Daily Dialogue — March 23, 2012

General Broulard: Well…. it had to be done. France cannot afford to have fools guiding her military destiny. I’m grateful to you for having brought this matter to my attention. Colonel Dax, how would you like General Mireau’s job?

Colonel Dax: His what, sir?

General Broulard: His job.

Colonel Dax: Let me get this straight, sir. You’re offering me General Mireau’s command?

General 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!

Colonel Dax: I may be many things sir, but I am not your boy.

General Broulard: Well, I certainly didn’t mean to imply any biological relationship.

Colonel Dax: I’m not your boy in any sense.

General Broulard: Are you trying to provoke me colonel?

Colonel Dax: Why should I want to do that?

General Broulard: Exactly. It would be a pity to lose your promotion before you get it. A promotion you have so very carefully planned for.

Colonel Dax: Sir, would you like me to suggest what you can do with that promotion?

General Broulard: [angry] Colonel Dax! You will apologize at once or I shall have you placed under arrest!

Colonel 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!

— General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou), Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), Paths of Glory (1957), screenplay by Stanley Kubrick & Calder Willingham and Jim Thompson

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is apology, suggested by John Arends. Today’s suggestion by Def Earz.

Trivia: Kubrick and his partners purchased the film rights to Humphrey Cobb’s novel from his widow for $10,000.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Now this is an apology, turned on its head, into an accusation.