Zardoz (1974)

Charlotte Rampling: Consuella

Photos 

Quotes 

• Consuella : Penic erection was one of the many unsolved evolutionary mysteries surrounding sexuality. Every society had an elaborate subculture devoted to erotic stimulation. But nobody could quite determine how this...

  [Consuella points to a diagram of a flaccid male penis and scrotum] 

  Consuella : ...becomes this.

  [Consuella points to a diagram of an erect penis and scrotum] 

  Consuella : Of course, we all know the physical process involved, but not the link between stimulus and response. There seems to be a correlation with violence, with fear. Many hanged men died with an erection. You are all more or less aware of our intensive researches into this subject. Sexuality declined probably because we no longer needed to procreate. Eternals soon discovered that erection was impossible to achieve. And we are no longer victims of this violent, convulsive act which so debased women and betrayed men. This Brutal...

  [Consuella indicates Zed] 

  Consuella : ...like other primates living unselfconscious lives, is capable of spontaneous and reflexive erection. As part of May's studies of this creature, we're trying to find, once again, the link between erotic stimulation and erection. This experiment will measure autoerotic stimulation of the cortex, leading to erection.

  [looks at blank screen] 

  Consuella : Play.

  [on screen, woman caressing her breasts, Consuella looks down to observe Zed's crotch] 

• Zed : The hunt is always better than the kill.

  Consuella : In hunting you, I have become you. I've destroyed what I set out to defend.

  Zed : "He who fights too long against dragons, becomes a dragon himself." Nietzsche.

• Consuella : [speaking into her ring as she observes Zed asleep in his cage]  The Brutal is now in fourth hour of unconscious sleep. It's astonishing that Homo Sapiens spends so much time in this vulnerable condition at the mercy of its enemies. Is there any data on the sleeping-patterns of primitive people?

  Tabernacle : Is that a priority request?

  Consuella : Yes. I am now going to test its waking response to dangerous stimuli.

  [She reaches inside the cage toward Zed. With unexpected speed, he seizes her wrist even as he wakes. He holds her for a moment, glaring at her before releasing her. Slowly, she recovers composure and speaks to him] 

  Consuella : Does it please you to sleep?

  Zed : Yes.

  Consuella : Why?

  Zed : I have dreams.

  Tabernacle : Sleep was necessary for Man when his waking and unconscious lives were separated. As Eternals achieved total consciousness, sleep became obsolete, and Second-Level meditation took its place. Sleep was closely connected with death.

• Avalow : [addressing the populace of the Vortex]  Death approaches! We are all mortal again! Now we can say 'yes' to death, but never again 'no'. Now, we must make our farewells: to each other, to the sun and moon, trees and sky, earth and rock, the landscape of our long waking-dream.

  [Avalow turns to Zed] 

  Avalow : Zed - the Liberator - liberate me now, according to your promise!

  [Zed readily raises his pistol. Avalow stretches in anticipation. The seconds pass, but no shot rings out] 

  Consuella : [urgently, to Zed, while focusing on Avalow]  Do it! Do it!

  Zed : [slowly lowering his pistol]  All that I was, is gone.

  [There is the bark of a shot, red spurts from Avalow's neck, and she collapses into the fountain's pool as the people moan in passion. Zed looks behind him - his fellow Exterminators have arrived] 

• May : The outlands have to be controlled.

  Consuella : I've always voted against forced farming.

  May : You eat the bread.

• Consuella : We have to shut ourselves off. We have to.

  May : This is the first direct, visual contact with the outlands in years; as opposed to, data since Arthur was delegated to control them. It is *proper* that we investigate.

  Consuella : It's better not to know. These images will pollute us. Quench it. Quell it.

• Consuella : Kill it, May.

  May : No.

  Consuella : May, for our love.

• Consuella : Look at it, it knows its life is at stake. Otherwise, it would rape and kill as it always has. You can see the disrupting effect.

  Friend : Let's keep it! Anything to relieve the boredom.

• Consuella : May is a great scientist; but, she also has destructive tendencies.

• Consuella : What is May's underthought? Not long ago she was asking for new births, although we have no death. We are perfectly stabilized. We said "no" to May. Now she wants to bring in this animal from the outside. Think of our equilibrium. Remember the delicate balance we must maintain.

• Consuella : We can no longer quell him! He's out of control! We must now become hunters and killers ourselves.

• Consuella : [seeing May kissing Zed]  So this is your scientific investigation. There's another word for it: bestiality!

• Consuella : [Last line]  Zed!