La Chèvre (1981)

Gérard Depardieu: Campana

Photos 

Quotes 

• Campana : [to Perrin]  Life was a bore before I met you.

• The Captain : [Perrin has just had another accident]  This must not be his day.

  Campana : It's *never* his day.

• Meyer : [to Campana, talking about Perrin]  He was hired two years ago. I tested him then; I've observed him since. He's phenomenal.

  Campana : He looks normal, though.

  Meyer : He was a seven-month baby, and guess what happened to his incubator? It broke down.

• Campana : I don't believe in bad luck. Bullshit!

  Meyer : You heard of Eugene Delacroix, the painter?

  Campana : Yes.

  Meyer : At three, he was nearly strangled by a curtain cord. Then his mosquito net caught fire; he was badly burned. While he was recovering, he was dropped into some water. By a miracle, he was saved but then he choked on some grapes. That is all absolutely true; Delacroix is an example of incredible bad luck.

• François Perrin : [to Campana, talking about Mademoiselle Martin]  I like her... she helped me up when I was electrocuted.

  Campana : Electrocuted?

  François Perrin : At the office, plugging in the orange juice machine.

  [he looks up at Campana and smiles] 

  François Perrin : I got juice, all right.

• Campana : [to Perrin]  I don't believe in magic! I believe in logic! Do you know what logic is? I'm a rational, logical man! I don't rely on coincidence to solve a case!

• Campana : [he's just realized that Perrin is sinking in quicksand]  What's happening now?

  François Perrin : I don't know... I'm sinking.

  Campana : Why?

  François Perrin : I don't know why.

  Campana : Stop clowning when I talk to you!

  François Perrin : I'm not clowning! I'm really sinking!

  Campana : Why aren't *I* sinking?

  François Perrin : You're on good sand and I'm in quicksand. *You're* the one who wanted a short cut!

  Campana : And you don't even react?

  François Perrin : If I do, I'll go in farther... everyone knows that!

  Campana : Perrin, they didn't show any quicksand on the map!

  François Perrin : Then it's time they did!

• François Perrin : [Campana has just pulled Perrin out of the quicksand; Perrin laughs]  Shit! I lost a shoe!

  Campana : [slowly smiles and also laughs]  Don't you ever rest?

• Prisoner : [the guards are coming to their cell]  Here they come! They'll pick one of us at random and beat him to a pulp! That's their idea of fun!

  François Perrin : [to Campana]  What'd he say?

  Campana : [looks hard at Perrin]  They'll beat one of us up.

  [he keeps staring at Perrin] 

  François Perrin : [finally notices Campana staring at him]  Why stare at me that way?

  [Campana shrugs] 

• François Perrin : [he notices Campana's shoelace is untied]  Your shoestring...

  Campana : [kneels down to tie his shoelace; it breaks. He stares at it, then at Perrin, almost scared]  I broke it!

  François Perrin : It's no tragedy.

  Campana : [standing up, staring at the broken shoelace in his hand]  It's a sign.

  François Perrin : A sign of what?

  Campana : [pause, then]  Never mind.

• François Perrin : [to Campana]  So much has happened to me since I met you.

  Campana : [looks at Perrin, then]  To me too.

• Campana : [he hands Perrin his gun]  You need this more than I do.

• Campana : [they've arrived at the mission; it's a total ruin and deserted]  Did an earthquake do this?

  François Perrin : Or a tornado. It reminds me of my parents' house. They had one near Paris.

  Campana : A tornado in Paris?

  François Perrin : No, I left the gas on and...

  [he flips a hand up to indicate what happened, then walks off. Campana stares after him]