Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

Gunnar Björnstrand: David, father

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Quotes 

• Fredrik : Father, I'm scared. When I was hugging Karin in the boat, reality was revealed. Do you know what I mean?

  David : I do.

  Fredrik : Reality was revealed, and I collapsed. It's like a dream. Anything can happen. Anything.

  David : I know.

  Fredrik : I can't live in this new world.

  David : Yes, you can. But you must have a support.

  Fredrik : What kind of support? You mean a God? Give me a proof of his existance. You can't.

  David : I can. But you gotta pay attention to what I say.

  Fredrik : Yes. I need to listen.

  David : I can only tell you a thought of my own hopes. It is to know that love exists for real in the human world.

  Fredrik : A sort of special love, I suppose?

  David : All kinds of it. The bigger and the smaller, the most absurd one and the most sublime one. All kinds of love.

  Fredrik : What about the desire for love?

  David : Desire and denying. Trust and distrust.

  Fredrik : Then love is the proof?

  David : I don't know if love is the proof of God's existance or if it's God itself.

  Fredrik : To you, love and God are the same thing.

  David : That thought makes me feel less empty; Makes my desperation less worse.

  Fredrik : Go on, dad.

  David : All of a sudden, emptiness turns into abundance, and desperation turns into life. It's like a temporary death's sentence strike.

  Fredrik : Dad... if it's like how you say it is, then God is all over Karin. We love her so much.

  David : Yes.

  Fredrik : Can't that help her?

  David : I think so.

• David : We draw a magic circle and shut out everything that doesn't agree with our secret games. Each time life breaks the circle, the games turn grey and ridiculous. Then we draw a new circle and build a new defense.

  Karin : Poor little daddy.

  David : Yes, poor little daddy, forced to live in reality.

• David : Virility means more than health.

  Martin : If Hemingway could, we can. Let's go!

• Martin : ln your novels you're always courting some god. But let me tell you, your faith and your doubt are very unconvincing. All that's apparent is your ingenuity.

  David : Don't you think l know that?

  Martin : Then why go on? Why not do something respectable instead?

  David : Such as?

  Martin : Have you written one word of truth in your life as an author?

  David : l don't know.

  Martin : See? Your half-lies are so refined that they look like truth.

  David : l do my best.

  Martin : Maybe you do. But you fall short.

• Karin : l can't live in two worlds. l have to choose. l can't keep going back and forth between one and the other. lt can't go on.

  David : What?

  Karin : The hatred.

  David : What hatred?