Self Control vs. Control of Others

“Is Dr. Zepp there? Who’s this? Katherine, where’s Dr. Zepp? Well, I’ve been waiting. He’s not here. Well, where could he be, Katherine? No, nobody’s sick. Mabel’s crazy. Where’s Dr. Zepp? I mean, where is he, Katherine?”
“He’s on his way.”
“Well, goddamn it, he’s not here!”
“Please don’t talk to me like that.”
“I’m sorry, Katherine. Now, could he stop off anyplace or what?”
“No.”
“I mean, is it gonna be five minutes or 10 minutes? What is it gonna be? Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! . . . Never mind. Don’t get up. Don’t move. You don’t move. Ma! Ma! Ma! No. Just stay there, or I’ll kill ya! Don’t need your help! Get my own cigarettes. Don’t need anybody’s help. My own. You’re gonna be committed. Goin’ to the hospital until you get better.”
“You just, uh – You got embarrassed, and you made a jerk of yourself. That’s all. [Sputters] I make a jerk a myself every day. I’m – [Mouths Word] I’m not sore at you. I mean, you hit me. You never did that before. I – [Sighs] Didn’t feel that, if that’s what you – you feel bad about. I – [Sighs] I always understood you, and you always understood me. . . and that was always just. . .how it was, and that’s it. ‘Till death do us part,’ Nick. You said it. Remember? He said, ‘Do you Mabel Mortensen, take this man?’ ‘I do.’ ‘I do,’ Nick.”
“[Mouths Word]”
“‘I do.’ Remember, I said. . . ‘It’s gonna work because I’m already pregnant.’”
“Don’t let that mind run away on you now.”
“Remember how you laughed?”
“Don’t, Mabel.”
“Nick. You laughed.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t you remember? And he was mad as a big toad.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Hey, don’t be sad. I know you love me.”
“Hey.”
“We had plenty of time to find that out, didn’t we? You and I know. You see that, Nick? That’s how close we are. And they can’t pull us apart. They can’t force us apart. ‘Cause. . .we’re together.”
“I don’t know who you are.”
“Don’t say that, honey. I’m not sore at you. I’m not mad or anything.”
“Mabel. . .don’t.”
“You sit there and pretend you – All of that doesn’t mean – And you know. You know. It’s us. You’re going with them out there on the outside.”
“Be still.”
“And we’re supposed to be on the inside. We were always there.”
“Shut up!”
“You little. . .teeny. . .skinny, little. . . bug!”

A Woman Under the Influence, by John Cassavetes

Bringing Heaven on Earth

—The Lindenhof project is a conspiracy.
—A conspiracy? Interesting. Let me hear your proof.
—First, the land registry abstracts. Excepting inheritance, no significant change of ownership had taken place since the turn of the century. But in the last five years, transfers have increased dramatically. I know several of the new owners. They’re the power elite of the city.
—Very nice. Power elite.
—Secondly, property prices. They’re now triple the 1952 prices and ten times those of 1938. When the new construction plan goes into effect, profit from speculation will at least double again. Thirdly, the construction committee. Its membership is an amalgamation of the city’s so-called “good families.”
—Do you have a list?
—Not on that point. But you’ll be sitting across from the gentlemen this afternoon.
—That I will. Anything else?
—What?
—Proof of conspiracy. How does Schuckert fit into this?
—You know, if the others are circling waiting crows, he’s a bird of prey. That’s what he is.
—Power elite. Profit from speculation. Amalgamation. Bird of prey. And what about me? How do I fit into all this? What do you expect from me?
—I expect you to impose order. To clean up these –
—That I scatter the crows and forbid the bird of prey to hunt. Is that what you mean? Do you want to revolutionize our economic system?
—I reject revolution. I’m a humanist.
—You reject revolution. You’re humanist. Then you’ll have to put up with crows and birds of prey.

Lola, By Rainer Werner Fassbinder