"This is the love every woman lives for…the love every man would die for!"
Letter from an Unknown Woman - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
By the time you read this letter, I may be dead.
— Lisa Berndle (Voiceover)
Context:
Spoken as Stefan opens the letter in the first scene, triggering the extended flashback.
Meaning:
The opening line that sets the tragic stakes and establishes the film's narrative structure as a message from beyond the grave.
I think everyone has two birthdays, the day of his physical birth and the beginning of his conscious life.
— Lisa Berndle (Voiceover)
Context:
Describing the moment she first saw Stefan moving into her apartment building.
Meaning:
Highlights how Lisa defines her entire existence solely through her awareness of Stefan.
Honor is a luxury only gentlemen can afford.
— Stefan Brand
Context:
Spoken to his friends when he plans to flee Vienna to avoid the duel at dawn.
Meaning:
Displays Stefan's cynicism and initial refusal to take responsibility for his actions or face the duel.
If only you could have recognized what was always yours, could have found what was never lost.
— Lisa Berndle (Voiceover)
Context:
The closing lines of the letter as Stefan realizes the magnitude of his loss.
Meaning:
The film's central tragedy: the disconnect between her total availability and his total blindness.