Le mépris

Jerry Prokosch:
Whenever I hear the word culture, I bring out my checkbook. (To his assistant) Come here. (He places his checkbook on his assistant's back and writes out a check.)

Fritz Lang:
Some years ago - some horrible years ago - the Nazis used to take out a pistol instead of a checkbook.

Jerry Prokosch:
I like gods. I like them very much. I know exactly how they feel - exactly.

Fritz Lang:
Jerry, don't forget. The gods have not created man. Man has created gods.

Camille Javal:
You like all of me? My mouth? My eyes? My nose? And my ears?

Paul Javal:
Yes, all of you.

Camille Javal:
Then you love me... totally?

Paul Javal:
Yes. Totally... tenderly... tragically.

Jerry Prokosch:
To know that one does not know, is the gift of a superior spirit. Not to know and to think that one does know, is a mistake. To know that this is a mistake, keeps one from making it. I have the knowledge here.

Paul Javal:
I like cinemascope very much.

Fritz Lang:
Oh, it wasn't meant for human beings. Just for snakes... and funerals.

Jerry Prokosch:
You've cheated me, Fritz. That's not what is in that script.

Fritz Lang:
It is! He pulls the script away from Jerry, who is attempting to grab it out of his hand. Oh, no!

Jerry Prokosch:
Get the script, Francesca. He reads the script and then changes his tone... Yes, it's in the script. But it's not what you have on that screen.

Fritz Lang:
Naturally, because in the script it is written, and on the screen it's pictures. Motion picture, it's called.

Fritz Lang:
Now it's no longer the presence of God, but the absence of God, that reassures man. It's very strange, but true.

Paul Javal:
I'll tell you the story of Ramakrishna and his disciple. Ramakrishna was a Hindu wise man. And he had a disciple who had absolutely no faith in his teachings. So the disciple went off all by himself. Fifteen years later, he came back and said, "I have found the Way!" He told Ramakrishna, "Come, and I will show you." Then he took Ramakrishna to a river. And the disciple went back and forth across the river, walking on water. "See?" he told Ramakrishna. "I can cross the river without getting wet! I have found the Way!" Then Ramakrishna said to him, "You're a complete ass. With one rupee and a boat, I've been doing the same thing for years!"

Camille Javal:
I like you better without the hat and cigar.

Paul Javal:
I'm just imitating Dean Martin in "Some Came Running."

Camille Javal:
Very funny. You don't remind me of Dean Martin, but of Martin and the ass. Don't you know the story about Martin and the ass?

Paul Javal:
No.

Camille Javal:
One day Martin went to Baghdad to buy himself a flying carpet. And a merchant sold him a very pretty one. Martin sat down on the carpet, but it didn't fly. "Well," said the merchant, "that's not surprising." Are you listening to me?

Paul Javal:
Yes.

Camille Javal:
"That's not surprising. The carpet will never fly if you think of an ass." "All right," Martin said, "I just won't think of an ass." But then he couldn't stop thinking of an ass! And the carpet wouldn't fly.

Paul Javal:
I don't see what that has to do with me.

Camille Javal:
That's exactly what I mean.

Paul Javal:
After dinner we'll see a movie. It'll give me ideas.

Camille Javal:
Use your own ideas, instead of stealing them from everyone else.

Paul Javal:
There's nothing like the movies. Usually when you see women, they're dressed. But put them in a movie, and you see their backsides.

Jerry Prokosch:
Whenever I hear the word "culture," I bring out my checkbook. [to his assistant] Come here. [he places his checkbook on his assistant's back and writes out a check]

Fritz Lang:
Some years ago - some horrible years ago - the Nazis used to take out a pistol instead of a checkbook.

Jerry Prokosch:
I like gods. I like them very much. I know exactly how they feel - exactly.

Fritz Lang:
Jerry, don't forget. The gods have not created man. Man has created gods.

Camille Javal:
You like all of me? My mouth? My eyes? My nose? And my ears?

Paul Javal:
Yes, all of you.

Camille Javal:
Then you love me... totally?

Paul Javal:
Yes. Totally... tenderly... tragically.

Jerry Prokosch:
To know that one does not know, is the gift of a superior spirit. Not to know and to think that one does know, is a mistake. To know that this is a mistake, keeps one from making it. I have the knowledge here.

Paul Javal:
I like CinemaScope very much.

Fritz Lang:
Oh, it wasn't meant for human beings. Just for snakes - and funerals.

[after viewing film shot by Fritz Lang]

Jerry Prokosch:
You've cheated me, Fritz. That's not what is in that script.

Fritz Lang:
It is! [he pulls the script away from Jerry, who is attempting to grab it out of his hand] Oh, no!

Jerry Prokosch:
Get the script, Francesca. [he reads the script and then changes his tone] Yes, it's in the script. But it's not what you have on that screen.

Fritz Lang:
Naturally, because in the script it is written, and on the screen it's pictures. Motion picture, it's called.

Fritz Lang:
Now it's no longer the presence of God, but the absence of God, that reassures man. It's very strange, but true.

Paul Javal:
I'll tell you the story of Ramakrishna and his disciple. Ramakrishna was a Hindu wise man. And he had a disciple who had absolutely no faith in his teachings. So the disciple went off all by himself. Fifteen years later, he came back and said, "I have found the Way!" He told Ramakrishna, "Come, and I will show you." Then he took Ramakrishna to a river. And the disciple went back and forth across the river, walking on water. "See?" he told Ramakrishna. "I can cross the river without getting wet! I have found the Way!" Then Ramakrishna said to him, "You're a complete ass. With one rupee and a boat, I've been doing the same thing for years!"

Camille Javal:
I like you better without the hat and cigar.

Paul Javal:
I'm just imitating Dean Martin in "Some Came Running."

Camille Javal:
Very funny. You don't remind me of Dean Martin, but of Martin and the ass. Don't you know the story about Martin and the ass?

Paul Javal:
No.

Camille Javal:
One day Martin went to Baghdad to buy himself a flying carpet. And a merchant sold him a very pretty one. Martin sat down on the carpet, but it didn't fly. "Well," said the merchant, "that's not surprising." Are you listening to me?

Paul Javal:
Yes.

Camille Javal:
"That's not surprising. The carpet will never fly if you think of an ass." "All right," Martin said, "I just won't think of an ass." But then he couldn't stop thinking of an ass! And the carpet wouldn't fly.

Paul Javal:
I don't see what that has to do with me.

Camille Javal:
That's exactly what I mean.

Paul Javal:
After dinner we'll see a movie. It'll give me ideas.

Camille Javal:
Use your own ideas instead of stealing them from everyone else.

Paul Javal:
There's nothing like the movies. Usually, when you see women, they're dressed. But put them in a movie, and you see their backsides.

Camille Javal:
[voice-over] I've noticed the more we doubt, the more we cling to a false lucidity, in hope of rationalizing what feelings have made murky.

Paul Javal:
Was that smile mocking or tender?

Camille Javal:
[smiling] Tender.

Paul Javal:
Answer me, then.

Camille Javal:
If it were true, I'd tell you. A woman can always find excuses. But you're a stupid sod sometimes.

Paul Javal:
Bad language doesn't suit you.

Camille Javal:
Doesn't it? Just listen. A**hole... f***... sh*t... goddammit... bastard... bollocks... bloody hassle. You still think it doesn't suit me?

Jerry Prokosch:
[trying to impress the girl by speaking French] What do you think... me?

Camille Javal:
Get in your Alfa, Romeo. We'll see about that!