General Broulard quotes from Paths of Glory (1957)

General Broulard

Maybe the attack against the Ant Hill was impossible. Perhaps it was an error of judgment on our part. On the other hand, if your men had been a little more daring, you might have taken it. Who knows? Why should we have to bear more criticism and failure than we have to?...These executions will be a perfect tonic for the entire division. There are few things more fundamentally encouraging and stimulating than seeing someone else die...You see, Colonel, troops are like children. Just as a child wants his father to be firm, troops crave discipline. And one way to maintain discipline is to shoot a man now and then.

Mireau

I am responsible for the lives of 8,000 men. What is my ambition against that? What is my reputation in comparison to that? My men come first of all, George. And those men know it, too.

Broulard

I know that they do.

Mireau

You see, George, those men know that I would never let them down.

Broulard

That goes without saying.

Mireau

The life of one of those soldiers means more to me than all the stars and decorations and honors in France.

Mireau

I'm awfully glad you could be there, George. This sort of thing is always rather grim but this one had a kind of splendor to it, don't you think?

Broulard

I have never seen an affair of this sort handled any better.

Mireau

The men died wonderfully! There's always that chance that one of them will do something that will leave everyone with a bad taste. This time, you couldn't ask for better.

Broulard

Come, come, Colonel Dax. Don't overdo the surprise. You've been after the job from the start. We all know that, my boy.

Dax

I may be many things, sir. But I am not your boy.

Broulard

It would be a pity to lose your promotion before you get it - a promotion you have so very carefully planned for.

Broulard

Colonel Dax, you will apologize at once or you shall be placed under arrest!

Dax

I apologize for not being entirely honest with you. I apologize for not revealing my true feelings. I apologize, sir, for not telling you sooner that you're a degenerate, sadistic old man. AND YOU CAN GO TO HELL BEFORE I APOLOGIZE TO YOU NOW OR EVER AGAIN.

Broulard

Colonel Dax, you're a disappointment to me. You've spoiled the keenness of your mind by wallowing in sentimentality. You really did want to save those men, and you were not angling for Mireau's command. You are an idealist - and I pity you as I would the village idiot. We're fighting a war, Dax, a war that we've got to win. Those men didn't fight, so they were shot. You bring charges against General Mireau, so I insist that he answer them. Wherein have I done wrong?

Dax

Because you don't know the answer to that question, I pity you.