back.
~ How dare you! ~ Do as he says. ~ In the name of God!
She is a woman, you have stolen food from a woman. Give it back.
~ Do as he says! ~ How can you possibly enjoy that?
~ Thank you. ~ Thank you.
Give it back.
Give me my food.
How dare you show off in front of that.
That is not a woman.
That is scum!
How dare you abuse me for a bit of scum!
JAMES GROANS
How dare you!
JAMES GRUNTS
Any time you like, Tommy Barrett. Any time at all.
~ Out of bounds. ~ I need to get in.
And steal your mate's food?
~ To get my food. ~ You've had your food. ~ Someone stole it. ~ Who?
Please, let me in.
Tell me who it was that stole your food and I'll think about it.
I will not always be a convict.
Listen up!
Breakfast is over!
~ On your feet! Get to work! ~ You heard him... ~ On your feet!
~ Move it! ~ Come on...
Keep it moving.
You bunch of tail friskers!
If you do not work, you do not eat!
If you do not eat, you die!
Spragg, Raymond, log roping detail.
~ Elizabeth Quinn. ~ Yes, boss.
~ You were found in one of the men's huts this morning. ~ Yes, boss.
What were you doing there?
I was sleeping with the man I love.
PRIVATE BUCKLEY SCOFFS
~ You managed that by sleeping all alone. ~ Elizabeth.
Can I help you, Mrs Johnson?
I think Mrs Johnson is shocked
at a woman brazenly walking into the men's hut to have sex.
I did not do that, boss.
I crept into his bed when they were all asleep,
intended to leave while they were still asleep,
but I had a nightmare,
and I screamed and I woke them all and brought the soldiers running.
~ You heard this scream. ~ Yes, sir.
I entered the dormitory, she ran, I pursued her and caught her.
~ I'd have shagged him, he would've let me go. ~ That is not true, sir. ~ It is true, boss.
Sorry, Private Buckley, no matter how hard things are here,
how hungry I am, how desperate,
I will never, ever shag a soldier.
Would you, Mrs Johnson?
No, I would not.
I'm married already, you see.
Who is the man you slept with?
What will you do to him?
~ We will punish him. ~ How?
That is no business of yours.
~ You will hang him? ~ Yes.
Who was he?
I will have you flogged if you do not answer.
Who was he?
HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
Does he love you?
~ Yes. ~ And is he a good man?
The best.
Would such a man stand by and see you flogged?
How many lashes before he intervenes? Four? Five?
Why take even four or five?
Tell me now and spare yourself that pain.
So you can hang him all the sooner.
To hell with you.
To hell with you all.
Reverend...
how many lashes?
~ You want me to set a number? ~ Yes.
Minimum, 25.
Maximum, 200.
25.
Mrs Johnson?
25.
~ Major Ross? ~ 50.
~ Captain Collins? ~ 25.
Elizabeth Quinn, you have the dubious honour
of being the first woman flogged in New South Wales.
25 lashes at 12 o'clock today. Take her away.
I need to speak to James Freeman.
Shall I bring him to you?
Yes.
And in return?
A wank.
~ No. ~ What, then?
I want you.
Then you may have me.
If after you have had me,
you do not bring me James Freeman,
I will personally cut your throat.
I will bring you James Freeman.
Sir.
You want me, sir?
Yes. 25 lashes,
~ 12 o'clock. ~ Sir.
~ And lay it on. ~ Sir.
I want to see her weep.
"Her"?
What?
You wish me to flog a woman, sir?
A whore.
Sir.
What the fuck was that?
Freeman?
I need this man for ten minutes.
Freeman!
They caught you this morning, then?
Yes. Tommy must not know.
Has he shagged you?
~ Private Buckley? ~ Yes.
Yes.
~ You let him? ~ Yes.
And all you have said about soldiers!
I needed him to fetch you.
When they start to flog me, they will say it will cease
when the man I was with steps forward.
Tommy will step forward and Major Ross will hang him.
What should I do?
Make sure Tommy says nothing and does nothing.
Say to him, "It is only 25 lashes.
"She can take 25 lashes...
".. but she cannot take losing you."
Hmm.
(Thank you.)
I know you shagged her.
But, luckily for you,
she did not notice.
Anything else I can do for you?
I served my purpose now?
Yes, darling.
Slut.
HE SPITS
Sergeant Timmins again, sir. Private Buckley.
Let them in.
~ Sir. ~ Sir.
Private Buckley says he will flog the whore, sir.
I lack the stomach for it, sir.
You are doing it.
I will not be able to lay it on, sir.
Private Buckley will.
You will be able to lay it on?
Yes, sir. Why?
Because it is what you have ordered, sir.
There is nothing personal between you and the whore?
No, sir.
Sir?
Get out.
~ Sir! ~ Sir.
Not you, Sergeant.
At ease.
You will not need to give her 25.
After two or three, the man involved will step forward,
we will hang him and all will be resolved.
Sir.
You can give her two or three?
If I must, sir.
You must. Dismissed.
A, C and E men to watch a flogging.
No food until it is over.
Stubby. Stay close to me, say nothing.
A, C and E men to watch a flogging. No food until it is over.
Letters... I'm going to need your help.
Did you hear? A, C and E men to witness a flogging.
With me now.
Company, fix bayonets.
Form a square.
Eyes to the post.
He goes nowhere, lads.
~ Whatever it takes. ~ What are you doing?
~ Tell me what's happening here. ~ They are flogging Lizzie.
~ I will not let this happen. ~ You must.
No, you don't. I've got him, lads.
~ Remove your blouse. ~ No.
The cloth will get into the wounds.
They will take longer to heal.
~ I'm touched by your concern, Boss. ~ Rip it from her. ~ You will not!
Why so shy? Is there someone here whom she has not fucked?
~ Easy, Tommy. ~ It's what he wants you to do, Tommy.
~ TOMMY: How many? ~ 25.
She told me to tell you that she can take 25 lashes.
She cannot take losing you.
Begin.
One!
SHE WHIMPERS
Convict women belong to my soldiers.
You do not go anywhere near a woman unless she's your wife.
If she is not your wife, she belongs to my men.
Two!
Stay where you are.
What manner of man are you, to stand and watch a woman flogged?
What kind of coward does this? Three.
The easy thing is to intervene, Tommy.
Intervene, get hanged, break her heart...
Well, I will not allow that.
Three. Lay it on, man.
You flog this whore or you die.
SHE SCREAMS
You see the difference between my soldiers and scum such as you?
No soldier would stand by and watch this happen.
Four.
~ SHE SCREAMS AGAIN ~ I can watch her take it.
You love her...
no more than I and I can watch it,
so why not you?
Why not you, you selfish bastard?
Scum must not breed.
Five.
On pain of death, you do not touch a woman.
Six.
SHE SCREAMS
~ Seven. ~ Do nothing, I'm warning you, you bag of shite...
~ Eight. ~ Do nothing...
Nine.
SHE CRIES
Ten.
WHIP CRACKS
BIRDS CHIRPING
I fainted?
How are you?
Sore.
I've brought seawater.
Not yet.
Do not worry.
I shall not give you away.
You need willow bark, it's good for the pain.
~ We have no willow bark. ~ Private MacDonald has.
He'll swap you for some food.
Thank you.
Hurry up. Keep those queues moving.
Come on!
Eat your rations and get back to work...
Pick on someone else.
Spread the pain a bit.
See if anyone does for you what you did for that whore.
Mouth.
Give me some.
I cannot.
~ (I helped you this morning.) ~ I know, but I cannot help you now.
SHE GASPS IN PAIN
Nearly there.
That's it. One more.
Good girl.
I have a question for you.
What's that?
Willow bark.
We got it from Private MacDonald.
A soldier did you a good turn?
No.
We gave our food for it.
~ Your food? ~ Yes.
What do you want?
Nothing.
What is your question?
Will you marry me?
~ GOVERNOR PHILLIP: You have said yes? ~ Yes.
~ It was his bed you were in this morning? ~ No, Boss.
I will assume it was.
And I will assume
that you love him.
Yes, Boss.
~ Do you think he loves you? ~ I know it.
He does not.
He stood and watched while you were flogged.
Captain Collins?
You have a wife and two children in England.
Am I ever likely to see them again?
Nevertheless.
And you, you have a husband there.
A husband? No.
A parasite.
How can you marry when you are already married?
~ You can declare their previous marriages annulled. ~ On what grounds?
We cannot sleep together unless we marry.
But now we cannot even marry.
~ Reverend Johnson? ~ Yes?
~ Is there any way in which these two people can marry? ~ No.
I will lie with the woman I love and I will do so tonight.
I am an innocent man.
And I should...
I should not even be in this godforsaken place,
so I am damned if I will let you treat me this way.
I will lie with her and you may hang me for it.
Permission to go after him, Boss?
Granted.
Tommy Barrett! Tommy!
Tom.
~ Please, please... ~ SPEECH FADES
I do not wish Tommy Barrett to die over a thing like this.
Do you?
He's a convict, sir.
If he dies, it is one less mouth to feed.
~ London will be sending more women. ~ Sir.
In the meantime, should we not share those we have?
Sir?
Is it right for your soldiers to keep the women to themselves?
It is right, sir, yes.
My men are all volunteers.
They are 10,000 miles from home in a godforsaken corner
of a godforsaken country across a godforsaken ocean.
They barely eat.
They barely drink.
Take away their women, sir,
and they will rebel.
Come on, put your backs into it.
Sir?
This is not England, Captain Collins.
This is a godforsaken corner of a godforsaken country,
across a godforsaken ocean.
I will not do it, sir.
Do what?
You are about to ask me to annul Tommy Barrett's marriage
and Elizabeth Quinn's and...
.. I will not, sir.
Can I? As Governor?
Yes. Annulment is a legal matter, but you cannot marry them, sir.
That is sacramental, only Reverend Johnson may do that.
Thank you.
Sir.
I cannot marry them.
~ If their spouses were dead, would you do it? ~ Yes.
They are as good as dead.
As good as dead is not dead.
They will never see them again.
How can you know that? How can you know God's will?
Do they love each other?
Though they be convicts, do they love each other?
~ HE SIGHS ~ Yes.
That is all that matters. The rest is mere ritual.
It is more than ritual. They take a solemn oath.
"To love, honour and obey until death us do part."
Until DEATH us do part. Not an ocean.
Death.
You want me to administer that solemn oath again
knowing that they have both just shat on it?
How can I do that?
Then he must hang.
No. He must keep away from her.
He will not do that.
That is his choice. It is not ours.
I cannot get you to change your mind?
~ No. ~ You feel strongly about this?
~ Yes. ~ So strongly that you would hang him yourself?
~ Yes. ~ And it would not lay heavy on your conscience?
~ It would not. ~ It would mine.
So you hang him, Reverend.
Hang him at dawn while the camp still sleeps.
I will give you two soldiers to escort him to the scaffold.
There will be no need.
On pain of death, he will keep away from her, surely.
You will be hanging him.
BUGLES AND DRUMMING
Pick up your tools. Line up.
Pick up your tools, line up.
~ You know the drill. ~ Yes, Boss.
~ Can we go in, please? ~ Wait for Stubbins. ~ Fuck Stubbins.
If I let you in without Stubbins, you will all rob his food.
You were right. I was showing off.
I was trying to impress her and I am really sorry about that.
Too late.
Look, I have not eaten all day.
You will not eat again.
~ Sorry, Boss. ~ In you go.
HE GRUNTS IN PAIN
Mine!
Anything to say, Barrett?
Yes.
Steal someone else's.
~ Yours? ~ No. ~ Then shut up.
I have to grass on him.
If I do not grass on him, I will starve to death.
For God's sake!
Tell me you will stop stealing my food.
~ Then I will grass on you. ~ James... ~ They would all do the same.
Every single one of them would do the same.
I'm gonna grass.
Someone is stealing your food, I believe.
~ Yes, Boss. ~ Who?
Marston, Boss.
And who is Marston?
The blacksmith, Boss.
~ The blacksmith? ~ Yes, Boss.
How long has this been going on?
Well, he has been stealing food since we first set sail,
but if you mean how long has he been stealing food from me,
since breakfast, Boss.
He stole food belonging to a woman called Anne. I spoke up.
He gave her her food back and then he took mine.
At lunch time he stole it again.
And at tea time too
and he will go on stealing it and that is why I am here -
I am either a grass or a corpse.
This man says you are stealing his food.
~ He is lying. ~ Why would he lie?
Because I had a go at him for being bone idle, sir.
I work like a dog and he just talks, talks, talks.
Imagine I AM stealing his food, sir,
and I'm NOT, but just imagine I am.
I would say, "So what?
"I'm eating twice as much food, but I'm doing ten times as much work."
But I am not stealing his food. He's a liar.
What do you say to this?
HE is the liar.
I am grassing on a man.
They will all spit in my eye for this.
Every single convict will spit in my eye,
view me as a leper,
treat me like a dog, so tell me, why?
Why would I do this if it is not true?
I am a blacksmith.
My father was. And my grandfather. And my grandfather's father.
This man would not even know who his father was.
So who do you believe,
a blacksmith or a piece of scum such as this?
Who is this woman called Anne?
You are Anne Meredith?
Yes, Boss.
Did this man try to steal your food this morning, Anne?
No, Boss.
James Freeman here says he did.
He is mistaken, Boss.
No-one will call you a grass, Anne. I am the grass, not you.
~ Please! ~ They will all say that you did the right thing.
You were forced to choose between a decent bloke and a bully.
~ Please! ~ And you chose to help the decent bloke
~ and I will tell them all that I forced you into... ~ Please!
Private?
Will you all wait outside, please?
MUFFLED DISCUSSION INSIDE
What are you looking at?
A dead man.
He is our one and only blacksmith.
~ Is he stealing food? ~ Yes.
Then we must hang him.
He is our blacksmith. We dig with the tools he makes.
We build with the tools he makes.
So what if he steals from a convict when he's so essential to us all?
To steal is unlawful.
These are convicts, to steal is second nature.
If we do nothing, James Freeman will die.
Our problem is too many convicts, not enough food.
One or two of them dying can only help.
So long as they're not essential - the farmers, the fishermen,
the blacksmith - then their deaths should be welcomed.
David?
There is no evidence against the blacksmith.
The only independent witness, the woman, denied it. So...
~ .. he is innocent. ~ We know he is not.
Well, technically, legally, he is... innocent.
A jury would have to acquit.
I am sorry, Freeman, we do not believe a word you said.
Sir.
Look at me.
The blacksmith did this.
Do you think I would take him on unless I had to?
~ Unless my life depended on it? ~ I'm sorry.
You have threatened to hang Tommy Barrett
if he sleeps with the woman he loves and yet you let go a man
who steals another man's food.
We do not believe he is stealing your food.
(I am finished.)
Tommy.
You all despise me for grassing on a bully.
Yet there is not one man here whom he has not robbed.
Not one man who does not hate him.
And yet I get this.
You... will hang Thomas Barrett?
~ I have said so, yes. ~ You must not.
He is a convict.
A convict will not die for a principle.
It will not come to it.
MUTTERING
(It's good.)
Idiot.
~ To grass is... ~ Fuck off.
No listen, to grass... To grass is bad enough.
To grass and not be believed, that is disaster.
You'll get yourself in trouble, Tommy, talking to a grass like me,
so do yourself a favour and fuck off.
~ Are you making a cosh? ~ Yes.
~ For the blacksmith? ~ Yes.
Are you going to do it?
It will kill him.
That is the intention. Are you going to go to Elizabeth tonight?
Yes.
When will you do it?
When he goes out for his piss.
You want me to help?
You will be getting hanged.
Busy night all round, then.
WOMEN CHATTER IN THE BACKGROUND
CHATTER DIES DOWN
DOOR OPENING
WOMEN PROTEST
Reverend?
Yes, private?
Major Ross told me to give you this.
He did it, then? Yes, sir.
He did it.
It will not come to it.
When he is standing on the scaffold, hood on his head,
noose around his neck, I will offer him a reprieve,
so long as he agrees to live without that woman.
And if he does not?
He will snatch at it.
They are bound by solemn vows, woman. Solemn vows.
I administer them.
You want me to spit on them when they prove inconvenient? I won't.
~ I would die first. ~ I would die, too.
I doubt that I would KILL.
Where are you going?
DISTANT HAMMERING
BELL TINKLING
I, I must see him.
Mrs Johnson.
Governor Phillip. My husband must bless a bigamous marriage.
He must spit on a holy sacrament
or he must hang a man.
~ That is an appalling dilemma, would you not agree? ~ I would.
Well, he faces that dilemma because of a law that you have imposed,
a law that keeps convict men from convict women,
a law that is...
~ .. unnatural and inhuman. ~ Yes.
Get rid of that law.
Spare my husband this awful task.
Have you been robbed or raped by a convict yet, Mrs Johnson?
No.
~ Have you been robbed or raped by a native yet? ~ No.
It's not because the convicts have suddenly turned decent.
It's not because the natives like having us here.
It is because armed soldiers constantly watch over us.
In return, we make them as happy as they can be in a place such as this.
One way we can do that is to make sure they have women.
This law that you despise, Mrs Johnson,
is a law that keeps us alive.
Thank you.
I will finish this and go.
All right. Yes, yes.
HAMMERING AND CHATTER
Our Father, who art in Heaven...
BOTH: Hallowed be Thy name...
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done...
"Dear Ma, they will be hanging me soon."
Ah...
Do you think it right to start with that?
~ Why not? ~ It'll come as a great shock to her, you know.
What do you suggest?
Say that you're ill.
And then, later on,
say you're very ill.
And then right at the end, then say that you're... you're dying.
~ And that'd be better? ~ Better a son die of natural causes
than at the end of a rope.
~ What is wrong with me? ~ Fever.
"Dear Ma...
".. I have the fever..."
Good man.
HE URINATES
~ And the next one is to? ~ Elizabeth Quinn.
But sure as, she is here.
She will be with you on the scaffold.
I want you to read something to her after I am hanged.
I want to say, "Elizabeth...
".. I refused the hood,
"because I wanted your face to be the last thing I saw.
"A face I loved more than anything else in the world."
Would that be suitable?
Yes.
LETTERS SNIFFS
Did you solve your little problem?
~ No. ~ Why not?
Someone came along.
~ I would have done it, but someone came along. ~ I believe you.
~ You think I lack the stomach for it. ~ No.
~ What about Elizabeth? ~ What about her?
Who will look after her when you are gone?
Who do you suggest?
Me?
What makes you think she'll have you?
The numerous occasions we have shagged behind your back.
A joke.
~ It was a joke. ~ Oh(!)
You love her?
Yes.
~ You have always loved her? ~ Yes.
Always.
Can I have your blessing?
Try not to fuck while my body is still warm.
Thank you.
It is an ill wind that blows no man good.
Hmm.
I will be there with you.
Thank you.
LETTERS: ♪ Up on top of Ballywillan Hill
♪ Bounds down to see the sun...
♪ Reflecting on old Trishan Lake
♪ Today so brightly shone
♪ This morning was the light so bright
♪ More fierce than ever seen
♪ I started walking down the hill
♪ Across the valley green...
♪ As I walked down that Ballywillan Hill
♪ The lake, it disappeared
♪ But when it reappeared again
♪ My eyes had been deceived
♪ The blinding light of 10,000 swords
♪ Was what I'd really seen
♪ The English, they had come
♪ To take my Trishan Lake from me. ♪
ELIZABETH: I know him, Reverend, and he is stubborn.
He will not back down because he cannot back down.
You can. You can quote the Bible.
"Thou shalt not kill. The Lord is full of pity and mercy."
But if Tommy backs down, they will say he did it out of fear.
So please, Reverend, please back down.
And I will reward you.
Whatever you wish to do to me, you may do to me.
Whatever you wish me to do to you, I will do to you.
I will do whatever it takes, Reverend. Whatever it takes.
I give of my body just as Christ gave of his.
I offer you my body just as Mary Magdalene offered hers to Christ.
Please do not hang my man. Please do not, do not hang him...
Please do not hang him...
SOLDIERS: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread...
~ Do you want this? ~ No.
So be it. Do not think I will not do it.
All you need to do is stay away from that woman.
Tell me you will stay away from that woman and you will live.
~ I cannot. ~ For God's sakes, man!
~ Tell me you will stay away from this woman and you will live! ~ No!
Then I will find strength in prayer to do this.
Lord, please welcome into your kingdom the soul of Thomas Barrett.
Can you not see what this is?!
Be merciful in your judgment of him, Oh Lord.
Are you so blind that you cannot see it?
The kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever...
No, this is a crucifixion!
SUDDEN SILENCE
It's a crucifixion.
BELL RINGS
Mrs Johnson!
Private Buckley's thinking of hanging Tommy Barrett.
If Private Buckley hangs Tommy Barrett,
I will do my utmost to ensure that Private Buckley hangs as well.
Thank you, Mrs Johnson.
Do you accept that as far as England is concerned, you are a dead man?
~ Yes, Boss. ~ That your banishment here is no longer for 14 years,
but is, in fact, for the rest of your life?
Yes, Boss.
Do you accept that as far as England is concerned, you are a dead woman?
~ Yes, Boss. ~ You also accept that your banishment here
is no longer for seven years, but is, in fact,
~ for the rest of your life? ~ Yes, Boss.
Reverend...
Do you wish to marry Elizabeth Quinn?
~ Yes. ~ And Elizabeth, do you wish to marry this man? ~ Yes.
Private!
Stand here, please, Elizabeth.
I, Elizabeth Quinn.
Do take thee, Thomas Barrett.
To be my lawful wedded husband.
Until death us do part.
I, Thomas Barrett.
Do take thee, Elizabeth Quinn.
To be my lawful wedded wife.
Until death us do part.
You are now man and wife.
SHE LAUGHS
Yes!
..Yes!
Yes!