Curse III: Blood Sacrifice (1991) - full transcript

- Morning Agnes.

- Oh good morning Madam.

How are you feeling this morning?

- Thank you Agnes.

- Good morning.

- Oh.

I can get used to how
beautiful this place is.

It's so lovely.

- So you've been completely
won over have you?

You don't miss the bright
lights of America at all?

- A little now that Cindy's
come over for the summer.



- Ah, pangs of home sickness?

Well she's not suffering
from the same malady

judging by the amount of
time she spends with Robert.

- I thought your uncle sent
him here to work about farming?

- So did I.

He obviously finds Cindy
a lot more interesting

than cutting sugarcane.

- Would you like some tea?

- Mm, please.

Where are they by the way?

- Getting ready, they want to have a picnic

down at the beach today.

I told them I'd drop them
off there this morning.

- I was hoping you'd do the
rounds with Mletch this morning.



You know, see the way the farm runs.

Your sister and Robert can
wait a while can't they?

In fact why don't you
take them around with you

and you can drop them afterward?

You shouldn't eat them
when they're so green.

It won't help your morning sickness.

- Geoff I'm uncomfortable
around Mletch lately.

- Why?

He's the best man I've got.

- I know, I know.

And he's always nice and polite to me,

but lately he's been acting strangely.

As if something...

- His father was foreman for my father

and his grandfather before him.

Mletch and I grew up together.

- I know.

But I just can't shake
off this uneasy feeling.

- Elizabeth, he's African.

Hm?

- No, stay.

- Why?

I just want a quick look.

- It's a sacrifice, mourning for a death.

A private thing.

- Oh my god.

No. - Don't Cindy.

No, don't! - Stop it!

Please stop it!

Stop! - Please, please Cindy.

Listen to me. - No!

- Don't.- No!

No.

- Stop it, leave her alone!

Leave her alone.

- Leave the goat to its fate.

A death needs a sacrifice.

- Oh ll can't, I can't let them.

- American, America.

Thank you.

- For what?

- I know you wanted us to leave the goat.

He's evil isn't he?

I thought Nyongas were
supposed to be good people.

Cure the sick, interpret dreams.

- The Nyonga's power is
no different to any other.

It can be used for good and evil.

- What did he say?

- Who? - The witch doctor.

- When?

- When he was dancing around me.

What did he say?

It was a curse wasn't it?

- He said you had a baby.

- Oh, that's pretty good witch doctoring.

I didn't think it showed yet.

Doesn't sound like much of a curse.

- He said you had, past tense.

- Well I'm mostly impressed.

- Try it.

- America, America,

America, America,

America, America

America, America.

- Warding off the evil sprite are you?

- Oh!

You scared me. - I'm sorry.

Oh, let me kiss it better for you.

Alright?

America, America.

- I was singing. - Why?

- Keeping in touch with my roots.

Does it bother you?

- No, not at all, no.

Elizabeth, Elizabeth.

Joseph!

- Dr. Pearson.

Dr. Pearson.

We need help.

Doctor, Doctor.

- Yes?

- Doctor come quickly, it's Mrs. Armstrong.

- Alright.

- Like something clawing
me from the inside.

- It's okay.

It's okay.

Don't worry.

Dr. Pearson is on his way.

Okay, okay.

- Clouds, hot winds, ansini.

- Thank god, he's here.

He's here.

- Agnes.

- Here Doctor.

- Hello Geoff. - Hello Doctor.

Thanks for coming.

- You must be Elizabeth.

You can leave us Geoff, we won't be long.

- Yes, of course.

- Right, let's have a look at you.

- Robert?

Robert?

Robert.

Little creep.

I could've died of fright.

- Another sandwich Doctor? - No thank you.

- Thank you Agnes.

- How's your asthma these days?

- Oh it's not too good.

If I overdo it I begin to
sound like a rusty drain pipe.

- Well I don't know what
the rusty drain pipe did,

but I sure do feel a lot better.

What was in that brown
medicine you gave me?

- "Eye of newt and toe frog,
wool of bat and tongue of dog,

"adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,

"lizard's leg and owlet's wing."

- Taken from what I believe
they call the Scottish Play.

- I'm impressed. - Thank you.

Those are the only lines of Shakespeare

a schoolboy ever gets to remember.

Some more tea?

What do you think caused the pain Doctor?

- I know, I know, always listen to a farmer

when he tells you the apples
are just too green to eat.

Excuse me.

- Magnificent piece.

Your father had a remarkable collection.

I miss him you know.

He was a fine man.

- Yes he was.

Mind you nothing could
rival your collection.

- Made in honor of Oomai Omubai,

the vengeful spirit that lives in the sea.

- Oomai Om?

- This is a ceremonial witch doctor's stick

with which he summons the spirit.

When the Nyonga is in a trance

he can trap anyone he
wishes to take revenge on.

Women begin to dance, the men urge them on.

They dance faster and faster.

The drums beat and beat.

The wind begins to blow.

The trees bend.

The storm, the storm rises and when it

reaches its peak Oomai Omubai appears.

- Does it always look like that?

- Oh yes, but this is just symbolic

of his spirit that lives in the sea

and his role as a ritual killer.

- Let all who dare defy
the powers of darkness

feel the blade of the African Panga.

The all powerful high priest
Zaga Zunga has spoken.

- Could I keep this for a while?

- Sure.

Why?

- Well it is a unique piece
and I'd like to catalog it.

Do a sketch.

I'm building up a reference library.

- I'll see you to your car.

- Here woman, eat of this mystical fruit.

The red juice symbolic of the blood

spilt by our ancestors
will make you all powerful,

all knowing, all conquering.

- All mouth.

- Where are your sister and Robert?

- They're down at the
beach having a picnic.

- I think we're going
to have ansini tonight.

- Yes, I think you're right.

- Ansini? - Electrical storm.

A lot of wind, thunder, lightning.

Usually very little rain.

I'll drive back and collect
them before it gets too dark.

- It's the curse of this
part of the coast I'm afraid.

- How did that get there?

- Oh, well it's a long story.

You see, the witch doctor was going

to sacrifice it and we took it.

- You took it?

- Cindy did.

Why kill a goat?

It didn't do anything.

- You stopped the ceremony?

- Hardly a ceremony, people
standing around wailing.

- I don't believe it.

- I better be going, bye.

- Thank you Dr. Pearson for everything.

- Thank you, goodbye.

Look, we must talk.

Don't you understand?

You can't just trample over
thousands of years of tradition.

They don't come from your world.

It could cause trouble,
a hell of a lot of it.

- I'm sorry.

It all happened so fast.

Cindy just did what she thought was right.

She didn't mean any harm.

- Well she was wrong.

Shit.

- So much for your great
idea of a last swim.

Now what?

- What does it mean?

- I don't know.

Maybe the Nyonga wants his goat back.

- Should I be scared?

- No, no, no, no, of course not.

- Good, 'cause I'm not.

- It might be a good idea if
you didn't stay here alone.

Why don't you come with me?

I've only gotta check on the
cutting crew above the gorge

and then we can both
pick up Robert and Cindy.

- That's alright, Anthea's
invited me over to her house

this afternoon to meet her grand daughter.

- Oh, alright.

I'm pleased to see you
getting to know the neighbors.

Anthea's a good friend.

- Well, it's a farmer's wife's duty.

Besides I like her.

But not as much as I like you.

- Even when Africa becomes
the dark continent?

- Even then.

I've always been a sucker for
the sinister and mysterious.

- Well I knew there was a
reason why you married me.

What's going on here?

They've hardly touched it.

- They heard about the goat.

They say it's a bad omen.

- It'll get a lot worse if
they don't start cutting.

Mletch.

My cane needs cutting.

- You don't understand these things.

- Try me. - It's too complicated.

- Mletch, I'm not stupid.

Try me.

- It's the Nyonga. - What about him?

- They say he's gone
rotten from the inside.

- He's gone power crazy has he?

- The goat that was supposed to be

sacrificed this morning
was for the young boy.

- So?

- They say the Nyonga
himself had the boy killed.

- The boy killed?

- He put a curse on him.

He was his herds boy and he allowed

one of the cubs to go astray
and the leopard got it.

- Shit.

I better go to the police.

- You know we don't do things that way.

- Yes I know.

And this lot?

- Don't force them to work.

Asini is coming.

People are scared.

Let them go home, they'll
come back to work tomorrow.

- Alright.

Tell them they can go home
and tell them to sleep well.

Tomorrow they're gonna
cut twice as much cane.

- Wise decision.

- And Mletch,

I want to see you up at the house tonight.

When your father was
foreman the workers worked.

Then they had more respect for

a foreman than fear for ansini.

- That's an insult.

- Oh no.

Fact.

- Oh.

There you are.

Elizabeth.

So glad you could come.

- Thank you, sorry I'm late.

- Oh not at all.

Come in sit down.

- I made you chocolate chip cookies.

- You shouldn't have bothered.

Thank you. - You're welcome.

- Thank you Anna.

It's been 14 years since my husband died.

First you're almost
crushed by the loneliness,

but then well one adapts.

- Oh.

- Chloe, this is Mrs. Armstrong.

My grand daughter Chloe.

- Hello, nice to meet you.

- Oh hello.

- I'm babysitting while my daughter Judy

and her husband are away.

It's wonderful to have
her to myself sometimes.

- That's a lovely doll.

- It can talk.

- Oh.- Mama.

- I think Mr. Tibbs is thirsty.

- Well she knows where her bowl is.

- I thought I could give her

something to drink in the kitchen.

- You know she's never allowed inside.

And it's time for your bath.

Go on, no excuses.

- Okay.

- Would you like a chocolate chip cookie?

They're very special.

Mrs. Armstrong made them.

They're an American treat.

- Can ll have two?

- Can she have two?

- Of course. - Thank you.

- Watch out!

God dammit.

Whoa, whoa.

- What's that?

- It's the sea Cindy.

- What's that sound?

- It's the sea Cindy.

- Aren't you thirsty?

I know what you'd like.

Eat it slowly.

It comes all the way from America.

I have to go inside now,

but I'll come and say
goodnight before I go to bed.

- This was too short.

You're our closest neighbors,

we must see more of each other.

- I'd like that.

Well I better get back
before the storm hits.

- Say goodbye. - Bye.

- Bye.

- Thanks for the cookies.

- Agnes?

Joseph?

- Bastard.

Alright, you come get me.

Shit!

Come on!

- Geoff, I'm here, in the bedroom!

I'll be out in a minute.

Geoff?

Cindy?

Don't play games.

Geoff?

That's enough.

Where are you?

No, don't.

Oh, please.

- I heard a scream.

We must leave now.

We must leave, come.

- You killed him.

- No.

You must come now.

- No.

Murderer.

- If you don't believe me
you are going to die too.

When you hear the engine start running.

- Drivel

Go fast.

America.

America.

America.

America.

- I'm scared.

- There's no need to be.

Candles are fun.

Remember your birthday cake?

- Bruce Henderson says there's monsters

with big mouths and yellow eyes

wait in the dark to eat you.

- Who's Bruce Henderson?

- My boyfriend. - Oh.

- Bruce Henderson says the
monster's eyes glow at night

and when they open their mouths

all you can see is one big tooth.

- The fuse box is fine so
it must be the substation.

Point made, thank you.

Only two.

Well the rest must be in the shed outside.

- Do you believe in monsters

with yellow eyes and a big tooth?

- No, but I do believe in little monsters

with a sweet tooth and we do have some

chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen.

- Bruce Henderson also
said their were monsters

that come to your bed at night.

He says they try and eat your
liver while you're sleeping.

- Bruce Henderson seems to
have a very active imagination.

- He says you might wake up

and think you can scream, but you can't.

- Why?

- 'Cause he's already cut your throat.

- Well how grizzly.

I think you should get a new boyfriend.

- Bruce Henderson also says when

it chases you you'll never escape.

- Why's that?

- It can chase you right into your dreams.

- What, what do you want?

What do you want?

- He says once it's in
your dreams you can't hide

because it means the monster's
already in your head.

- Who are you?

What?

What are you?

What do you want?

Oh, why?

Please.

Hang on.

- Bruce Henderson says the only way

to show them you're not scared,

he says he sleeps in the dark

and when they come you just...

- No talking of monsters
and things that don't exist.

I think it's time you went to bed.

What story shall we have tonight, hm?

Cinderella?

- Yes, that would be nice.

We haven't read that one for a long time.

- What was that?

- What?

Elizabeth.

My god what's happened?

Soaking wet.

It's alright, it's alright you're safe now.

I'll get some dry clothes.

I've got some of Judy's around somewhere.

My poor girl.

Where's Geoff?

Where's Geoff, at home?

- Geoff?

- I'll call for help.

Still down.

Chloe,

be a good girl and go
upstairs to your bedroom.

All the lights are back on.

Go.

I'll come and see you in a minute.

- Mama.

- Mr. Tibbs.

- At first I thought it was Mletch,

then he...

He...

I was followed, I was
followed through the cane.

- Mr. Tibbs.

Tibbs, where are you Mr. Tibbs?

I've got something for you
Mr. Tibbs, something to eat.

Tibbs?

Don't you want a cookie?

Chocolate chip?

From America?

- I tried to run, but...

- It's alright, you're safe here.

Let me get you a little more brandy.

- You liked it before Mr. Tibbs.

- Mama.

- Chloe!

Come here!

Oh, are you alright?

You're likely wet.

Come in.

I think you've got some
explaining to do young lady.

- It was Mr. Tibbs.

I promised I'd say goodnight.

- Anthea! - I'm here.

Coming.

- Don't open it.

- No one's going to hurt you.

- Oh, please don't open it.

- I knew it.

- I don't understand.

- It is alright.

Who's there?

- Dr. Pearson.

- Thank god.

Come in Doctor.

- It's quite a storm
out there, real ansini.

I had to walk here.

Car had a flat tire.

Elizabeth, are you alright?

- No she's not.

She had a terrible time.

Something ghastly at the
Armstrong's, a maniac.

- Elizabeth?

- Slime.

- What?

- Slime.

Geoff, in the cold room.

- Oh.

It must be mud off the door handle.

I'll go and wash my hands.

- Don't worry dear.

- In the cold room it was the same.

- You're safe here.

- How could it get there?

He came to our house this morning

talking about the spirit from the sea.

He took the witch doctor's stick

they use to call up evil.

Oh, he's mad.

- I've known Dr. Pearson for 20 years.

I can't believe it.

- Then explain the bandaged hand.

He tried to kill me in the cane fields.

- No.

He's a compassionate man.

Anyone from these parts will tell you.

- The coat, everything, it fits.

- You're imagining things.
- Oh please listen to me.

It all makes sense.

- I'll be with you in a minute.

I'll just give you
something to calm you down.

- It seems you've injured yourself.

Your hand.

- Sprained my wrist trying to
change the wheel of the car.

Just a sedative.

- You need the rest.

There's nothing to be afraid of Elizabeth.

- Just a sprain?

- Yes.

- You didn't break the skin? - No.

- Then perhaps you'd like to explain

the blood on your vest Doctor?

- Elizabeth you can't honestly believe...

- Put the needle down. - Elizabeth.

Dr. Pearson could never do such a thing.

- Oh, and what's this?

A gift from your friendly
neighborhood Nyonga?

This is goat's blood.

- What?

How?

- I sacrificed a goat.

- Sacrificed?

- And you are right.

That was a gift from the Nyonga.

I was 12 years old at the time.

Quite a long time ago.

I had an older sister, she
was much older than me.

She became pregnant and the local community

was shocked to its roots.

Unmarried mothers in those
days were considered outcasts.

And then she gave birth to a black baby

which they so delicately
called a non-white child.

And shock turned to outrage.

- I never knew your family.

I thought that...

- The baby died some weeks later.

Everybody was very relieved.

And then in a supreme
display of racial hypocrisy

they named him Rodney George,

gave him the family surname

and he was buried with full honors

by an Anglican missionary
in the local church yard.

Next day the father came to the house,

to the back door of course.

He asked my father for a goat.

He wanted to sacrifice it.

Instead he got a thrashing
that nearly killed him.

- Sit, you need rest.

- No.

- That night my father's horse
came home without my father.

The next morning my mother found

his severed head on the
lawn, it was moving.

The cane rats had got it you see.

They were fighting for it inside the skull.

- I never knew.

- My mother's mind gave way.

My sister ran away.

She was seen getting on
a train to Mont Basso,

but she never arrived.

- What's your point Doctor?

- I was sent to a neighboring farm.

In time I was befriended by a Nyonga.

He explained things to
me through African eyes.

We became close.

Many people thought too close.

Then when I grew up I was sent overseas

to become a proper doctor.

- The point?

- The point is that when a
child dies in this region

a goat has to be sacrificed.

It's a mark of respect from
the family, it's a sacred rite.

And if that isn't done then the Nyonga

can summon up the spirit of the sea

to take vengeance on the guilty.

- You don't believe that hocus pocus.

- He believes. - I do believe it.

I've seen things that can't possibly

be explained by modern science.

I know that the Nyonga
can summon up spirits.

- Or a deranged doctor.

Explain the doll.

- That can be used for
good as well as evil.

When I saw you this morning
I knew that you were not

in a condition that
could be cured by aspirin.

- And the blood on your vest?

- I stole the goat that Cindy
took and I sacrificed it.

I just prayed that I wasn't
going to be too late.

- Chloe! - It's in the house.

- Help me!

Is it really gone now?

- Do you smell anything?

- The sea.

And rotting fish.

- Whatever it is it's still here.

There, there in the cane.

- Let's go inside.

It's all over now.

- Guess we're short of a lamp.

- Plenty in the garden shed.

Come Chloe.

- I guess I'll go get one.

- Here, take this one.

- Mama.

Mama.

Mama.

- It's alright Elizabeth, it's alright.

It's alright, it's alright.

It's alright, it's alright.

- Mama.