Léon Morin, Priest (1961)

Emmanuelle Riva: Barny

Photos 

Quotes 

• Léon Morin : The invisible church. It extends far beyond the visible church.

  Barny : What is the invisible church?

  Léon Morin : All human beings of goodwill.

• Barny : Father, what I can't seem to understand is how Jesus died abandoned by God.

  Léon Morin : What was that?

  Barny : His frightening words just before dying: My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?

  Léon Morin : Not at all. Jesus being a Jew and dying a Jew, he recited Psalm 22, which is a Jewish prayer. Here.

  [picks up a Bible] 

  Léon Morin : "My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far and hearest not my wailing?" And it ends with a tribute to God: "For the kingdom is Jehovah's, and he governs among nations."

  Barny : Jehovah, God of Jews and Christians.

  Léon Morin : Naturally.

  Barny : That Jehovah is God the Father, I have to strive not to forget.

  Léon Morin : You're not the only one. Jesus didn't chose Psalm 22 by chance. He chose it because it relates especially to him. It is also said, "They pierced my hands and feet. They share my garments among them and for my raiment cast lots."

• Léon Morin : Now where were we, Miss I'm-No-Goody-Two-Shoes?

  Barny : I think what revolts me about Christianity is the self-interest involved. You make yourself do this, or not do that, to get to heaven.

  Léon Morin : When you plant a seed, don't you want it to grow? That's heaven, the sprouting of the grain. Remember the mustard seed Our Lord talked about?

  Barny : Your Lord.

  Léon Morin : As much yours as mine.

  Barny : Not if I refuse.

  Léon Morin : You can refuse the Earth's turning, but it won't change much.

• Léon Morin : You need a husband.

  Barny : Too bad. I do it with a stick.

  Léon Morin : You'll hurt yourself.

  Barny : I'm not fragile.

• Barny : [voiceover, sitting at the dining room table with Father Morin]  God, grant my wish just once.

  [looks into her bedroom] 

  Barny : Just this once. Then, blessed be the everlasting torment.

• Barny : Father Morin is spiritually the most inspiring fellow I've ever known. And last Sunday, there's no doubt about it, he deliberately walked by me, brushing me with his surplice. Imagine how I felt.

  Christine Sangredin : I've noticed. He sometimes does things like that. No wonder he's been reprimanded.

  Barny : You think he does it just to tease me? Just for fun? It must be what they call the glorious freedom of God's children. "Love and do as you wish." But it's destroying me.

  Christine Sangredin : He does it to stimulate us, but, of course, it's risky.

• Léon Morin : No questions for me this last evening?

  Barny : I'll have them all my life, so better to keep quiet.

• Léon Morin : It's not easy to admit one's faults to one's neighbor.

  Barny : It's not a problem since I don't believe in God.

• Barny : You understand? She reminds me of those beautiful youths in the scriptures, with girded loins, brandishing a traveler's staff, a sword of fire, or a wand, and who are angels. She looks like an Amazon, like Pallas Athena, like a samurai. When she leans over my desk, she's the shade of a palm tree.

  Barny's friend : So you'd like to sleep with her.

  Barny : Are you mad? How horrifying. Sabine fascinates me because she's like a young man - a young man with curious charms - a delicately feminized manliness.

• Christine Sangredin : He advised me to imitate the simplicity of Communist women. I understood immediately. By "Communist women," he meant you. You've completely Sovietized him. Nice work.

  Barny : No. He's the one Communizing me.

• Barny : Religion is the opium of the people.

  Léon Morin : Not exactly. It's been diluted by the bourgeoisie in its own interests.

  Barny : But you let them. You're one and the same now.

• Barny : [voiceover]  Everything about her enraptured me. Her wide-ranging knowledge, her strange beauty. I felt compelled by her in a way that went beyond the purely physical.

• Barny : [voiceover]  I loved Sabine Levy, the administrative secretary. Seeing her, I flew through time and space. I thought the beautiful should command. I felt a pang of pleasure when my gaze crossed hers, like two duelists - until I could bear it no longer - and dropped my eyes, taking delight in her victory.

• Barny : What do you think of me?

  Léon Morin : Nothing.

  Barny : Nothing? That's impossible.

  Léon Morin : If I pass no judgment on you, no one will ask me your worth.

  Barny : But when I'm standing here before you, what do you think of me?

  Léon Morin : I think of you as an embryo.

• Barny : I'll only enter a church again as a tourist.

  Léon Morin : We're all tourists in a way.

• Barny : Even if religion had remained pure, that's no proof of its truth.

  Léon Morin : Of course not. Its good that you came.

  Barny : Good? I came as an enemy.

• Léon Morin : Do you sin against chastity?

  Barny : I don't know.

• Barny : The lightness of this penance overwhelmed me.

• Barny : What made you want to become a priest? You were a bad boy.

  Léon Morin : So what? You become a priest to save souls, that's all. The idea can inspire even naughty boys.

• Barny : I don't know if it's that book you gave her, but she's impossible now. When I scold her, she says, "You see my mote, but not your beam." When I threatened her with hell, she said, "Hell is for grown-ups, not children." I smacked her one.

  Léon Morin : You're right to teach your child her place, but careful not to overdo it.

• Barny : Your mother was stricter than other mothers. But you were like other children.

  Léon Morin : No, I was among the worst. I once broke a cow's leg trying to make it jump a fence. I needn't tell you that the owner gave me a real hiding.

  Barny : It didn't help. You still try to make cud-chewers do high jumps.

  Léon Morin : That's what I'm here for.

  Barny : You'll make one break a leg again.

  Léon Morin : Doesn't matter, as long as it jumps.

• Christine Sangredin : Marion has a crush on Morin. She says she'll have him.

  Barny : Can you understand that?

  Christine Sangredin : No, I can't. It wouldn't occur to me. I couldn't forget that a priest is consecrated to God. But it doesn't matter to Marion. There's no sacrilege. He's a man and she wants him.

  Barny : And she really thinks she can have him?

  Christine Sangredin : She's sure she can. She's never failed in that line.

• Barny : Keep your coat on. We're going to confession.

  France (older) : What's your sin?

  Barny : None of your business.

  France (older) : If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine.

• Barny : You never sin. You must borrow others' sins.

• Léon Morin : [hands Barny a book]  Traditional Dogmatism and Empirio-criticism.

  Barny : It looks very deep. I doubt I'll understand it.

  Léon Morin : Sure you will. You never struck me as being a complete idiot.

• Barny : [voiceover]  My soul felt like a brothel.

• Léon Morin : [in the confessional booth]  I'm listening.

  Barny : I almost - I said - I don't know the word for it.

  Léon Morin : You're acting like a dead branch. Know what they get?

  Barny : Yes.

  Léon Morin : What do they get?

  Barny : Cut off.

  Léon Morin : And once they're cut off?

  Barny : They get burned.

  Léon Morin : Yes. I'm listening.

• Léon Morin : Why shouldn't God perform miracles for heretics? Does he love them less?

  Barny : Under your guidance, I'd come to imagine God as Catholic.

  Léon Morin : Let's call him the universal Catholic in our temporal language. It doesn't mean he can't be many other things too. You know what Our Lord said? "In my Father's house there are many mansions."

  Barny : Contradictory mansions?

  Léon Morin : Maybe. But the contradictions are mainly in our mind.

• Léon Morin : I'm not thrilled about going.

  Barny : Why aren't you thrilled.

  Léon Morin : In the country, before discussing serious matters, you have to talk about rabbits and pigs. I love parish life when things go smoothly. There, things aren't smooth. Villages are divided by politics. On the other hand, it's nice that there's been no priest for ages. They're totally dechristianized. So there are no deviations. It's almost virgin soil.

• Barny : What's this? Who gave you this bracelet?

  France : That's from my friend Günther.

  Barny : Your friend Günther?

  France : Yes. He's a very nice Kraut. I love him.

• Barny : Deportees are your people too.

  Christine Sangredin : Kikes? Are you kidding?

  Barny : Exactly. Our Lord is a kike.