Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Rod Steiger: Komarovsky

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Quotes 

• Komarovski : Lara, I am determined to save you from a dreadful error. There are two kinds of men, and only two, and that young man is one kind. He is high-minded. He is pure. He is the kind of man that the world pretends to look up to and in fact despises. He is the kind of man who breeds unhappiness; particularly in women. Now, do you understand?

  Lara : No.

  Komarovski : I think you do. There's another kind. Not high-minded. Not pure. But alive. Now that your taste at this time should incline towards the juvenile is understandable. But for you to marry that boy would be a disaster. Because there's two kinds of women...

  [Lara covers her ears, he forces her arms down] 

  Komarovski : There are two kinds of women and you - as we well know - are not the first kind.

  [Lara slaps him, he slaps her back] 

  Komarovski : You, my dear, are a slut.

  Lara : I am not!

  Komarovski : We'll see.

• Komarovski : [Contemptuously]  Who are you to refuse my sugar? Who are you to refuse me anything?

• Zhivago : What happens to a girl like that, when a man like you is finished with her?

  Komarovski : You interested?

  Zhivago : You shouldn't smoke. You've had a shock.

  [he pulls the cigar from Viktor's mouth, tosses it into the toilet] 

  Komarovski : I give her to you, Yuri Andreevich. Wedding present.

• Komarovski : Yuri Andreiivich, you've changed. Larisa - remarkably the same.

• Komarovski : [drunk]  We're all made of the same clay, you know! Clay! Claaaaay!

• Komarovski : No doubt they'll sing in tune after the revolution.

• Komarovski : [to Lara]  And don't delude yourself that this was rape! That would flatter us both!

• Komarovski : [speaking to Lara of Pasha]  He's a very fine young man. That's obvious.

• Komarovski : Pavel Pavlovich. My chief impression - and I mean no offence - is that you're very young.

  Pasha : Monsieur Komarovsky. I hope I don't offend you. Do people improve with age?

  Komarovski : They grow a little more tolerant.

  Pasha : Because they have more to tolerate in themselves. If people don't marry young, what do they bring to their marriage?

  Komarovski : A little experience.

• Komarovski : Strelnikov is dead.

  Zhivago : What?

  Komarovski : Spare me your expressions of regret. He was a murderous neurotic of no use to anyone. Do you see how this affects Larissa? You don't. You're a fool. She's Strelnikov's wife. Why do you think they haven't arrested her - is this the usual practice? Why do you think they had her watched at Yuriatin? They were waiting for Strelnikov.

  Zhivago : If they thought Strelnikov would come running to his wife, they didn't know him...

  Komarovski : They knew him well enough. He was only five miles from here when they caught him. He was arrested on the open road. He didn't conceal his identity - indeed throughout the interview he insisted they call him Pavel Antipov, which is his right name, and refused to answer to the name Strelnikov. On his way to execution, he took a pistol from one of the guards and blew his own brains out.

  Zhivago : Oh my God... don't tell Lara this.

  Komarovski : I think I know Lara at least as well as you. But don't you see how this affects her position? She's served her purpose. These men that came with me today as an escort will come for her and the child tomorrow as a firing squad! Now, I know exactly what you think of me, and why, but if you're not coming with me she's not coming with me! So, are you coming with me? Do you accept the protection of this ignoble Caliban on any terms that Caliban cares to make... or is your delicacy so exorbitant that you would sacrifice a woman and a child to it?

• Komarovski : Your rarified selfishness is intolerable. Larissa's in danger too.

  Zhivago : By association with me?

  Komarovski : No, not by association with you; you're small fry. By association with Strelnikov.

  Lara : I've never met Strelnikov.

  Komarovski : You're married to Strelnikov! They know that.

  Lara : I was married to Pasha Antipov.

  Komarovski : I understand, I understand. But they don't.