The History Boys (2006)

Samuel Barnett: Posner

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Posner has confessed to Irwin that he thinks he is homosexual and in love with Dakin] 

  Posner : Do you ever look at your life?

  Tom Irwin : I thought everybody did.

  Posner : I'm a Jew... I'm small... I'm homosexual... and I live in Sheffield... I'm fucked.

• [discussing Posner liking Dakin] 

  Scripps : Oh, Pos, with your spaniel heart. It will pass.

  Posner : Yes, it's a phase. Who says I want it to pass? But the pain, the *pain*.

  Scripps : Hector would say it's the only education worth having.

  Posner : Yes. I just wish there were marks for it.

• [talking about the Holocaust] 

  Posner : But to put something in context is a step towards saying it can be understood and that it can be explained. And if it can be explained that it can be explained away.

• Wilkes : One day it will save your life.

  Posner : Nothing saves anyone's life sir. It just postpones their death.

  [Wilkes puts his hands on Posner's shoulders] 

  Wilkes : Jesus Christ will save your life, lad, if you only let him into your heart!

  Posner : I'm Jewish, sir.

  [Wilkes moves instead to put his hands on Akhtar's shoulders] 

  Akthar : I'm Muslim, sir.

• Dakin : Don't think we're shocked by your mentioning the word "foreskin," sir.

  Crowther : No, sir. Some of us even have them.

  Lockwood : Not Posner though, 'cause he's, well, Jewish. It's one of several things he doesn't have.

  Posner : Fuck off.

  Lockwood : That's not racist, though.

  Crowther : No?

  Lockwood : It's race-related... but not racist.

• Posner : I'm not happy but I'm not unhappy about it.

• Posner : [after telling Dakin to pull down his pants]  Oh! Quelles belles jambes!

• [Dakin is annoyed because he thinks Irwin doesn't like him] 

  Posner : But he doesn't understand, Irwin *does* like him. He seldom looks at anyone else.

  Scripps : How do you know?

  Posner : Because nor do I. Our eyes meet looking at Dakin.

• [Scripps is taking the mick out of Dakin for trying to please Irwin too much] 

  Scripps : Have you looked at your handwriting recently? You're beginning to write like him!

  [turns to look at Posner's essay] 

  Scripps : You're writin' like 'im an' all!

  Posner : I am not! Dakin writes like him, I write like Dakin.

• Scripps : Love can be very irritating.

  Posner : How do you know?

  Scripps : That's what I always think about God. Must get so pissed off, everybody adoring him all the time.

  Posner : Yes, only you don't catch God poncing about in his underpants.

• Dakin : I'm beginning to like him more.

  Posner : [hopefully]  Who? Me?

  Dakin : [contemptuously]  Irwin. Though he hates me.

• Lockwood : Posner would make a good monk. 'Cept he's a Jew.

  Crowther : Do Jews have monks?

  Posner : Yes. I'm one now.