The Baker's Wife (1938)

Raimu: Aimable Castanier

Photos 

Quotes 

• Le marquis Castan de Venelles : I speak of croissants and brioches because at my castle -- which is really just a farm, but one rendered castle-like by my mere presence -- I generally host three or four women of easy virtue whom I keep in rustic luxury to provide pleasure for me in my old age and debauchery for my shepherds.

  Aimable Castanier : Perfectly understandable.

  Le marquis Castan de Venelles : Ah, no! The priest doesn't see it that way.

• Aimable Castanier : Teacher, my wife isn't bad-looking, is she?

  L'instituteur : If she tried to kiss me passionately in some dark alley, I wouldn't complain.

  Aimable Castanier : You might not, but I would!

• Aimable Castanier : Women are more complicated than watches.

• Aimable Castanier : Did you give it to him nicely?

  Aurélie Castanier : Yes.

  Aimable Castanier : So they're happy?

  Aurélie Castanier : Yes!

• Aimable Castanier : What would those two do together?

  Le marquis Castan de Venelles : Make love, quite simply.

  Aimable Castanier : Oh, come on! They just met yesterday. When I courted her, she took three years to say yes to marrying me.

  Le marquis Castan de Venelles : This may be different.

• Aimable Castanier : Can I speak to you man-to-man? Aurélie isn't interested in matters of love. Selling bread, balancing her register, mending her camisoles -- that kind of thing, yes. But speak of love and she won't even listen. When I kiss her, she just tolerates it. No disgust, but no pleasure. A door has more feeling. And I know: we've been married for five years. I'm telling you, though she's beautiful and elegant, and men look at her, and she seems made for love, love isn't made for her.

  Le marquis Castan de Venelles : So she's like a magnificent flower with no scent.

  Aimable Castanier : Exactly! A flower with no scent.

  Le marquis Castan de Venelles : Perhaps you have a cold.

• Aimable Castanier : What's he know about my wife? Beat it, rotten shepherd! Telling tales and ruining reputations! Get out of here! Watching sheep makes you see horns everywhere!

• Aimable Castanier : Maillefer, you said I was a cuckold? Fine! That's a rank you'll never hold. You can go to cuckold school all your life, but you'll never be one. Because for that you need a pretty wife. And yours, my poor Maillefer, has more hair on her chin than pink on her nipples!

• Le marquis Castan de Venelles : Where's Dominique?

  Esprit, un berger : He went off.

  Le marquis Castan de Venelles : With who?

  Esprit, un berger : Scipion.

  Le marquis Castan de Venelles : And who else?

  Esprit, un berger : The baker's wife.

  Aimable Castanier : Who told you that?

  Esprit, un berger : Dominique. They were to meet behind the church.

  Aimable Castanier : Did he say when they'd be back?

  Esprit, un berger : He took his savings and hugged his dog good-bye. He won't be back,.

• Aimable Castanier : How can I make bread when my leavening is gone?

• Aimable Castanier : This is her pillow. I know where you found it: in the bedroom. At 16 she had breasts like oranges. Now they're alive like pigeons. And her arms! The scent of her arms!

• Aimable Castanier : Speaking Italian should be prohibited. And especially singing in Italian. Because men never understand Italian, and women always understand.

• Le curé : Get some sleep now.

  Aimable Castanier : You make it sound like it's just closing your eyes. If I close my eyes, I see too much.

• Maillefer dit Patience : While I was fishing, I hear a woman singing.

  Le curé : Here we go!

  Maillefer dit Patience : I crept up quietly and looked out between the leaves, and what did I see? Your wife singing! The shepherd lay in the grass, playing his guitar. Your wife sings real nice.

  Aimable Castanier : That means she was happy.

  Maillefer dit Patience : Certainly looked that way. Especially since she was buck naked.

• Aimable Castanier : Buck naked? I've never seen her buck naked! She's not the type!

• Aimable Castanier : I've tidied up the bedroom and made the bed.

  Le marquis Castan de Venelles : Ah, I see. You're not a cuckold by chance. You're a cuckold by birth!

• L'instituteur : So it's all the devil's fault?

  Le curé : There's a freethinker for you! Takes away the sinner's responsibility and places it on the Evil One. No, sir! No. We all have free will to fight off temptation. The Evil One is indisputably present in that cabin on the marsh, but our friend's wife also has her free will to use when and where she will.

  Aimable Castanier : No! I don't want this happening again! To hell with free will! I want her back now! Free will can take a hike! I'll pound her free will into pulp and bake bread with it!

• Aimable Castanier : [the Baker's female cat returns]  Look at that! There she is! See that? She's back. Pomponette. You little bitch! Slut! Piece of filth! Now you come back? Poor Pompon's been beside himself since yesterday. He's been looking all over for you. He's been wretched and miserable. But, she'd run off with her alley cat, some good-for-nothing stranger. a passer-by in the moonlight.

• Le marquis Castan de Venelles : What's your name?

  Aimable Castanier : Aimable Castanier.

  Le marquis Castan de Venelles : A charming name! The poet said, "Et mihi castaneae sunt molles, et pressi copia lactis." But that's irrelevant at the moment.

  Aimable Castanier : Glad to hear it.

• Aimable Castanier : The Chinese all look the same. Negroes look alike.