Anna Karenina (1935)

Basil Rathbone: Alexei Alexandrovitch Karenin

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Quotes 

• Karenin : For some time, I have known that in uniting my life to yours, I have made a mistake. But this I must bear for the sake of my public duty... and for the sake of my child. I believe in marriage as a sacrament. I could not consider myself justified in breaking the ties by which we are bound by a higher power. The family cannot be broken up by a... whim or a caprice or even by the... by the sin of one of the partners in the marriage. Our life must go on as it has done in the past.

  Anna Karenina : But it can't go on.

  Karenin : It must. I have stated these views in public, and I will not violate them in private.

  Anna Karenina : Then you will not give me a divorce?

  Karenin : Never. Why should I? To permit you to legalize a sin? To justify your conduct and his? Never.

• Anna Karenina : You say this knowing this I cannot do. There is no life for me without my child. To leave him would be infamous and base. I couldn't. And you know I couldn't.

  Karenin : Very well. I can assume, then, that you will never again jeopardize my honor.

  Anna Karenina : Oh, your honor! Your selfishness! Your hypocrisy! Your egotism! You've never considered me as a human being. Your social position and... your reputation. These must be kept up at what cost to those who are around you? At what cost?

  Karenin : [Checking his pocket watch]  It's time for my appointment at the ministry.

• Karenin : You will remain here as my wife... before the world. You will never see this... this "person" again.

  Anna Karenina : And the alternative?

  Karenin : You will join the ranks of those women of ambiguous position who travel about Europe from one watering place to another, neither married nor unmarried, with no future and no present, with only your great love to sustain you. You will resign all claim to Sergei, because it would be my duty to remove him from your influence.

  Anna Karenina : You say this knowing this I cannot do. There is no life for me without my child. To leave him would be infamous and base. I couldn't. And you know I couldn't.

• Karenin : You will remain here as my wife... before the world. You will never see this... this *person* again.

• Karenin : I told my son you were dead. Why do you make me out a tyrant who intervenes between him and you? It's easy for you to play the martyr... and destroy the new life I'm trying to build up for my son and for myself as you destroyed the old. And I shall not permit it.