Film de David Lean
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In a cup-shaped dell at the top of the cliff, Rosy (Sarah Miles) is plucking heather. The horses are beyond her, nibbling at the short dry grass. Her search for good sprigs takes her to the cliff edge. She glances down at the beach below and freezes! She has seen Michael (John Mills) on the beach below coming from the direction of the cave where she and Randolph (Christopher Jones) were earlier.
Rosy (Sarah Miles) spreads a wet tea-cloth on a bush to dry in the hot sunshine. Other cloths are similarly spread. On the sound of an ill-tuned piano and a class of children singing in the school, Rosy drifts from the garden to peer at the British army camp knowing Randolph (Christopher Jones) is there.
Michael (John Mills) starts pushing a curragh out to sea as it butts cheerfully through the low waves. A wave catches the curragh, but Michael is no longer holding it. He is looking off at something. A small lorry backing cautiously down the hardway onto the beach. Father Collins (Trevor Howard) approaches with Rosy (Sarah Miles) some forty yards off. Inside the lorry another man hurriedly hides his things and watches cautiously through a slit in the canvas covering as Father Collins shakes hands with the driver. The man turns back and freezes. Michael is staring at him.
Michael (John Mills) stares at the stationary bus. Activity on the other side. It draws away, leaving behind a solitary figure, quite motionless on the road, some luggage beside him. The figure wears a British warm overcoat, stained and dry cleaned to the colour of stone but beautifully cut, perfect breeches and glittering boots with spurs. Noticing Michael, the figure turns to watch. Michael stares with the unselfconscious curiosity of an animal or infant.
Randolph (Christopher Jones) moves towards his luggage and his feet in their immaculate boots have exactly the crippled rhythm of Michael's own. Michael is almost open-mouthed watching every movement as though storing it in memory.
Rosy (Sarah Miles) and Father Collins (Trevor Howard) sit together in a small alcove of rocks on the beach. A lorry backing onto the beach eventually stops and wheels spin as the engine screams as sand is lifted into big joyous arcs. The disturbance brings both Rosy and Father Collins to their feet as they being to approach the lorry.
Charles (Robert Mitchum) follows the double line of footprints where they disappear behind a rock. He knows this landscape well. He knows what lies in the further bay and beyond the jutting angle of rock. He starts to follow them, torn between his need to know and his fear of knowing. He is drawn to run, slows, runs again. At the angle of the rock he sees the black mouth of a cave. The footsteps lead straight to it. No footsteps lead out. Charles almost reels against the rock-face for support.
Father Collins (Trevor Howard) arrives at the school. He looks to the ground and sees one of Rosy's black cotton stockings and her petticoat. His faces still but his eyes like a glimpse into a volcano sees Moureen (Evin Crowley) make a sudden movement hiding something behind her back. The priest strides her, and she flees dropping something. His face changing, he stoops down for it and picks up a think shank of hair. He looks around and sees tufts of hair scattered all around. He angrily ushers all the remaining villagers to leave.
The priest looking down at the shank of hair in his hand fearfully opens the door to the school and enters. Michael (John Mills) seeing sporadic groups of villagers walking away from the school believes he has missed the communal festivity. He arrives at the school and sees the shanks of hair and petticoat on the ground.
Michael (John Mills) is gathering marsh marigolds. One blackened hand already holds a bunch of the delicate flowers. On the sound of the bus stopping he looks up curiously watches as the bus departs and a solitary figure remains. Michael is consumed with bovine curiosity and he starts to move closer through the puddled grasses.