INT. SAINT-LAZARE METRO STATION-EVENING.

Paris, 1933. It is a balmy evening in May, around seven or eight o'clock PM, languid and humid. Sweaty and wilted looking commuters move about in the metro station: walking up and down stairs, sitting and getting up, boarding and disembarking the trains. An accordionist plays a wistful and haunting tune.

CHARLES (late 40s) sits on a bench by the metro track, reading a newspaper. He is handsome with the elegant and manly charisma of an old Hollywood film star and is expensively and impeccably dressed in evening tails for a night out on the town.

GABRIEL (20s) comes down the stairs leading down to the metro track. He is a strapping, good-looking farm boy in his Sunday best and seems slightly uncomfortable and out of place in the big city but hides it behind a serious, somewhat stoical reserve.

Gabriel walks over to where Charles is seated and taps him on the shoulder.

Gabriel

Excuse me, Monsieur. I'm trying to get to the Jardin du Luxembourg. How would I get there from here?

Charles looks up from his newspaper.

CHARLES

You take the next train to Michel Debre, then you take a train from there to Saint-Germain. The Jardin du Luxembourg should be about a ten-minute walk from there.

GABRIEL

Thank you, monsieur.

A train pulls up at the track and Gabriel boards it. The doors close and it pulls away.

INT. PALAIS GARNIER, AUDITORIUM-NIGHT.

A performance of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty is underway. Starring in the production is ADÈLE (mid 20s), a stunning young ballerina who keeps the audience entranced with her grace and beauty.

Charles walks into one of the boxes and takes a seat. He applauds as one of the pieces of music ends.

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EXT. JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG-EVENING.

A wedding party is in full swing. The bride and groom are EDMOND (20s) and MATHILDE (19). Edmond carries himself with a degree of arrogance which would feel ridiculous if he himself were not so good looking. He's devastatingly handsome and mercilessly charming which makes this arrogance seem perfectly justified. Mathilde, his bride, is a rail-thin society beauty, stylish and artificial.

The band strikes up a slow, romantic jazz tune and Edmond and Mathilde begin to waltz.

Looking on proudly is CATHARINE, (late 40s) Mathilde's mother, a cold, elegant, and slightly intimidating faded belle. Seated next to Catharine is MIMI (late 30s), her younger sister. The two women have similar coloring and features but in contrast to her sister, Mimi radiates warmth and friendliness and has managed to keep her youthful bloom.

Edmond and Mathilde finish their dance and lean in for a kiss. The guests applaud.

Gabriel enters the tent where the wedding party is being held. He seems anxious about something and looks around at the guests to see who is there.

We see the reason why he is so anxious. MARIANNE (18) is a petite and pretty blonde: freckled, rosy-cheeked, and wholesome. She is seated with Catharine and Mimi, her aunts, and her clothing is less flashy and less expensive looking than the rest of the wedding guests, marking her out as a poor relation.

Marianne appears to notice Gabriel and gives him a dazzling smile which makes her look radiant. Gabriel walks over to her. She gets up from her seat and stands on the tips of her toes to give him an air kiss on both cheeks.

MARIANNE

Gabriel, I didn't know you were coming here tonight.

GABRIEL

Your aunts invited me.

He gestures to Catharine and Mimi

CATHARINE

How is your family?

GABRIEL

They're all doing well. Gillian just got married and Yves was stationed in Morocco, and our father is in good health.

CATHARINE

Well, all that fresh air and exercise that one gets as a farmer is good for the body. Give your father my best when you return home.

GABRIEL

I will, Madame

Gabriel turns towards Marianne, about to ask her something. Edmond cuts in between them.

EDMOND

(to Gabriel, with a smirk)

Hello again, Renault.

Edmond glances at Marianne, who blushes and then turns towards Mimi.

EDMOND

(to Mimi)

Madame, would your niece give me the pleasure of a dance?

Mimi looks at Marianne, who gets up from her seat. Edmond takes her hand and leads her over to the dance floor. Gabriel frowns. Mimi stands up and puts her hand on his shoulder.

MIMI

Don't worry, she'll come around.

The band begins to play a foxtrot and Edmond sweeps Marianne up into the music.

EDMOND

You know, you haven't changed at all since the last time we danced together. Remember, it was back in '30. You were fifteen and it was at that party your grand-parents threw when you and Mathilde made your confirmation.

Marianne gives a wistful smile.

MARIANNE

Back then, I hoped I would be the one marrying you.

EDMOND

We've gone over this before, Marianne. My father would never have allowed it.

MARIANNE

Your father wanted you to marry into my family. Mathilde is my cousin; I'm just as much of a d'Aubrey as she is.

EDMOND

But who was your father...?

That's the problem.

EDMOND

My old man is too greedy and grasping to of let me marry a girl with no money whose father was a nobody.

He lifts her chin with his hand and looks directly into her eyes.

EDMOND

Don't worry, Cinderella. You'll be married yourself soon and it will be my loss.

The song ends and Edmond leads Marianne back to her table.

INT. PALAIS GARNIER, AUDITORIUM-NIGHT.

Adèle and the cast of Sleeping Beauty are performing the scene where Princess Aurora pricks her finger on the spinning wheel. The dancers look in shock and horror as Adèle, playing Aurora, clutches her finger and frantically dances around and grows increasingly dizzy and faint. She dances until she collapses at the feet of the dancers playing the King and Queen.

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EXT. JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG- NIGHT.

Two young men sit on a park bench. AUGUSTIN (20s) is lithe and wiry with a crooked grin and mischievous eyes which gives him a cat-like appearance. He is half-Algerian and his olive complexion gives away his heritage. LÉON (late teens) is slight, sweet-faced, and shy. These two young men show the contrasting extremes which boys their age can fall into: Augustin is cocky and insouciant; Léon is awkward and insecure. Their clothing is worn and patched, marking them out as poor street kids.

Augustin takes out a cigarette from behind his ear and a small box of matches from his pocket. He lights the cigarette, takes a dag, and blows a ring of smoke into the distance where the sound of lively jazz music can be heard.

LÉON

I wonder where that music's coming from.

AUGUSTIN

Someone must be having a party over there. C'mon, let's go have a look.

Augustin gets up from the bench and walks in the direction of the music. He beckons for Léon to follow him; Léon reluctantly does so.

They walk over to the tent where Edmond and Mathilde's wedding party is being held and take a look into a different world: beautiful and glamorous people in expensive clothes drinking the finest champagne and dancing like they do not have a care in the world. Augustin is bold enough to get up close while Léon timidly stays off in the distance. A waiter gives Augustin a dirty look as he tries to take a flute of champagne. Mathilde also notices Augustin.

MATHILDE

Who the hell is he?

Her shouting alerts the rest of the guest to Augustin's presence. They all glare at him. Marianne gives him a sympathetic smile and their eyes meet for a moment. Augustin blushes.

Edmond walks over to confront Augustin.

EDMOND

I think you should leave now.

Augustin turns to leave.

AUGUSTIN

Let's go Léon. The company here ain't worth a damn anyway.

The two run off. Marianne dashes off back to her table.

CATHARINE

Marianne, don't scamper!

MARIANNE

I wasn't, Tante Catharine.

Marianne goes back to her table at a slower, more ladylike pace. Augustin watches her from afar as she disappears from sight.

INT. PALAIS GARNIER, BACKSTAGE-NIGHT.

Adèle exits the stage following the finale of Sleeping Beauty to thunderous applause. She goes into her dressing room and removes the wig she has been wearing to reveal a stylish bob haircut then puts the wig on a stand. She sits down at her dressing table and lights a cigarette. On the dressing table is a massive bouquet of roses. Adèle picks up the card and reads it. The card says "See you tonight, Princess. Love, Charles."

Charles appears in the doorway of the dressing room. Adèle rushes over to him and they kiss.