Till Human Voices Wake Us 2003

As the sun sets over his hometown in Victoria, 15-year-old Sam Franks, now familiar with the corridors of a Melbourne boarding school, returns home with the emotional scars of adolescence fresh on his heart. Silvy, the local girl with a radiant smile and unwavering spirit, has captured his imagination completely. Their relationship blossoms into a beautiful yet profound bond, undeterred by the challenges presented by her disability. The gentle sound of her leg braces serves as a constant reminder of their unique connection, while Silvy’s wise words, drawn from her cherished collection of poetry, provide Sam with a sense of serenity that comforts his troubled soul.

As the night deepens, Sam and Silvy embark on an aimless drive, lured by the allure of the open road. Their impromptu journey leads them to the riverbank, where the gentle lapping of water offers them solace. In a moment filled with unbridled joy, Sam removes Silvy’s leg braces, and together they playfully “dance” beneath the starry sky, their laughter echoing through the night like the tender shoots of a young sapling. Gazing at the celestial wonders above, Sam closes his eyes and makes a silent wish upon the universe, unaware that this ephemeral moment will forever be etched in his memory.

Fast forward two decades, 35-year-old Sam Franks, now a respected psychologist at a prestigious Melbourne institute, is compelled to return to his hometown to bid farewell to his recently deceased father. During the train ride, he meets Ruby, an enigmatic stranger portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter, whose warm smile and piercing green eyes offer solace to his grieving heart. As Sam exits the train compartment to discuss the details of his father’s casket with the conductor, Ruby mysteriously vanishes, leaving him questioning whether she was merely a fleeting presence.

That stormy night, as relentless rain pounds the town, Sam witnesses Ruby plunging from a bridge into the river below. Guided by a deep sense of instinct, he leaps into the water to save her, only to find that she has lost all memory of herself, her past, and even her name. Yet, something about Ruby’s mannerisms and speech resonates deeply within Sam, evoking memories of Silvy and the haunting love that once graced his heart.

As Sam becomes entranced by her narrative, Ruby’s story unfolds like a dark descent into icy depths, revealing a desperate fight for survival. Panic transforms into warmth and comfort, leaving him to ponder if Silvy had returned from the great beyond in Ruby’s form. With the weight of Ruby’s failing legs on his shoulders, Sam believes he must guide her back to her “true home,” bearing the closeness of their unexpected bond. In the quiet, yet familiar remnants of her childhood home—now abandoned and worn—Sam softly recites the poignant final lines of T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”:

“Till human voices wake us, and we drown.”

As Silvy’s eyes finally close in peace, a serene smile gracing her lips, Sam places her gently in a small boat. He follows the boat into the river, where he is lost in thought. Staring into the calm surface of the water, all that remains is the worn coat that once enveloped her, now drifting away with the current. With a heavy heart, Sam boards the boat, letting the gentle water lap against the hull carry him further out as the boat—and the memories of his beloved—slowly recede into the distance.