Luis forces Julia to write back, fearing that if Julia continues to ignore Emily's letters, Emily will assume something terrible has befallen her sister, and she might send the authorities. She sends an emotional letter asking about her welfare.

Meanwhile, Julia's sister Emily is worried. Luis falls desperately in love with her and begins to explore her sexuality. Luis and Julia wed in the church within hours of her setting foot in Cuba. But they assure each other that they will try to understand and trust each other in life. Julia says that they both have something in common: that both are not to be trusted.

Luis also admits to deception he has misled her into believing he is a poor clerk instead of a wealthy plantation owner. Julia explains she wants more than a man who is only interested in a pretty face, so she substituted a plain-looking woman's photo. Julia comes off the ship, looking nothing like her photos. Luis Vargas ( Antonio Banderas), a Cuban man, sends for American Julia Russell ( Angelina Jolie) from Delaware to be his mail-order bride. Original Sin is set in late 19th century Cuba during the Spanish rule, and flashes back and forth from the scene of a woman awaiting her execution while telling her story to a priest to the actual events of that story.

Original sin 2001 movie poster