The Priest's Wife (1970)

Sophia Loren: Valeria Billi

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Quotes 

• Valeria Billi : I was a singer in a pop group, The Dropouts. We worked dance halls on Sundays. Then, the Dropouts got drafted into the army and the group broke up. Besides, I was thinking Maurizio and I were going to get married. I've got some money in the bank. Instead, I was left with no job, no money, and no marriage.

• Valeria Billi : Oh God! It's the story of my life. One doesn't tell me he's married. The other one doesn't tell me he's a priest.

• Valeria Billi : Can't you see for yourself how unlucky I am? I even got stuck on your voice - and it was the voice of a priest. I'm so unlucky!

• Valeria Billi : When will I see you?

  Don Mario : I don't know. May I be frank, Valeria? It isn't proper for a priest to go running around with a girl as - as exuberant as you.

  Valeria Billi : You find me attractive? Really?

  Don Mario : I really have to go, Valeria.

  Valeria Billi : Well, wait, Don Mario. Maybe what embarrasses you is the skirt? Mine, I mean. It's too short, isn't it?

  Don Mario : I never noticed; but, frankly, the skirt is too short.

• Don Mario : Go ahead, Valeria, unburden yourself. It will give us an idea of how you feel about your relations.

  Valeria Billi : If you really want me to? Should I tell you about me and Maurizio?

  Don Mario : Alright.

  Valeria Billi : Okay, I will. As a man, he satisfied me completely. When I was with him, I was a whole woman. I was completely fulfilled, physically and emotionally. Our love was like a force of nature. Untamed. Do you understand? We had sexual intercourse frequently and it always last a long time. Because, he and I were both very highly sexed. You realize, professor, that some women are highly sexed and some women are frigid. And I just happen to be one of the highly sexed ones. To give you an example...

  Don Mario : Yes, well, it was your social relations that I was referring to. Your relations to society; not your sexual exploits.

• Don Mario : What sort of work would you like to do then?

  Valeria Billi : The only thing I know how to do is sing. Before I worked with The Dropouts, I was with Cycles and before that with The Trippers. Those are music groups.

  Don Mario : I gathered as much.

  Valeria Billi : I was a pop singer before; then, I switched to romantic. It suited me better! Do you want me to hum something for you?

  Don Mario : If you like.

  Valeria Billi : [singing]  My passion, my passion, my passion, My passion, my passion, my passion, It's hard to say when I miss you, It's only because I always do, My passion...

  Don Mario : My passion, my passion. The concept is very clear.

• Valeria Billi : Don Mario, is being lonely really a problem for being a priest? It is, isn't it? I mean, being lonely in the middle of a crowd, that's the loneliness of the priest and it's the hardest to bare. I read it at the beauty parlor.

• Valeria Billi : Excuse me if I embarrass you sometimes.

  Don Mario : No.

  Valeria Billi : But, it's because I'm happy. Like now! I know, I know there can't be anything between us, but friendship.

  Don Mario : Of course! What else could there be? And what is more beautiful than friendship between a woman and a man?

  Valeria Billi : Well, there might be other things too.

• Don Mario : Where's the crayfish? Crayfish is the king of the fish soup.

  Valeria Billi : It smells delicious.

  Waitress : Alright, it's the king of the soup; but, we're in a republic!

• Valeria Billi : I like being with you? Do you mind?

• Valeria Billi : Oh, there's a jinx on me. They're all married! One to a wife. The other to the Church.

• Valeria Billi : Darling, you say you're in love with me. That you want me.

  Don Mario : That, I didn't say.

  Valeria Billi : Alright, you didn't say it. Priest or no priest, you're a man. At least, I hope so. So, get a move on. Do something. We can't keep playing brother and sister for the rest of our lives. Besides, I'm an only child.

  Don Mario : "Get a move on. Do something." But, what? How? I've been thinking about it for days. Don't think I haven't.

• Jimmy Guitar : Why did you quit the music business?

  Valeria Billi : Well, it's a long story. Besides, now the public wants a skinny little kid, with no front, no behind and no voice. So...

  Jimmy Guitar : I don't care about the voice. But, there's got to be something behind -and something up front.

• Valeria Billi : I got busy, I did something. I didn't just hang around and chew my fingernails.

• Valeria Billi : My father, when he's all there, said proceeding through channels is the longest possible way to get from one point to another. I took the short cut.

• Monsignor Caldana : I refuse only to see those who bring shame on our children.

  Valeria Billi : Excuse me, what shame? There's a sheep in your flock that belongs to me. Give me my sheep back and we'll call it quits.

  Monsignor Caldana : The sheep already belongs to the Shepard.

  Valeria Billi : And if one of them gets tired of grazing. If one of them says, listen here, Shepard, I don't like your grass anymore, it doesn't agree with me, I'd rather have coffee and cake. You shouldn't try to stop him!

• Monsignor Caldana : You realize what you're saying?

  Valeria Billi : Yes, that I'm in love with a man and want to marry him.

  Monsignor Caldana : You want to marry a man whose already married to the church! No decent woman would even begin to think that...

  Valeria Billi : But, I didn't say that I was a decent girl. I said I was in love!

• Valeria Billi : I haven't told you, but, I've had two jobs offered me by a record company. Of course, now I'm a celebrity, the Priest's Wife. They'll do anything to sell records.

• Don Mario : I've been told, the way my request is being handled, well, it will go through without a single hitch. All my papers are in order.

  Valeria Billi : Then when can we - how long before you get the dispensation?

  Don Mario : Oh, soon! Soon, soon. they promised it soon. The Bishop told me so. Of course, he said, don't rush things.