Fanny Hill (2007)

Rebecca Night: Fanny Hill

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Fanny has seduced William, her servant, in retribution for Mr H's infidelty to her] 

  Fanny Hill : [voiceover]  I saw, with wonder and surprise, not the play-thing of a boy nor the weapon of a man, but a positive maypole that would have done credit to a young giant. Such a breadth of animated ivory. In short, it stood an object of terror and delight, and with no little trepidation I guided the furious battering-ram into my... It is so hard to find a dainty way of putting it, and I never cared for coarse language. I guided it into my palpitating and pleasure-thirsty channel.

• Fanny Hill : [voiceover]  I'm ashamed to say my body betrayed me. And so I learned the extremes of sensual delight need have nothing to do with true love. A cruel lesson for a girl with a romantic disposition, but I think many women may have made that bitter-sweet discovery for themselves. Now I was truly learning to be a woman of pleasure.

• [having been thrown out onto the street by Mr H, Fanny looks for work with Mrs Coles] 

  Fanny Hill : I must tell you, I have no skills in the millinery, ma'am. I can do plain sewing and a little embroidery, but nothing fancy.

  Esther Davies : [laughing]  Oh, you're still such a simpleton, Fanny. Don't you know you're *sitting* on your livelihood, same as I am.

• [Fanny is trying to encourage Percival to make love to her. He is very naive and only knows how bulls and cows mate. His father and Mrs Coles are listening outside the bedroom door] 

  Percival Harding : Is it time to climb on your back now, Fanny?

  Fanny Hill : [coyly]  I think we may do it face-to-face.

  Percival Harding : How shall we do that?

  Fanny Hill : Like this. Suppose I lift my leg like this, then put my other one...

  Mr. Harding : [shouts from outside the door]  Come on, my son!

  Percival Harding : [shouts excitedly to his father]  It's in! It's in!

  Mr. Harding : Oh, well done! Well done!

  [Mrs Coles and the other prostitutes join in the laughter and rejoicing] 

• [Mr Norbert, a terminally-ill punter, is making love to Fanny but he dies, lying on top of her, at the moment of climax] 

  Fanny Hill : [voiceover]  It had all been too much for Mr Norbert. It was a strange and eerie sensation to be lying there with the dart of a dead man lodged inside of me, but nonetheless I was proud to have played my part in enabling him to die a happy man. Whether his soul went to heaven or hell, I leave for others to determine.

• [final words] 

  Fanny Hill : [voiceover]  As to the moral of my story? Must one always have morals? It seems to me life is very complicated and we must all get through it the best we can. Virtue is always preferable to vice, but we can't always choose, can we?

  [as she and her new husband Charles walk away, she turns and winks at the camera]