©Copyright by Christopher Rutty chrysklogw@yahoo.com
The Triumph of Life
A Screenplay
Treatment by Christopher Rutty
An Historically true and sometimes humorous tale set in Vienna in 1927 about a man’s drive for success,
the price he pays, and the women and politics that come with his Faustian bargain.
The story opens in Sydney, Australia 1975. Alastor Swann is in his 70’s, he sends himself
letters so Juliette the postwoman, will arrive each day on her red bicycle. They
become friends. She is studying music at the Conservatorium. Her
graduation piece is Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto. Alastor tutors her while
telling the story of his life of exhilaration and despair during six
months in Vienna as Alban Berg’s friend and student.
In 1927 Alastor is a young, idealistic Australian who
has traveled to England on route to Vienna to pursue his dream
of studying composition with Alban Berg. He becomes involved with Miriam for a short time but then leaves the comfortable relationship for Vienna. Arriving as the confident jovial
idealist . . . six months later, in the Volksgarden he is bleeding to death.
Alastor meets Lucinda Marmesteiner, a vibrant and talented Opera singer who knows Alban
Berg. They embark upon a playful romance set against the architectural elegance and the intellectual vibrance
of the city. Their lives become tightly woven within the politics of the new
Austrian Republic.
In a small village, we see a drunken gathering of fascists open fire upon an
unarmed parade of workers. An old man and boy are killed. Six months later,
three men are brought to trial.
Meanwhile. The Café Central is a hotbed of Modernism. Along with egalitarian ideals, they
cultivate a unique, almost spiritual reverence for aestheticism. Lucy tries to
ignore the fascist activity and the increasing attacks upon Jews and workers, while Alastor
becomes entwined within the politics of 'Red Vienna' and Modernism.
Both hide a past life. In England he abandoned Miriam while pregnant in a selfish drive to achieve his dream of studying
with Berg. Lucy weaves a tale about a husband and child and being raped by Nazis’.
Alastor
develops an alliance with an aristocratic family, who later turn out to be
funding anti-Semitic groups that go about killing workers and Jews. Alastor’s
Faustian bargain has been struck. He leaves Lucy to the wolves of
anti-Semitism. She is sacked from the Opera for her modernist sympathies (Being Jewish). While
Alastor’s acclaim is tainted by the odour of his betrayal.
The three accused Nazis’ are brought to trial. Their acquittal on July 14, 1927 unleashes the
greatest riot the streets of Vienna have seen since 1848. Mounted police,
sabres drawn, cut down defenceless women and onlookers. Ninety dead, six
buildings burn to the ground, including the Ministry of Justice.
During the riot Lucy delivers her baby alone. Alastor’s bargain must now be payed.
Discovering he is the father, he tries to rekindle the love that he abandoned.
Lucy, in a fit, tries to kill him and the child to teach him a lesson. Miriam arrives,
to find him destitute, distraught and alone sitting in the Volksgarden bleeding from a stab wound.
Back to 1975. It is the day of Juliette’s graduation. She
sees the post office has a dead-letter exhibition of interesting undelivered letters. Noticing a
letter date stamped 1950, to Alastor Swann from Vienna. She delivers it to him
and notices an old woman in the adjacent unit, it is Miriam. Alastor laughingly says "It's my music
that is a disaster not my love life!"
Juliette goes on to perform her graduation
piece to great acclaim. The letter is from Lucy and Alastor’s child. She
didn't’ die and was looking for her father.
Email: chrysklogw@yahoo.com
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