The Pirates of Blood River

Trouble.

- - Oh!

Maggie.

Maggie. Maggie.

Maggie?

Hey.

- Jonathon... - Are you still afraid?

I am afraid. I'm afraid of all of them.

They're hard, and they're cruel and one day we'll be found out, and-

Well, we'll just wait for that day.

I love you, Maggie.

I am going to take you away.

There must be someplace outside this island where we can find happiness.

Do you believe me now, Standing?

Your son...

and my wife.

I would never have believed it but for the evidence of my own eyes.

- I can explain, let me talk to you. - You have sinned in the eyes of God.

- You will not go unpunished. - By God?

I am the representative of God here.

My punishment is his.

Amen.

Arrest them.

Get after her!

Come back, girl!

Piranha.

Maggie, no! Maggie, come back!

Maggie, come back!

No.

A judgment.

Thy will be done.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

That is the Lord's commandment.

This unhappy woman took no heed of it,

and she was punished by God.

But this man was not punished.

So it becomes our duty to judge him here.

Do you deny the charge laid against you?

Yes. And I claim the right to defend the virtue of a woman

who cannot answer for herself.

Aye.

Godfrey Mason, I deny you the right to sit upon that bench.

I am an elect-man of this community.

You are also my accuser.

What kind of law permits the plaintiff to sit in judgment at the accused?

Aye.

Jehovah's an eye for an eye.

- Trial over yet? - No, not yet, Henry.

- They've been in there long. - What about you?

It's devil's work, and Tom and I don't care to witness it.

With that lot on the bench, I pity poor Jonathon.

- God save him. - And all of us.

He's not on trial because he's immoral.

No, it's because he stands for everything that they're against.

The elders are afraid of him.

They'll see this opportunity of using the father to condemn his own son.

Then they'll have it all their own way.

We're waiting for the verdict, Henry.

I'm afraid it's a foregone conclusion.

Your father will have no choice.

It's hard for me to believe that a father could be so harsh

as to convict his own flesh and blood.

Jason Standing is a sick man, Bess.

But he's not beyond all human feeling.

We're waiting for you, Jason.

Jonathon Standing...

you are charged with having broken one of the most sacred laws of God.

Through that sin, you have caused the death

of the unhappy woman who was your partner in it.

You have been found guilty.

And as God's deputy, here in this community,

it is my duty to pronounce the sentence of this court upon you.

Before I do, have you anything to say?

Yes.

I am not guilty.

The cause of Maggie's death was fear.

Fear of her brutal husband.

Yes, fear is your weapon. It's a dangerous weapon.

One day it will recoil on your own heads.

Aye!

We've heard enough.

Proceed.

The Ten Commandments...

are the prime laws by which our settlement is governed.

And the penalty for breaking any major one of them can,

as you know, be death.

But because our God is merciful, so we will be merciful.

Aye.

Therefore, we have decided that you shall be taken from here,

and tomorrow, transported to the penal colony,

where you will remain for 15 years.

- No! - No!

- No! - No way!

No mercy. No.

Take charge of your prisoner.

- Shame. - Shame.

Have courage.

Do you know what you've done, Father?

You've sent him to die. No one can live in that place.

You've sent Jonathon to die. Your own son.

Can't you see that these men are using you?

Don't, Bess. It's no good. You're only hurting yourself.

Your grandfather would be very proud of you, Jason Standing.

Now, Bess, no crying. I don't wanna remember you like that.

I'm sorry this had to happen, Jonathon.

You did warn me.

It was different this time. I loved Maggie.

You wouldn't understand that.

I'm in love too, Jonathon.

Yes, I know.

Take care of her, Henry.

Try to see that my father comes to no harm.

Whatever he's done, whatever he's become, it isn't for himself.

I'll do what I can when the time comes.

There's got to be some change in this persecuted, tyranny-ridden place.

It will come.

Perhaps not your way, Jonathon, but it will come.

Giddap, there.

Get on!

Mr. Jonathon Standing.

We are honored with such illustrious company, Mr. Standing.

And what a fine figure we have.

No wonder the ladies like you.

We'll see to it you don't get too fat.

We'll start you off nice and gently.

Don't forget to thank your lucky stars before you eat it.

Thank yours.

Get out of here!

Keep back! Keep back!

Come on, get moving.

Get up there, after them!

After them!

Look out!

Run. Run!

- Straight for the swamp. - Yeah.

- Here, help me. - I got you.

- Well, that's one less for us to bury. - Yeah.

Get up.

Get up!

Get up.

Well, hello, matey. What do we got here?

- What vessel are you from, huh? - I'm not off a ship.

- Maybe an eagle dropped you, eh? - Who fired that shot at you?

- Come on. - Who put these on you?

- Who put them on you, eh? - Answer my questions.

- Come on. - The settlement.

Inland.

I was a prisoner. I escaped.

Oh, well, you'd better come and see our captain.

Aye, he's an expert on punishment.

Thank you, Mr. Hench.

My name is LaRoche.

I understand that you live on this island.

That you have been in a penal settlement,

where you have been undergoing punishments.

Where is the main settlement?

About 50 miles

inland to the north.

We were not aware the island was inhabited.

When was this settlement founded?

Oh, a hundred years ago.

By whom?

My great-grandfather.

- A refugee? - Yes.

- A Huguenot? - Yes.

The king must be displeased to have that wealth slip through his fingers.

I said nothing about wealth.

No, of course you didn't, no.

Sounds like quite a paradise, this island, doesn't it?

Just the sort of place we've always dreamed of, captain.

Must have been a wrench for you, leaving the settlement.

Well, I'm going back.

You're going back?

- For revenge? - No.

To help my friends.

As they would help you, it seems.

"Do unto others as you would be done by." Our motto, really.

Our motto without a doubt.

We'll go with you.

With me? What for? There's nothing there for you.

On the contrary, I think there is a great deal for both of us.

I'm prepared to help you, well, shall we say,

get rid of some of the undesirable elements in your settlement?

I'm talking to a pirate. What could be your purpose in wanting to help me?

You underestimate us, Mr. Standing.

Pirates sometimes have other interests besides money.

I will admit that there is another reason

for my wanting to establish friendly relations with your people.

You have apparently existed on this island for many years...