The Rules of the Game (1939)

Nora Gregor: Christine de la Cheyniest

Photos 

Quotes 

• Christine de la Cheyniest : Give me my evening lipstick.

  Lisette, sa camériste : I don't know where it is.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : Oh, yes, you do.

  Lisette, sa camériste : I don't like it. Too purple. It doesn't look natural.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : What's natural nowadays?

• Christine de la Cheyniest : And your lovers... what do they say to you?

  Lisette, sa camériste : Not much.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : Do they kiss you?

  Lisette, sa camériste : If I let them.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : Do they hold your hand?

  Lisette, sa camériste : It depends.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : And then what?

  Lisette, sa camériste : Then what? Same old story: The more you give, the more they want.

• Christine de la Cheyniest : Andre's very kind and very decent, but too sincere. Sincere people are such bores.

  Geneviève de Marras : It depends what for.

• Christine de la Cheyniest : Tell me, Lisette, how long have you been married?

  Lisette, sa camériste : Almost two years, Madame.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : That's true. How time flies! Are you happy?

  Lisette, sa camériste : My husband's no trouble. He's in service at the château and I'm in Paris. With you, Madame, I'm very happy.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : Do you have lovers?

  Lisette, sa camériste : That's a big word.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : Of course, you do.

• Christine de la Cheyniest : Telling lies is such a heavy weight to bear.

• Octave : Listen, my dear. You throw yourself around people's necks like a 12-year-old. You can do it with me. You'll always be my little Salzburg girl. But with others it can be - awkward.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : So, in Paris, you can't show a man affection without...

  Octave : No.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : No?

• Octave : So you'll invite him?

  Christine de la Cheyniest : I'll invite him. I don't want to be the woman who drove to despair the great hero, the idol of the masses. If his plane crashes, they'll blame it on me. They'll call me a vamp, public enemy, obstacle to progress. They'll talk about "the foreigner." And I hate martyrs.

• Octave : Christine, du bist ein Engel!

  Christine de la Cheyniest : An angel?

  Octave : A dangerous angel, but an angel nonetheless.

• Christine de la Cheyniest : Women should help each other out once in a while.

• Christine de la Cheyniest : I drank too much. I don't know what I'm doing.

  Monsieur de St. Aubin : That's good.

• Christine de la Cheyniest : Christine, I can't run off with the wife of a host who calls me friend and shakes my hand without an explanation.

  André Jurieux : But since we're in love, what difference can it make?

  Christine de la Cheyniest : Even so, Christine, there are still rules.

• Lisette, sa camériste : You're not mad at me?

  Christine de la Cheyniest : Not at all. It's not our fault if men are all mad.

• Geneviève de Marras : [to Andre]  You didn't fly in? I must kiss you. Glad to see you here.

  [kiss] 

  Jackie, nièce de Christine : May I kiss you too?

  [kiss] 

  Madame Charlotte de la Plante : And me? And me?

  [kiss] 

  Christine de la Cheyniest : And me. I'm entitled to.

  [kiss] 

• Christine de la Cheyniest : What's the matter?

  Octave : Nothing. It's just unpleasant to be reminded what a failure I am. A leech! If I didn't have a few tolerant friends, I'd starve to death. But you know how when I was young, I also thought my day would come. The contact with an audience, that's what I wanted to have. It must be an overwhelming feeling. To think that I missed out on it! So I feed myself a lot of nonsense, imagine that it did happen. But it takes a drink.

• Christine de la Cheyniest : Kiss me. On the mouth, like a lover.

• Jackie, nièce de Christine : I can't bear it!

  Lisette, sa camériste : Be strong, Miss Jackie. An educated young lady like you has to put on a brave face.

  Christine de la Cheyniest : People are watching.