The Green Pastures (1936)
Rex Ingram: De Lawd, Adam, Hezdrel
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Quotes
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De Lawd : [Loud thunder; crowd screaming] That's about enough! I've stood all I can from you. I tried to make this a good earth. I helped Adam, and I helped Noah; I helped Moses, and I helped David. And what's the grain that grew out of the seeds? SIN! Nothing but sin throughout the whole world. I've given you every chance, and now the high priest of Israel dares trifle with my name. Listen you children of darkness, your Lawd is tired. I'm tired of the struggle to make you worthy of the breath I gave you. I put you in bondage again to save you, and you're worse than you was among the fleshpots of Egypt, so I renounce you. Listen to the words of your Lawd God Jehovah for they is the last words you is ever gonna hear from me. I repent of these people I made, and I'll deliver them no more.
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De Lawd : [Sitting at desk, looking at piece of paper] What's this here about the moon?
Gabriel : Oh. The moon people say it's beginning to melt a little on account 'cause the sun's so hot.
De Lawd : Well, it's goin' around accordin' to schedule, ain't it?
Gabriel : Yes, Lawd.
De Lawd : There ain't nothin' the matter with that moon. The trouble of it is, too many angels go flyin' over there on Saturday night. They get to beatin' their wings while they dance, and that makes the heat. Tell 'em from now on, dancin' around the moon is sinnin'. They got to stop it, and that'll cool off the moon.
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De Lawd : Hello, Hezdrel.
Hezdrel : Who is you?
De Lawd : Don't you know?
Hezdrel : Is you a preacher?
De Lawd : [nods] Yes. I - I's come a long ways to ask you somethin'.
Hezdrel : What?
De Lawd : How come you all is so brave?
Hezdrel : 'Cause we's got faith.
De Lawd : Faith? In who?
Hezdrel : In our dear Lawd.
De Lawd : But de Lawd said he was through with mankind.
Hezdrel : Oh, you talkin' about that old God of Wrath. We's got a new Lawd now.
De Lawd : Who said so?
Hezdrel : Our preacher, old Mr. Hosea.
De Lawd : But you know that there's only one God. Ain't they?
Hezdrel : Maybe they is. Maybe we just got tired of his appearance that old way.
De Lawd : Whatcha mean?
Hezdrel : I mean that old God that walked the Earth in the shape of a man. I guess he lived with man so much till all he could see was the sins in man. That's what made him a God of Wrath. Of course dey's the same God; he's just not fearsome no more. Now he's a God of Mercy.
De Lawd : Mercy? How did you humans find out about mercy?
Hezdrel : The only way we could find it; the only way anyone can find it.
De Lawd : How is dat?
Hezdrel : Through sufferin'.
De Lawd : So *that's* what faith is. Thank you, Hezdrel.
Hezdrel : For what?
De Lawd : For teachin' me somethin'. I guess I been so far away, I was just way behind the times.
[De Lawd turns and walks away; realization comes to Hezdrel; trumpet sounds signaling the resumption of the battle]
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De Lawd : Let the fish fry proceed.
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De Lawd : You's gettin' as good as the choir at the throne. Why don't you give us one of dem old-time jump-ups?
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De Lawd : I'm going to give you two the run of the whole garden and I want you to enjoy yourselves. Eve, you take care of this man, and, Adam, you take care of this woman. Now, don't you all try to do too much, 'cause you both a new kind of experiment with me and I ain't sure you can make it. Just drink the water from the little brooks and the wine from the grapes and the berries and eat the food that's hangin' for you in the trees. That is, all but one tree.
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De Lawd : I'll pass another miracle. That's the trouble with miracles, when you pass one, you always got to roar back and pass another.
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De Lawd : I'll just roar back and pass a miracle. Let there be some firmament. And when I say, "Let there be some firmament," I don't mean no little bitty dab of firmament. 'Cause I'm gettin' sick and tired of runnin' out of it when we need it. Let there be a whole mess of firmament!
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De Lawd : Well, I got to be gettin' along now. I got 100,000 things to do before you take your next breath.
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De Lawd : The poor little Earth. Bless my soul, I almost forgot about that. Must be three or four hundred years since I've been down there. I wasn't any too pleased with that job.
Gabriel : [laughs] You know you don't make no mistakes, Lawd.
De Lawd : So they tell me. But I find I can be displeased, though - and I was displeased with the mankind I last seen.
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De Lawd : Why, you just a little boy, gamblin' and sinnin' and chewin' tobacco, like you was your own Pappy and you've been drinkin' Sonny-kick-Mammy wine, too. You gamblers ought to be ashamed of yourself, leadin' this boy to sin.
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De Lawd : Noah, just what seems to be the main trouble with mankind?
Noah : Well, the main trouble is the whole district is wide open. That makes for loose livin'. The menfolk spend all their time fightin', loafin', gamblin', and making bad liquor.
De Lawd : And what about the women?
Noah : The women is worse than the men. If they ain't makin' love powder, they're out beg, borrowin', stealin' money.
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De Lawd : I ain't goin' to beat him. I must teach him. I may have to teach you all.
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Noah : I can get snakes, lots of 'em. Course, some of them is a little dangerous. Maybe I better take a keg of liquor, too.
De Lawd : You can have a keg of liquor.
Noah : Yes, sah, there sure is lots of different kind of snakes, come to think of it. There's cottonmouths, water moccasins, rattlers. Why there must be 100 different kind of snakes down in the swamps. Maybe I better take two kegs of liquor.
De Lawd : I think the one keg is enough.
Noah : No, I better take two kegs. Besides, I can put one on each side of the boat and balance the ship with them, as well as having them for medicinal uses.
De Lawd : You can put one keg in the middle of the ship.
Noah : It's just as easy to take two kegs, Lawd.
De Lawd : I think the one keg is enough.
Noah : Yes, I know, Lawd, but you see 40 days and 40 nights...
De Lawd : One keg, Noah.
Noah : Yes, Lawd, one keg.
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De Lawd : Noah, you don't know who I is, do you?
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De Lawd : Yes, sah, the more I keeps on bein' De Lawd the more I know I got to keep improvin' things. The main trouble is: mankind takes up so much of my time. He ought to be able to help hisself a little.
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De Lawd : Gabe, there ain't nothin' worthwhile nowhere that didn't cause somebody some worry.
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Hezdrel : So King Herod's goin' to burn the temple, is he? Well, what if they do? If they kills us, we leaps out of our skins right into the lap of God. De Lawd will be here, lookin' out for his people as usual. Won't you, Lawd?
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De Lawd : Even bein' God ain't no bed of roses.
