Pauline at the Beach (1983)

Féodor Atkine: Henri

Photos 

Quotes 

• Henri : Marion threw herself at me. She didn't give me time to desire her. You have to learn to let yourself be desired, or else you'll be unhappy.

• Henri : I think you must live alone, right?

  Marion : Yes, but, in my case, it's just a matter of waiting.

  Henri : Waiting for what?

  Marion : Just for that completely unpredictable thing called love. Yes, I haven't met the love of my life yet. I want to meet him. I let myself be misled by a man who convinced me that he loved me and that I loved him. I believed him. But it wasn't love, it was fidelity. Fidelity was important to me. It still is. It's not even love unless you believe it will last forever. But you have the right to make mistakes.

• Henri : In my life, I have loved and been loved. Now, I'm sick of it. I want to rest. No more undying passion. Marion irritates me.

  Sylvain : So then don't chase after her!

  Henri : I'm not chasing after her, she's after me! It's hard to pass up a girl like that.

  Sylvain : So you don't give a damn about her.

  Henri : No. I like her. I'm even fond of her. But I don't like making people cry. See, I'm really too nice. It gets me in some real messes.

• Henri : Tourists bring out the killer in me!

• Henri : This is my daughter Marie. Say, how did you manage to get all this sand in your hair?

  Marie : I was wrestling Breton-style with Gaelle.

  Henri : But you wrestle that way standing shoulder to shoulder.

  Marie : We fell down!

  Henri : What? Did she make you fall down?

  Marie : We fell down together.

  Henri : Oh, you poor thing! But that's not Breton-style, it's Greco-Roman.

  Marie : What? Grey-toe no-man?

  Henri : No, Greco-Roman.

• Marion : So your work doesn't keep you tied to one place?

  Henri : Well, obviously I have some long stays, but right now I don't have a permanent home. I'm like a nomad. free to go where I want, when I want, with no explanations to anyone.

  Marion : But you don't live there alone?

  Henri : Yes, I do. For several years I've only had affairs, with no strings attached. My daughter's mother is a woman who needs to be identified with her home; whereas, I have no home, except this one, which really isn't one. I have no furniture and I don't like a woman to force me to treat her like furniture.

  Marion : Well, that's good!

  Henri : Yes, she was like that. I'd have liked her to be as free as I am, as light and transportable. No baggage, both physical or mental.

  Marion : But, she had her daughter.

  Henri : Well, yes, so did I.

• Henri : I think a child needs roots. She can uproot herself later, if she wants to.

• Henri : Love is a dream.

  Pauline : Not entirely.

• Marion : I am so ashamed! It's the first time that it's happened so fast.

  Henri : Not at all. It's just fine. You were the one who said that you wanted to catch fire instantly!

  Marion : If it were reciprocated.

  Henri : It is.

  Marion : Unfortunately, I doubt that. I'm only your "conquest of the day."

  Henri : Look, Marion, you keep going on in terms of belonging and possessing. I just don't see things the same way at all.

• Henri : The best thing would be for her to find a boyfriend. It's time she lost her cherry.

• Marion : It's just all so complicated.

  Henri : No, it's very simple. Learn to live in the present. It will make you a lot stronger.

  Marion : No, I'm weak, weak.

• Marion : Do you know what's going on right now at your house?

  Henri : Pauline and her friend are dancing.

  Marion : Yes, a funny kind of dancing - in bed!

  Henri : No way! What did you say to them?

  Marion : I was so stunned, I couldn't say a word.

• Marion : Hey, are you coming with us tomorrow to Mont St. Michel?

  Henri : To Mont St. Michel? Tomorrow? You've got to be kidding.

  Marion : Pauline wants to see it. She's never been and she's got to tell her parents something when she gets home.

  Henri : Yes. Something besides her love affairs.

• Sylvain : I really don't get you! You have this really super chick, but you go hook up with that clown.

  Henri : Well, you see, I'm not prejudiced. That "clown" is a real turn-on.

  Sylvain : Yeah, an old guy like you would think so.

• Henri : I hope you didn't believe this nonsense about Sylvain and the candy vendor.

• Henri : Pierre, what's your problem? I'm not the Big Bad Wolf trying to eat Little Red Riding Hood.

• Henri : It's true Marion is very pretty. She's got a great body. Perfect. Almost too perfect, like a statue. She's shaped like all women would like to be. She's a model. Maybe that's why I admire her, but I'm not that attracted to her. Actually less than to a woman with some imperfections. You see, perfection is oppressive. Imagine, geneticists end up creating an ideal woman by manipulating chromosomes like in "Brave New World," the book by Aldous Huxley. You ever read it? It's not big deal. Anyway, I just know this woman would look like Marion. And little by little, all women would end up looking like that. Can you imagine the world populated with billions of Marions?

• Henri : I was faithful to my desire.