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Bradshaw, an American journalist, comes to the West
Indian island of Santa Marta to report on racial unrest and the
concomitant movement to grant self-governance. Among the
inhabitants of interest to Bradshaw is Maxwell Fleury, the disaffected
son of a plantation dynasty. One morning, when Maxwell discovers
an exotic Egyptian cigarette butt discarded in his ashtray, he begins to
suspect that his wife Sylvia is having an affair.
That afternoon, Sylvia, Maxwell and Maxwell's younger
sister Jocelyn attend a garden party at the Governor's mansion in honor
of the Governor's son, Euan Templeton, who is visiting the island on his
way to Oxford. Also invited to the party is David Boyeur, a black
activist barely tolerated by the entrenched white ruling powers.
Boyeur insists that the sultry Margot Seaton accompany him to the event,
even though Margot protests she will feel out of place there. At
the party, Euan is immediately drawn to the alluring Jocelyn, while
Margot attracts the attentions of Dennis Archer, the Governor's aide.
Boyeur has announced his intention to run for the legislature and,
fearful of losing their dominance, the island gentry urges Maxwell to
run against him. Becoming agitated when he notices that Hilary
Carson, a retired war hero, smokes the same brand of cigarettes he found
in his ashtray, Maxwell clashes with Boyeur, whose father once served as
a slave on the Fleury plantation. However, Sylvia's sister, Mavis
Norman, fondly recalls Boyeur from her childhood and befriends him.
On the drive home, Maxwell is seething with anger and jealousy. He
accuses Sylvia of infidelity and rapes her.
The next day, as they picnic at the beach, Jocelyn voices
her longing to leave the island while Euan speaks of assuming his seat
in the House of Lords after completing his education. Dennis,
enthralled by Margot, visits her at the pharmacy where she works as a
clerk and invites her to the Governor's dance. Still suspicious of
Sylvia, Maxwell drives into town looking for her and finds her with
Carson, thus fueling his rage.
At the dance, Mavis asks Boyeur to have a glass of
champagne with her and confides that she would rather be useful than
privileged. Dennis, now in love with Margot, takes her home and
reveals his desire to be a writer.
The next day, Maxwell informs his parents that he plans
to run for office. When Julian, his father, expresses skepticism,
Maxwell, simmering with resentment, accuses his parents of favoring
their late son Arthur, who died a war hero, and then whines that he
would have been better off being born black.
Boyeur, meanwhile, escorts Mavis to the humble fishing
village where he was born. As the town gathers for carnival,
Jocelyn and Euan drive out to Maxwell's country home and are observed by
a sinister figure wearing a mask. After tea, they prepare for the
ride home, only to discover that someone has stolen a part from the
car's engine and the phone wires have been cut, thus forcing them to
spend the night together.
The next morning, when Euan takes Jocelyn home, he
proposes to her and Mrs. Fleury, worried about gossip, encourages the
match. Jocelyn, however, is reluctant because she is aware that
Euan is soon to assume an important position in society. After
Bradshaw writes an exposé about Julian's grandmother being black,
Jocelyn feels betrayed by her parents and fears that her children may be
black.
That night, Maxwell confronts a drunken Carson in the
street and forces his way into Carson's house. After Maxwell
demands that Carson leave Sylvia alone, Carson makes a slur about
Maxwell's racial heritage, and Maxwell, in a rage, assaults him and
strangles him to death. Determined to make the murder look like a
robbery, Maxwell speeds out of town and tosses Carson's wallet out along
the way. When Maxwell reads a newspaper story about the wallet
being found, he hurries into town to question Colonel Whittingham, the
officer in charge of the investigation. After mentioning the novel Crime and Punishment, the Colonel confides to Maxwell he believes
that Carson was murdered and that the killer will never be able to bear
his guilt. The Colonel then has an imaginary conversation with the
killer, advising a plea of manslaughter.
Maxwell decides to run for the legislature, and holds a
political rally. There, Sylvia reveals that Carson had come to the
house on the morning of the Governor's party to inquire about a
charitable donation, causing Maxwell to realize his suspicions were
unfounded. As Maxwell begins his speech, his words are drowned out
by the contemptuous crowd, and Boyeur steps forth to quiet the
assemblage. When Maxwell begins to speak extemporaneously,
opportunistically trading on his black heritage, the crowd jeers.
Maxwell then crumbles and spits out "I never wanted to be one of you."
That night, after returning home from a date with Euan,
Jocelyn confides to her mother that she is pregnant and wants to go to
Canada to deliver the baby. When Jocelyn refuses to marry Euan
because of her black blood, Mrs. Fleury reveals that Julian is not her
real father, and therefore, she is racially pure.
At his plantation, meanwhile, Maxwell, defeated, fingers
the copy of Crime and Punishment that the colonel has sent.
Maxwell locks himself in the bathroom with a gun but, unable to pull the
trigger, smashes the mirror and then seeks out the Colonel to confess.
Dennis, whose relationship with Margot has displeased the Governor,
resigns his post and asks Margot to accompany him to London, where he
intends to publish the exposé he has written about Santa Marta.
Jocelyn and Euan, just married, board the plane bound for England and
are followed by Margot and Dennis. As Mavis and Boyeur watch the
aircraft soar overhead, Mavis suggest that they, too, travel to another
country and get married. In response, Boyeur states that his skin
is his country and that his people would never understand a relationship
with a white woman. Mavis then walks away, alone. |
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