Paris quotes from Paths of Glory (1957)

I thought you'd been killed.

Paris

You didn't wait around to find out, did you Lieutenant?

Now look here, what do you mean?

Paris

I mean you ran like a rabbit after you killed Lejeune.

Killed Lejeune? What are you talking about? I don't think I like your tone. You're speaking to an officer, remember that.

Paris

Oh, well, I must be mistaken then, sir. An officer wouldn't do that. A man wouldn't do it. Only a thing would - a sneaky, booze-guzzling, yellow-bellied rat with a bottle for a brain and a streak of spit where his spine ought to be. You've got yourself into a mess, Lieutenant.
...

Have you ever tried to bring charges against an officer? It's my word against yours, you know, and whose word do you think they're gonna believe - or, let me put it another way, whose word do you think they're going to accept?

Dax

Why didn't you leave the trenches?

Paris

Major Vignon was shot, and he fell back on top of me, sir, and knocked me cold.

Dax

And were you lying unconscious in the trenches during the entire attack?

Paris

Yes, sir.

Have you any witnesses to that?

Paris

No, sir. I guess everybody was too busy to notice me. There were so many others lying dead anyway.

But you have no witnesses?

Paris

No, sir. I only have a rather large cut on my head, sir.

That could have been self-inflicted later.

Paris

See that cockroach? Tomorrow morning we'll be dead and it'll be alive. It will have more contact with my wife and child than I will. I'll be nothing, and it'll be alive.

Ferol

Now you've got the edge on him.

There will be a lot of dignitaries, newspapermen out there. You've got a wife and family. How do you want to be remembered?...Many of us will be joining you before this war is over.

Paris

I don't want to die.