Quiet Days in Clichy (1970)

Paul Valjean: Joey

Photos 

Quotes 

• Joey : She had the typical seductive charm of the Nordic woman in whom lasciviousness and prudery battle for supremacy.

• Joey : Better venereal disease than a moribund peace and quiet. You know, now I know what makes the world civilised. Vice, disease, mendacity, lechery... shit! The French are a great people, even if they are syphilitic.

• Joey : There has only been one real problem, and that is food. All other ills have been imaginary. I use to tell Carl so when he complains about being a slave. He uses to say I'm an incurable optimist, but it is not optimism, it's the deep realisation that, even though the world is busy digging its grave there is still time to enjoy life, to be merry, carefree, to work or not to work. It has been a period when cunt was in the air.

• Joey : Well, it had been a royal fuck - even though he fucked himself into the bargain.

• Joey : Just live. What an idea. What a sane idea. It's an idea I've never flirted with. To accomplish it, one must have an empty mind, or else a full, rich one. It would be better to have an empty mind.

• Joey : I envy her phlegm, her indolence. I could urge her to talk about it at length about doing nothing, I mean. Just to watch her eat is inspiring. She's lazy, yes. Lazy as sin. But everything she talks about is interesting, even when it's about nothing.

• Joey : There are no worms to devour her conscience, no cares which she can't throw off floating with the tide, nothing more. She will produce no children, contribute nothing to the welfare of the community, leave no mark upon the world in going. But wherever she goes, she'll make life easier, more attractive, more fragrant. And that is no little thing. To fall in love with happiness. To become as useless as possible. To develop a conscience as tough as a crocodile's skin. And when old and no longer attractive, to buy a fuck if needs be or buy a dog and train him to do what's what. Die when the time comes, naked and alone, without guilt, without regret, without remorse.

• Joey : Luxembourg. That prosperous combination off at and cows. You know, it's better to die like a louse in Paris than live in Luxembourg on the fat of the country.

• Joey : My friend, if you've got it, there's no great harm in getting it again. Get a double dose. Spread it abroad. Infect the entire continent. Better a venereal disease than a moribund peace and quiet. You know, now I know what makes the world civilized. It's vice, disease, mendacity, lechery, shit. The French are a great people even if they are syphilitic.

• Joey : It's strange how some come into one's life for a moment or two and then disappear forever. And yet, there's nothing accidental about such meetings.