Other Works by Margerite Duras Published by Grove Press Fou Novels (he Afernoon of Mr. Andesmas; 10:30 on a Summer Night ‘Moderts Cantabile: The Square) India Song The Malaty of Death Destroy She Said Practcalies | | HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR Text by MARGUERITE DURAS for the film by ALAIN RESNAIS ‘Translated from the French bby Richard Seaver Pleture Editor: Robert Hughes i Grove Press ‘New YorkHIROSHIMA MON AMOUR Proved by: ArgorDeiet-Como Copyright ©1961 by Grove Pet I Allright reserved. No pat ofthis book maybe any fom ort mechanical meas, cating infomation storage andPREFACE ‘have tld to give fitful an acount as posible ofthe work ‘Resmi on Hirose Mon Amour Surprised that Resnal “petri” con never deerbed in this work. My tle i ing thon element fom which esas made iost ily conversions and geld al thre of recion, and T Was weveSYNOPSIS “The tines sme, 187~Augst-at Hiroshi, A French woman, about thi years ol, hs came to Hiro shima playin afin on Peace “The story begins the day before her etrm to France. The film in which she's playlg i practiallyGnished. There's only one ‘more eee 10 shoot "The day before her ret to France, this French woman, whose mame wil never be given in he Bkm-thi nenjmour wom. tncmetss Japanese (enginetor architect) and has avery bl love afar with him How they met wil not be revealed inthe ptr. For thai not what really mater. Chance meetings occ everyre the ‘orld What important i wh these ony martigs en to. “nthe beginning ofthe fl we dont se thi chance couple Nelther er nor him, Istead we se mutilated bodies—the het, the hips-moving-in the throes of love or dethand covered succesively with the ashes, the dew, of atomic detth~sed the soe of ove fle, Tes only by slow degres that from these formes, anonymous bodies thelr own bodier emerge “They ae ling i shoe oom. Naked. Smooth bodies. Intact. ‘What are hey aking about? About Hizxhin She tells hi that she has seen everything In Hiroshima, We sez what she has sen Ts hose An! meanwhile his vic, a negitive vols, denies the deceftfl petre, and in an impor: tonal, unbearable way, he fepeat hat she has seen noting at Hirsh | | | “Ths hein exchange is allegorical. In short an operatic cexchinge Impossible otk about Hirsh. AT one eam do tak aut the impossibly of talking abot Hiroshima. The Tnowedge of Hioshine Beng sted piety an exemplary Sikeston the mind aan “This beinnng his offal parade of already wellknown hr ron feminine in hotel bd hisses tecllecton, voluntary Ove can talk aboot Hiroshima any ‘here evn ina hot! Bed, during» chance an adulterous love Uru badisof beth protagonists, who are rel in ove wih ch lhl red ow of th, Whe ely sega Seything is irri fale. There's no point being REO thls aviding the ee However lite he has ben shown of th Hiroshina Monument, these mderable remains of «Monument of Emptiness, the spect torshull ome away pega of patel all rejdie ad ea {osccopt anyting bey be tod sot the to potagonsts ‘And at ths pout the fm comes buck t tht own soy ‘banal tale one tat happens thousands of tines every ty ‘The Japenese maried, bas len. So the French wom ho bebe children Tei rs one-night af Dot where? At Hirsh ‘Their embrace-so bana, so commonplce—takes pace inthe eyo te wed where td ag Hirsh Nathng eves at Hori. Every geste every wor to an Sn of ening that transcend ft Mora meaning And Ah on of the principal goal ofthe Bm: to have done with the description of fort by homo, for that has ben done bythe Jepamcse thonselve, but fake thi borer reagan fom i She by incorporating nuove that il ees be pei hd "wonders on tat wl be ove cede than I ad reured anjhee en the worl, place that death had not rene Pane two people as dsr geographically, pilsoph cally, storia econmicly, rail, st It pesto i Firshima wl be the common ground (Pehaps the oly one ‘Sihewor) where the uve factors feos, ve ndunhappiness wil appt in an impeable Hight. Everywhere ex ‘cept Hiroshima ie san sccpted convention. AX Hiroshima ‘esanot ent or ele i wil be denounced Before falling slop they talk again of Hiroshima, tna dies. ‘ent way, With desire and, perape without thie belng aware of Ie with nascent love. “Thee conversation concerns both themelves and Hiroshima ‘And thir remarks ae mite in Such a way frm tis point on {allowing the opera of Hiroshinna-that 1 wil be impossible to Alstingih one from the othe. “Ther pesonal story, however brief 8 may be, always dom ates Hiochinn. TF this grenibo were wot adhoved to thls woskl he jest one more made-to-order pte fo mae intrest than any Bion lied docemeatary. fi i adbored to, well ead up with a sort, Of ase documentary that wl probe the lesson of Hoshi more ‘leply than any made t-order documentary “They awake, And talk gain hile sho geting desed. OF ordinary things ad sso of Hiroshima. Why ot? Its quite mat (ra This ts Hiroshi ‘And suddenly she appear completely desed, asa Red Cross (Chis uniform, which actualy the ariforn of ofa veto, renwakens his dsr, He wants to see her again. H's lke every. tome ele ike all men, exactly, and in travesty there i an ert Fetor that intrigue all men. The eternal murs of an eternal weed ‘Wy, since she also desires him, dost she want to se him again? She door give any clear eason. ‘When ty awake they slo talk of er pas. ‘What happened in Nevers, her native oy ia that rgion called Iitvre whore she was brought up? What happened to make er they she nde Bune, on ad Zt ichooest, 20 equivocal and s0 clea? So predisposed to chance love alae? So owned when faced with lve? ‘One day she tells him, one day at Nevers ae was mad Mad with spite She saye the sane way she might say that once at ‘Revers she ste things with perfect lity. The sme way. IF that Novers “incident” explains her present conduct at Hino shim, she sys nothing about She talks about the Nevers inc: ‘ent ae se might tll about saything ele, Without revealing ‘She leaves She hs decided not to sce him again Bat they wil soe onch other again. Four oclck that aReroon Peace Square at Hoth (ori Feoat ofthe hsp) “The cireramen are moving of (whenever wo 226 thm in the ‘they moving of with Weir equipment). The grandstands are being mantle The bunting s being removed. “The French woman ir aslep in the shadow (perhaps) of one € tsps which ig ae sw An elihtening len about Peace as jst been complete, Not stall a rdioulow Bm, bt ist another Bi. ‘A Japanese man makes he way through the crowd which once gsi, preses narod the stings forthe fl that ha jot been ‘ompleted, The same man wes this morning inthe Bote room. He vec the French woman, sop, goes toward her, wate her sleeping. His gaze awakens her They exchange looks, both filed ‘eth desk, He has not come by chance. He has come to ee her gue ‘Alinost mediately after they meet, there iss parade WS the final scene of the film, Children parading, stents parading Dogs Cats dlrs. Al Hicahina i there et aways i when the ‘nu of work! pence al stake. A barogue parade. Tes tery Bot. The sky i heating. They wat fr the pr ae to pas. Ae tos be eller he thinks he loves he. He tikes her to his howe, They tll bey about dee respec: tive Bren “They're both happy married, ot loklng fora subst for an unhappy maeiage ts there, during the act of Tove, that she begs to ell him shout Nevers ‘She rans stay from the house, and they go to a ete overlook Ing the iver "all ine before her departre” Night now. “Tey remain therefor several boure Ther love ows in ‘verte proportion tothe time let before the plane's departs theNaf, that she tell him why she was madi Nevers Her hen was shaved at Nevers in 1944, when she ws twenty sir ol. Her fit lover ra 9 Corman, Killed atthe Liberation ‘She rerined in collar In Nevers, with er bead shaved Tt swat ony when the bomb ws dropped on Hoshi that she was Frese cont eve the cer ann th ins ‘Why did she chaos this personal sorrow? No doubt becanse he too fsa person of extremes, Fo shave a gis head boone she Tas loved-reallyloved-an offal enemy of her country, isthe ‘timate of horror and stupidity We see, Nevers, 2s woe alrendy seen it before in the hotel room: Ane gain they tlk of themselves, And once again an ver Tipping of Nevers and love,of Hiroshima and love It wil ll be neds without any preconceived principle the way such things Frppen everywhere, every day, whenever couples newly in love ‘ale "Agia she leaves Again she une away from him She tres to go back to her hotel to collet her, does suc ceed, emerges gain fom the hotel and rtore to hoa, eich by thn is closed And she stay there, Rermembering Nevers (i ‘erloe monologue), therefore love Hse "The man has followed her. She matics i. She Tooks at him “They lok at each other, completely ia love. A hopeless lve, Tile lite the Nevers love. Therefore aleay relegated to bl ton. Therefore tera ‘Ana yet she dose oi hi She wanders through the ety, And he follows her ar he would ‘an unknown woman. At certain moment he accosts her and asks ter tostay in Hiroshima, nan aside She mays no. Everyone's refuel. Common cowardice” "or ther: the de I aly cast He docs init. ‘She wanders to the road sation. He ois er Took at cach eter like shadows jer, They rom now on, nating further to say to eachother. The im ence of the departure feces them in funeral silence Tes relly lve All they can da now i remain sen An ut imate scene takes place in cf. We se her thre in the eampany ‘of anater Japanese. And st snaer table the man ake loves, completely motionless, bit only rection that of pa, o which he is wholy resigned tnt which transcends bi phil, Te already as 1 she be Vonged tothe thers” And heen ony fully wdertand st ‘A awn se returns tae oom. fer mines ater be knocks at the dor, He eat elp Impose not to came,” he apa. es “Ao in the room nothing happens. Bath ate rede toa te. sifings tual impotence, The rom, the way of the world emains around ther, and hey wil distr io more No vows exchanged. No frtber gesture They simply cal exch other once ain, What? Nevers, Ho shina For infact, in each others aye, they are no one. They are times of places names that are hot samen. TE fas though, thvough them, al of Hirshina war i Toce with al of Necer. ‘She say to him: “Hirota, thas your arse ote: Certain years of the lo thn she “eon wp" by tay at et tea ay in weve hon cnc erSCENARIO.(he hospital, haltuays, sts, patons, the camera coldly ojee- five" [We never ae her seeing | Thon te come back to the land ripping not eting go ofthe darker shoulder) tm; Yow didnot the howptal in Hiroshima. You sw nothing in Hicoshina, (Phen the women's oice becomes more... moreimperonal Sts (the museum The ome blading ight, the same ugly igh here thatthe howptl. Explanatory signa pices of coldence fromthe Dombardent,senle models, muted ion, skin, burmel hair, tone models te) se; Fur ines atthe mas, ae; What nse in Hiroshima? se: Four tes a the museum in Hirskima. 1 saw the people walking around, The people walk arovnd, lst in thought mong’ the photographs, the reconstruction, for watt of Something ese, among, the photographs, the photogs, the reconstructions for want of something ee, the eran ‘our tines atthe moteur in Hiroshina "Tooke tthe people. myself looked oughtaly at the iron The burned ion, The Broken iron, the toa made vu remble as flesh 1s the Douquct of bolle apse who Mtould ive sepected tht? Human skin eating tevin. Zl in the bloom of it agony. Stones. Burned stones. St tered lone. Anonymous ead of hair Ghat the women of Frosh, when hey awoke inthe morning, discovered had fallen ont T'was hot at Pence Square. Ten thovsand degre at race Square, Lknow it The temperature ofthe fun at Pace Square How ca you not know i+. The grate ete simple. suretiesame: You sw nothing in Hiroshima. Nothing. (Gore shots ofthe muscu, Then a shot of Feace Square taken ‘eth a burned skull nthe foreground. Class daplay cae with ured models inside. Newel shots of Hivshime} 1; The reconstruction have been made a authentically as pos sible “The fils have een made as authentically ax possible. ‘Te illusion, is que simple the sin so peeect that the toute ey. “One ca alas sof but wht ele cana tourist do, realy, Dbutery? Te always wept over the fate of Hirothima, Abways (A panorama of «photograph taken of Hiroaki eter the bomb, (“an desert” without reference 10 the other dverts of the ‘word a: No, What would you have ered about? (Peace Square, empty under Binding sn tat recall the Bind Ing light ofthe bomb. Newsrecs taken ater August 6, 191. Ants, ‘comme, emerge from the ground. Intrspereed with shots ofthe ‘shoulders The woman’ coe begin again, gone mad, ob the fequenc of pletres hs elo gone mal) sz: Isa the newarcl ‘On the second day, History tells not making it up, on the second day certalnspcies of animale rove agin from the ‘lepth of the earth and fom the ashe. Bos were photographie, Forall eternity Tenth so the newsreels ae then nthe fst dy (On the second day. (nthe third day. (interrupting her) You saw nothing, Nothing (A dog with tog amputated. People, chdren, Wounds, Burned ‘hilren screaming) sr: onthe tenth day too Fitoshina was blanketed with fowers. There were com Aowers and gladiolar everywhere, and morning glories and ‘hy lies that roe again from the ashes with an exraor ‘ary vigos quite unhesrd of for Sowers tl then.* Tit make anytng vp tne You made tall up se: Nothing uta in lve the son ext, this sion of eg able never to forge, col war under the son that I would never Forget Hiroshi, it in lve iis sc tla amt vin Jn H's cp Sitch a tls spl hc rye eesue: Women risk giving bith to malformed chien, to: mon ters, butt goes on ‘Men rik becoming stele, but lt goes on. People are ala of the rs, “The rain of aes onthe waters of the Pac “The waters of the Paci kil Fishermen ofthe Pui are dead People ae afraid of the fod ‘Thood ofan entire cy i trown way “The food of entire cites is buted, Amentive ety es up in anger. Ese iis He up in anger (Wevsrel: demontratons) Agtnat whom, the anger of entire cites? ‘The anger of entire ee, whether they Uke it oF mo, agai the Inequality set Fert principle by certain peo- ‘ple agunst other people, against the Inequay set forth a: [ipetnepl by cain rer against oter races, aint the inequality st forth a8 plciple by coran cases aginst ther cate. (rocesions of demonstrators “Mule” speeches from loulspeak oa) 9 (fy) sen toe. Tike you, {how what to Forget. a: No, you don’ know what to forget Like you ave # memory. now what i it forget ne: No, you don’ have memory HE: Like you 1 too have tried with all my might nt to forget. Like your Forge. Like yoo, I wanted to have a inconso ble memary a memory af shadows and toe. (ie sot of @ shadow, “photogrephe” on sone, of someone ied et Hiroshima) For my put, Ustrogled with all my might, every day gains the horror of o longer understanding a al the rv ton for remembering ike you, forgot {Shops with hundreds of sale models of the Place of Industry Ihe oly monument chow tcisted shelton remained sending tater the bombeand wae aftereard presereed. An empty shop. ‘buon of Fopanese toute. Tours on Peace Square. A eat traning Peace Square) Why deny the obvious necessity for memory?(A sentence punctuated by shots ofthe famercork ofthe Palace of Industry.) Listen to me now something ee. will beg all over agai. “Two hundred thousand dead Eight thousand wounded. Tnnnine seconds. These girs are oc. 1¢ wil bagi all cover again (Tees. Church. Memy go-round. Hiroshima rebuilt. Banality) ‘hare willbe ten thousand degrees on the eath Te thou sand son, they wil say. The asphalt wil bum. (Church, Jepaneseaeertsng poster) Chaos wil prevail. whole city willbe razed from the cath and fal boc in ashes, (Sand. A package of “Peace” cigars, A fet plant sprend out like apider onthe sand.) [New vegetation wil ise fom the sands. (Pour “dena” student chat beside the ricer. The reer. The tle. ‘The dely per of Hivshina rebut) Four students await together a frsteral ad legend a toe gedany The sven branches of the delts estuary in the Ota river Aan and il at the usual Dou, etaly atthe wal hous, ‘with water that esha ich with Bs, gray or bl de: ‘ending onthe hour or the season. Along the my banks people no longer watch th tide rising stow In the seven ranches ofthe delta ectuary ofthe river Ot (The tncanttory tone ceases, The tects of Hiroshima, more treet, Bridges Covered lanes Streets Suburbs. Ralroad tock. Suburbs, Unicel bonality) se: «Test you 1 remember you. Who are you? You destroy me. ‘Youteso good forme How could {ave Known that this ity wat made tothe sive of ne? Flow could I have known that you were made tothe sae cof my body? "You're grt. How wonderful Yue great. How slow alos sudden ‘And how west. ‘More than you ean know. You destoy me. Youre so good forme You destroy me. Yoxte so good for me Plenty of tine Pleas Takome Deform me, make me uly Why not you? Why ot you inthis ty ain hi night so Uke the others you can't el the difernee? Pes, (vith exaggerated sutdoness the women's foe appears, filed teil tenement, tuned tocard the mais) sr: Is exrordinary how bestifl your skin test) (itis face eppeare. He lng ecttelly, which has nothing to lo with thtt won, He turns) ta: Yes ne, You wil hve sen me. (The two naked bodies reappocr. Same voice of the woman, fnuted, but this tne not declematory) sm: Ae you completly Japenese raze you completely Japs{silence They look eachother) You wee ere at Hiroshima sus (eughing, athe might at edi question: No su (enressing hie naked shoulder ae Stop ofa (Almost sniling) ns (oe ‘gh su (tii, iin nove) A stoke of ck tn (ot ooking at her, weighing the pro and con): Yes fe: ack forme ton (raw) tues What are you dog at Hiroshima? the war sa: A Bl, ae; What ln? sve: Tm playing nes And befoce coming to Hireshima, where were you? ste: Fa Pris (Aonger pou) ne: And before Pass? tir: Bafore Pari? wasat Nevers. Ne-oers es Nevers? tht: Tein the provine of Nie. You Jott hnow it (Pause, Then he ass, as though Ipeceen Hiroshi ond Never) tne An why il you want to see everything at Hiroshi? ‘a (tying 1 be sincere): esas (eens about For Instance, ‘Tg something that has to be lened. of a) That's te. «How , hstent): But my fal was at Hiroshi. 1 was of he hl jut discovered Tink interested me. have my Think looking coely at Part It (Acar of bicycles poses inthe are, the noise growing loud fr then fang. She leon the belay ofthe hotel, tn desing fon. She i looking ot him, She holds @ ewp of cofee tn het Tend. He el elep, ling on Vie omach, hi arms coed, Inn tothe wit She looks ery intently otis hands, which tremble sigh, ‘hitdrons hands cdo sometieswhex they ae asleep He has very eau, ery ere hand While she is looking a them there suddenly appear, in place of the lepoest, the hay of young man, lying the same post tin, Dut in posture of lth om the Bank of rer in full day Tight. [Phe roms isin semtslrkrae| The young man & near death. He too os becutfl hands, strikingly Uke hase of the Tepente, The apprach of death mekes them jek alent Theat tan extremely Dre} oe She remain frosen, leaning agin the whuow, He aus and ies fer She ean reten he amile immediatly. She com tinuce fo look ot him atenticely, woul moving. Then she taker ecole over to him’) se: Do you want some colle? (ite eset, takes the cup. Powe ) se; What were you dreaming abot? tm: I dont remember... Why? (She hes become heel agin, extemely nice) sx; Twas looking at your hands, They move when you're asp. (examining his hands, pores moving his fingers): Maybe ts “when yu dreum without Faoming 2 (my plenty blige ead) Hm,