How I Won the War
One of my all-time favourite films is Richard Lester's 'How I Won the War', made in 1967. It starred Michael Crawford and John Lennon. I own a copy of it on video...a rather old ex-rental. The film has not as yet been released on DVD in Australia, though it has been in the US and the UK. (It is a British film).
I watched it again the other night, after having not seen it for quite some time. The dialogue is incredible and so I wanted to explore some of it in more detail. My fav scene is the one below. It is a scene between Crawford, playing British officer Goodbody, and Michael Vogler as the Nazi officer Odelbog. It takes place near a bridge, the last remaining one of the River Rhine. Goodbody has been captured by the Germans and has befriended Odelbog who, though a Nazi, seems more at home painting and looking after animals.
Goodbody: Did you have many humorous instances?
Odelbog: Oh yes yes!...Tell me about yours.
Goodbody: They're not funny really.
Odelbog: Tell me, are the British cruel?
Goodbody: Oh yes. We know what we're doing.
Odelbog: And are we. Do you know what we have done to millions of people?
Goodbody: ...I think you've killed them.
Odelbog: I don't know anything about it. It was terrible.
Goodbody: Are you sorry about these people?
Odelbog: No...no I'm not, and I've thought about it, and...no I'm not.
Goodbody: I'm not sorry about my men.
Odelbog: Did you have a lot of men?
Goodbody: (nods) You did?
Odelbog: Yes. Hundreds.
Goodbody: Me too, and all with the same faces. They all looked the same to me. You look after them, see their feet is clean. Dry, slightly powdered.
Odelbog: They will not look after their feet.
Goodbody: They were going to kill me with worry. More than that...more. Oh, may I? (Takes the feed for the chickens). The thing about them was they would not respond. There is was for them, a crusade against tyranny...oh - not you, not you. But if they knew the king. My mother knew him well, she used to send something on his birthday, and all the children, the princesses, they all got a little something, even though we were not that well off. I wanted to do my best for him. He knew...why he gave me his commission. You know what I mean?
Odelbog: Yeah.
Goodbody: I wanted to know them. I wanted to know them very well...I can talk to you. I could talk to nobody else. I haven't spoken to anyone else, like this, about the king and me, for the whole of this...
Odelbog: "And I. The king and I..."
Goodbody: You'd like him. (Gives Odelbog the chicken feed).
Odelbog: Thank you.
Goodbody: As I was saying, I haven't been able to speak to anyone else through the whole of this film. You see, one day, after a not particularly arduous or expensive skirmish, they were all gathered around me...I well remember, the way an admirable man, and a great soldier, referred to "expensive noises" as he listened to a battle without emotion. That is the way, isn't it, for our kind?
Odelbog: You are a fascist!
Goodbody: Am I? But I don't particularly dislike Jews...
Odelbog: Oh, I love them.
Goodbody: Have you, are you cruel, have you...killed many Jews?
Odelbog: Quite a lot. What do you say to that?
Goodbody: ...Good Lord. But then I try to find the good in everybody.
I just think that is brilliant writing.
I watched it again the other night, after having not seen it for quite some time. The dialogue is incredible and so I wanted to explore some of it in more detail. My fav scene is the one below. It is a scene between Crawford, playing British officer Goodbody, and Michael Vogler as the Nazi officer Odelbog. It takes place near a bridge, the last remaining one of the River Rhine. Goodbody has been captured by the Germans and has befriended Odelbog who, though a Nazi, seems more at home painting and looking after animals.
Goodbody: Did you have many humorous instances?
Odelbog: Oh yes yes!...Tell me about yours.
Goodbody: They're not funny really.
Odelbog: Tell me, are the British cruel?
Goodbody: Oh yes. We know what we're doing.
Odelbog: And are we. Do you know what we have done to millions of people?
Goodbody: ...I think you've killed them.
Odelbog: I don't know anything about it. It was terrible.
Goodbody: Are you sorry about these people?
Odelbog: No...no I'm not, and I've thought about it, and...no I'm not.
Goodbody: I'm not sorry about my men.
Odelbog: Did you have a lot of men?
Goodbody: (nods) You did?
Odelbog: Yes. Hundreds.
Goodbody: Me too, and all with the same faces. They all looked the same to me. You look after them, see their feet is clean. Dry, slightly powdered.
Odelbog: They will not look after their feet.
Goodbody: They were going to kill me with worry. More than that...more. Oh, may I? (Takes the feed for the chickens). The thing about them was they would not respond. There is was for them, a crusade against tyranny...oh - not you, not you. But if they knew the king. My mother knew him well, she used to send something on his birthday, and all the children, the princesses, they all got a little something, even though we were not that well off. I wanted to do my best for him. He knew...why he gave me his commission. You know what I mean?
Odelbog: Yeah.
Goodbody: I wanted to know them. I wanted to know them very well...I can talk to you. I could talk to nobody else. I haven't spoken to anyone else, like this, about the king and me, for the whole of this...
Odelbog: "And I. The king and I..."
Goodbody: You'd like him. (Gives Odelbog the chicken feed).
Odelbog: Thank you.
Goodbody: As I was saying, I haven't been able to speak to anyone else through the whole of this film. You see, one day, after a not particularly arduous or expensive skirmish, they were all gathered around me...I well remember, the way an admirable man, and a great soldier, referred to "expensive noises" as he listened to a battle without emotion. That is the way, isn't it, for our kind?
Odelbog: You are a fascist!
Goodbody: Am I? But I don't particularly dislike Jews...
Odelbog: Oh, I love them.
Goodbody: Have you, are you cruel, have you...killed many Jews?
Odelbog: Quite a lot. What do you say to that?
Goodbody: ...Good Lord. But then I try to find the good in everybody.
I just think that is brilliant writing.
posted by Rob at 10:00 pm
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