Love, Heartbreak and Choice: A lesson from ‘Sabrina’.

In the middle of the film “Sabrina,” Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart sit atop a yacht, sailing to the tunes of coastal winds and vinyl records.

After finishing a record, Audrey replaces it with another.

A few seconds into the song, Humphrey says:

“Sabrina, do you mind turning this off.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Don’t you like it?”

“I used to like it.”

A pause ensues.

Through intonation, Audrey states:

“Certain songs bring back certain memories to me too. Did you love her?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“So strange to think of you being touched by a woman. I always thought you walked alone.”

“No man walks alone from choice.”

On the surface of this statement, I can’t help but agree with Humphrey.

Be it love, anger or joy, sometimes we don’t choose to be these emotions; they’re simply products of our environment.

For Humphrey, he hasn’t been walking alone from choice.

This lonesome solitude was created by having his heart broken twice.

Revealing to Audrey, he endured a pain so severe that it drove him to a point where he contemplated suicide.

Beneath the surface of this statement, I’d have to disagree with Humphrey.

Mainly because I believe humans have the ability to be aware of these emotions; with this awareness, we can then consciously choose which emotions to continue experiencing.

And if one has the power to choose which emotions they wish to keep experiencing, they have the power to rid themselves of the ones they wish to discard.

As poetically as this scene is put together, he shares that, yes, he’s not walking alone from choice.

Though, him being on a boat with her is a choice in of itself.

A choice that conveys openness towards giving love another chance.

— George