La Ronde (1950)

Anton Walbrook: Raconteur

Quotes 

• Raconteur : [First lines]  And me? What part do I play in this story of "la ronde"? The author? An accomplice? A passer-by? I am you. That is, any one of you. I'm the personification of your desire to know everything.

• Raconteur : People never know more than one side of reality. Why? Because they only see one side of things. But I see all sides... because I see... "in the round." That allows me to be everywhere at once. Everywhere.

• Raconteur : But just where are we? On a stage? A film set? One doesn't know anymore. On a street. We're in Vienna. It's 1900. Let's change our costume. 1900.

• Raconteur : We're in the past. I adore the past. It's so much more peaceful than the present and so much more certain than the future.

• Raconteur : The sun is out. It's Spring. You can tell from the scent in the air that love is just around the corner, can't you?

• Raconteur : What's still missing for love to start its rounds? A waltz - and here it is. The waltz turns, the carousel turns and the merry-go-round of love can begin turning too.

• Raconteur : [singing]  They turn and turn, my characters turn, As night turns to day and joy to pain, Rain, once fallen, rises to heaven, Turns into clouds and rains again, Working girl or woman of breeding, Aristocrat or proud dragoon, Love comes calling, sudden and fleeting, And they all dance to love's same tune...

• Léocadie : How about it, handsome?

  Raconteur : No, no. There must be some mistake, madame.

  Léocadie : Madame? You making fun of me?

  Raconteur : I make fun of no one.

  Léocadie : Are you coming or not?

• Le comte : I've seen you somewhere before.

  Raconteur : It's possible, sir. I move around a lot.

  Le comte : Have you worked here long?

  Raconteur : I don't work here, Count. I'm here for the love of art.

  Le comte : I see. Which art?

  Raconteur : Love.

  Le comte : Excuse me?

  Raconteur : For love of the art - of love.

• Raconteur : [Last lines]  La ronde has come full circle.

  [singing] 

  Raconteur : Love has finished making its rounds, This story that we've seen and heard, Is much the same the whole world over, and I won't say another word.