The English Patient (1996)

Colin Firth: Geoffrey Clifton

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Quotes 

• Katharine Clifton : I wanted to meet the man who could write such a long paper with so few adjectives.

  Almásy : Well, a thing is still a thing no matter what you place in front of it. Big car, slow car chauffeur-driven car.

  Geoffrey Clifton : Broken car.

  Almásy : It's still a car.

  Geoffrey Clifton : Not much use, though.

  Katharine Clifton : Love? Romantic love plutonic love, filial love. Quite different things, surely.

  Geoffrey Clifton : Uxoriousness. That's my favourite kind of love. Excessive love of one's wife.

  Almásy : Now there you have me.

• Katharine Clifton : And that evening, it's exactly ss the King has told him. She goes to the chair removes her clothes one by one until she's standing naked in full view of Gyges. And indeed, she was more lovely than he could have imagined. But then the Queen looked up and saw Gyges concealed in the shadows. And although she said nothing, she shuddered. And the next day she sends for, for Gyges, and challenged him. And hearing his story this is what she said.

  Geoffrey Clifton : Off with his head!

  Katharine Clifton : [smiles]  She said, ''Either you must submit to death for gazing on that which you should not or else kill my husband who has shamed me and become King in his place." So Gyges kills the King marries the Queen and becomes ruler of Lydia for years. The end. Shall I spin the bottle?

• D'Agostino : How is your charming wife?

  Geoffrey Clifton : Marvellous. She's in love with the hotel plumbing. She's either in the swimming pool. She swims for hours. She's a fish. lt's quite incredible. Or she's in the bath.

• Geoffrey Clifton : Gentlemen, to mapmaking!

• Almásy : Clifton, this is probably none of my business. Your wife. Do you think it's appropriate to leave her?

  Geoffrey Clifton : Appropriate?

  Almásy : Well, the desert is, it's, uh, for a woman, it's very tough. l wonder if it's not too much for her.

  Geoffrey Clifton : Are you mad? Katharine loves it here. She told me yesterday.

  Almásy : All the same, were l you...

  Geoffrey Clifton : l've known Katharine since she wss three. We were practically brother and sister before we were man and wife. l think l'd know what is and what isn't too much for her. l think she'd know herself.

  Almásy : Very well.

  Geoffrey Clifton : Why are you people so threatened by a woman?

• Geoffrey Clifton : [on the phone]  Darling, it's me. Listen, l'm sorry, something's come up.

  Katharine Clifton : Oh, no.

  Geoffrey Clifton : Now don't sulk. l'll be back tomorrow evening.

  Katharine Clifton : l'm going to sulk and l'm not moving till you get back in.

  Geoffrey Clifton : Promise? That's good. Okay, my sausage, l love you.

• Geoffrey Clifton : What's the symbol of your first anniversary? l should get something. ls it cotton or paper?

  Rupert Douglas : Your first anniversary? l thought you two'd been married for donkey's years.

  Geoffrey Clifton : We've been friends for donkey's years. Best friends. She was always crying on my shoulder about somebody. l finally persuaded her to settle for my shoulder. A stroke of genius.

• Geoffrey Clifton : Darling l just heard. You poor sausage. Are you all right?

  Katharine Clifton : l'm fine. l'm just too hot.