Manon of the Spring (1986)

Yves Montand: Cesar Soubeyran dit 'Le Papet'

Photos 

Quotes 

• [last lines] 

  [dialog in French, lines from English subtitles] 

  Cesar Soubeyran : [voiceover]  Dear little Manon, the notary will tell you that I'm leaving you my whole estate. It may surprise you, but it's the truth. The lawyer will give you all the documents because your father was my son. He was the Soubeyran I'd hoped for all my life, whom I tormented to death because I didn't know who he was. If I had told him about the spring, he'd still be playing his harmonica, and you'd all be living in our family home. No one knows it, but I'm too ashamed to face anyone, even the trees. In the village, there's a person who knows. She will tell you everything. It's Delphine, the old blind woman. She'll explain that it's all because of Africa. I don't deserve to kiss you, and I never dared speak to you, but maybe now you can forgive me and even say a little prayer for poor Ugolin and me. I'm so pathetic, I even pity myself. Out of sheer spite, I never went near him. I never knew his voice or his face. I never saw his eyes, which might have been like his mother's. I only saw his hump and the pain I caused him. Now you understand why I want to die, because next to my torments, even hell would be a pleasure. Besides, I'll see him up there. I'm not afraid of him. Now he knows he's a Soubeyran. He's no longer a hunchback because of me. He knows it was all a foolish mistake. I'm sure that instead of blaming me, he'll defend me. Farewell, my darling girl. Your grandfather, César Soubeyran.

• Ugolin : [to Manon]  You know that. I told you so in the hills. I love you unbearably. Listen... please listen, Manon. Ever since I saw you, ever since I spoke to you, food has been turning to sawdust in my mouth, sleep has been a torment. If you reject me, I will die or go mad.

  Cesar Soubeyran : Shut up, you fool. Shut up. Let's go.

• Cesar Soubeyran : He's such a bigot he might confess other people's sins.

• Cesar Soubeyran : Do you know who she looks like?

  Ugolin : Nobody!

  Cesar Soubeyran : Yes, she does. She looks like someone you never knew. She's the splitting image of her grandmother.

  Ugolin : Did you know her?

  Cesar Soubeyran : Florette de Camoins. A great beauty.

• Cesar Soubeyran : [to the villages]  Come on, you men! You're natives like me: tell him there was no spring! Listen: anyone who knew was one, and didn't tell the hunchback is responsible for his death.

• Cesar Soubeyran : Destiny doesn't exist. Only good-for-nothings talk about destiny.

• [first lines] 

  [dialog in French, lines from English subtitles] 

  Le Fleuriste : Voila!

  [pause] 

  Le Fleuriste : Next time I won't pay this much. The competition from Italy is ruining me.

  Cesar Soubeyran : This barely pays for the fertilizer for the flowers. Next year we'll grow chickpeas.

  Le Fleuriste : I'll miss our aperitifs together.

• Ugolin : Papet, my spring has dried up!

  Cesar Soubeyran : What?

  Ugolin : No water.

  Cesar Soubeyran : None at all?

  Ugolin : No. I dug a deep hole. Not a drop. My carnations are budding.

• Cesar Soubeyran : I'll die because I no longer want to live.