Pastor Hall (1940)

Nova Pilbeam: Christine Hall

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Quotes 

• Fritz Gerte : [Pastor Hall, his daughter Christine and Storm Troop Leader Fritz Gerte are at dinner at the Pastor's home]  It was magnificent! Sixty thousand people, cheering like mad! When the Führer rose to speak, you could hear a pin drop.

  Christine Hall : No one dropped one, did they?

  [Teasingly] 

  Fritz Gerte : It is not a joking matter, Fräulein Hall.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : The Storm Troop Leader is right, Christine. Please go on with your story.

  Fritz Gerte : I think not, Herr Pastor. It seems to me that the ideals of National Socialism find little sympathy in this house.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Because we don't understand them. If, so far, I have not been attracted to National Socialism, it's because it seems to me to encourage the two things I've always tried to fight against - lust for power and fear. Perhaps I'm wrong.

  Fritz Gerte : We believe in the rule of the strong. The glory of Germany can only survive if we cut the canker from the organism.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : As doctors, you're not always very gentle.

  Fritz Gerte : Surgeons must have courage to cut.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : True, but they must also have a thorough knowledge of the human body. Otherwise, they'd be merely murderers.

  Fritz Gerte : Herr Pastor!

  [Offended] 

  Christine Hall : Don't worry about Daddy. He's always dropping bricks.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Oh, please, please. I didn't mean anything personal in any way.

  Fritz Gerte : I'm afraid we can find no common ground unless you admit the right of a superior race to shape its' life according to its' historic mission.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : We Christians believe that the spirit dominates, or should, and anybody who believes with us is one with us.

  Fritz Gerte : There are many pastors who understand their task as our Führer wishes it to be understood.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : You despise men, don't you?

  Fritz Gerte : [Surprised]  No, I don't think so. Man has only to obey to be happy.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Obedience is not the final virtue.

  Fritz Gerte : With us, it is!

  Pastor Frederick Hall : I take orders from one who knows men and yet doesn't despise them. He trusts them with this great danger of freedom. He gives them choice, though they often choose wrong. But, when a man loses his freedom he ceases to be a man.

• Christine Hall : Father, this is Storm Troop Leader Gerte who is going to change our village completely. This my father.

  Fritz Gerte : Heil Hitler!

  [Raises his arm in a Nazi salute] 

  Pastor Frederick Hall : How do you do?

  [Shakes Fritz's hand] 

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Sit down. We must have a chat.

  Christine Hall : Well, I think I'll leave you. I'm sure you two men have things to discuss far beyond my poor woman's brain.

  [She leaves] 

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Do you know, I believe she's pulling our leg?

  [Drawing up a chair] 

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Sit down.

  Fritz Gerte : Eh?

  [They both sit and the Pastor offers Fritz a cigarette] 

  Fritz Gerte : Thank you. Herr Pastor, I'm told that you have great influence among the villagers.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Well, I've always tried to earn their friendship.

  Fritz Gerte : My purpose in coming here is to secure your cooperation.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Well, of course, anything I can do. Cooperation for what, exactly?

  Fritz Gerte : To bring Altdorf into line with the rest of the Reich. To instill the one doctrine: Nation and Fatherland. As our Führer has told us, we are fighting for our security, for the existence and increase of our race, for the nourishment of its' children, the purity of its' blood.

  [the Pastor lights Fritz's cigarette] 

  Fritz Gerte : The fulfillment of the mission appointed for the Fatherland by the creator of the universe.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : I see, yes. It's rather a tall order. Of course, I'm not interested in politics. I'm so full of the villagers and their little worries and troubles, but quite big to them, of course.

  Fritz Gerte : That is just where you can help.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : I've always believed in rendering to Caesar that which is Caesar's. And, in this village, it seems that you are to be Caesar.

  Fritz Gerte : Exactly. Now we can get down to business. First of all, who are the people who should be dealt with?

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Dealt with?

  Fritz Gerte : Communists, socialists, pacifists, Jews, enemies of the state.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Well, I'm afraid I don't regard the villagers as either socialists or communists or even nationalists. And the few Jews we have are quite good people.

  Fritz Gerte : We don't recognise good Jews or bad Jews. Just Jews.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : I certainly don't know any enemies of the state.

  Fritz Gerte : You're not being very helpful, Herr Pastor.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : I'm sorry but I can't help it. You see, I know these people. I like them. I don't regard them as saints but there isn't one who I'd describe as wholly bad.

  Fritz Gerte : In that case, Herr Pastor, I am afraid I am wasting my time.

  [Rises to go] 

  Fritz Gerte : I wish you good day.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Goodbye. I don't think you'll find your task so sweeping as you suppose. There's nothing much the matter with our village.

  Fritz Gerte : We shall see.

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Well, come in again, won't you? Anytime you feel like it.

  Fritz Gerte : Thank you. Heil Hitler!

  [Again raises his arm in a Nazi salute] 

  Pastor Frederick Hall : Heil Hitler.

  [He says this hesitantly, without raising his arm]