"Favorite 'Waterloo' quote?" Topic

So, we've had the occaisional message threads on which we recite our favorite quotes from Zulu (an uncommonly fine film it is!). Since I'm in a Napoleonic mood today, I thought we'd do the same with our favorite/favourite quotes from the 1970 Waterloo film.

Mine?

Uh….Boney's not a gentleman; on the field of battle, his hat is worth 50,000 men. But he's not a gentleman

Arthur! What an Englishman you are!!!

Lord Gordon: Good beans, Wellington!

Duke of Wellington: If there is anything in this world about which I know positively nothing, it is agriculture.

N: "I made one mistake in my life: I should have burned Berlin"
or
N:"Has Wellington nothing better to offer me than those amazons"
Or
W: "commanders of armies have something better to do than to shoot at eachother"
Or
W: "Give me night or give me Blücher"
The whole movie is full of excellent one liners

The 18:25 train to Dorking has been cancelled because of the wrong kind of snow on the track! South-West Trains apologise for any delay this may cause to your journey…

Napoleon:

"Has Wellington nothing to offer me but these Amazons?"

I use it every time a friend uses his lovely painted highlander kilted wearing miniatures. : )

There are far two many……

'I will Not, I will not, I will not, not, not………'(then he did)

'He's back, he's back, the emperor is back'

'make a pig next time, Paddy;…. 'and they'll make you a sergeant'

By god sir, I've lost my leg'. 'By God sir, so you have!'

'merde!'

'I made one mistake in my life, I should have burnt Berlin!'

'The old Guard has broken!'

to name but a few

Lord Uxbridge: "As I am second in command and in case anything should happen to you, what are your plans?"

Duke of Wellington: "To beat the French."

*returns to his rest*

Napoleon:

Mobilise! March! Train the troops on the March!

Ney:

There are no troops Sire…

'Now, Maitland, Nows your time!'

Followed by continuous, steady and lethal rolling volleys by platoon…

The only time Wellington gets so much as a bit of heat in his voice!

Of the Scots Greys:

'They say these are fighest cavalry in Europe Sire – and the worst led"

'That may be, that may be, but we shall match them with our Lancers!'

And they did by jove!

Unfortunately not in the film, so clearly not actually true:

Wellington:

I should not do justice to my own feelings, or to Marshal Blücher and the Prussian army, if I did not attribute the successful result of this arduous day to the cordial and timely assistance I received from them.

From Wellingtons Official Despatch recounting the battle to London.

Well clearly we are only considering Sergei B's version (may he be forgiven and rest in peace, despite everything) but I'll go for "Give me night…or give me Blucher".

More I think about it…incredible that the Prussians featured at all. Would DoW have left a fraction of his army at Mt St Jean and marched to Wavre with the rest, away from his lines of communication and salvation, to support Blucher, had Napoleon headed east? He had more sense. Blucher did not and hardly features in the film, after the cuts (and is played by a Russian). Herr Horseshoer is right, we need to rethink our European cousins' contribution.

Sorry Sparker, while I was typing slowly, so were you! What a coincidence!!!!!

@ deadhead…I agree about the Prussians; I was disappointed that they get barely any screen time in the film, and when they do show up the Prussian formations show as a miniscule line of tiny troops dwarfed by the smoke-laden sky above. I have wondered if Sergei B. was trying to emulate John Ford.

Good quotes everyone!

"Soldiers of the Fifth – you recognize me. If any of you wants to shoot his emperor, well, here I am."

What huge stones that took.

For more fun with Waterloo, watch it with English subtitles, as (at least with my copy) they appear to be transcripted by Chinese:

audio: Savage stuff, Ponsonby!
subtitle: Inhale hard, Ponsonby!

audio: This Englishman fights war in a new way…sitting on his ass…
subtitle: This man battles sitting on a desk

Great fun!

"You know me, I am Ney! Come and die with a Marshal of France!" And, on the other side of the field, (I'm not sure if its' in the movie or not, "What will say they in London?"
John Miller

@ John Miller-wasn't that the Duke's ADC or whatever, commenting on the retreat from Quatre Bras?

ADC: In London, they'll say we've been licked

Wellington replies Can't help that

"It is you young Wellington, who are mistaken about a great many things… now watch the firepower of this fully operational grand battery.." oops I am confussing two great emperors and two great historical movies :)

"Where is Grouchy? I need those men! Why do I have to do everything myself?"

"What is he doing; what is Ney doing?" (the result of not doing everything himself).

' God willing, and the river doesn't rise.' 'God? God has nothing to do with it.'

"If I thought that my hair knew what I was thinking, I would shave my head and wear a wig."

"They are the finest cavalry in Europe…..and the worst lead"

"The old guard has fallen!"

"They are the finest cavalry in Europe…..and the worst lead"

They're made of high quality pewter these days, aren't they?

"Soldiers of the Fifth – you recognize me. If any of you wants to shoot his emperor, well, here I am."

What huge stones that took.

I thought it was hemorrhoids…

"But at Marengo I was young…"

Said by Rod Steiger with the perfect amount of self-doubt and weariness.

To Muffling- "I BEG Marshall Blucher to come to my aid- with even one corps!"

There may not be many scenes scenes of Prussian troops in action (although they do make a visual impact however brief) but that's missing the point really. The Prussian army's progress and impending arrival as the make or break issue is frequently and clearly referenced by both sides throughout the narrative of the battle section of the film.

It's always worth remembering of course that there was only a battle at all for the Prussians to: turn up at the end of/assist in winning/provide the decisive stroke at/win outright (depending on your point of view) BECAUSE Wellington took the very chancy decision to stand and fight on the ridge. Chancy because although confident Blucher would do his utmost to get there, Wellington would know there were very many factors which might go against them.

Two of my other favourite quotes- both from Wellington as it happens- who seems to have been given a better sense of humour than Napoleon by the scriptwriters:

"I do not intend to run around like a wet hen!"

and to the trumpeter frantically trying to recall Ponsonby

"STOP THAT USELESS NOISE!! You'll hurt yourself……."

Class.

Timotheous: You are probably right. There are so many good quotes in that movie I get them confused. I am glad to find that apparently I am not alone in blurting some of these out now and then at a game. Just reading all these quotes makes me want to go home and watch the movie tonight.
John Miller

"Scum"

"you'll know when you've met a Cuirassier!"

"16,000 Prussian dead, thats good news to slap on the walls of Paris"

Ponsonby: An old Jew in Alexandria had the blend.

Uxbridge: Blend??????

'Now, Maitland, Nows your time!'
Followed by continuous, steady and lethal rolling volleys by platoon…
The only time Wellington gets so much as a bit of heat in his voice!

Seemed to be be pretty heated when he yelled:
"Every Brigade, every battalion here!"
"Get to all of you!" when he goes to help Uxbridge after loosing his leg.
"I Beg! (slams table) Marshall Blucher to come to Waterloo…I want to talk"

It wasn't Ney who replied there are no more men in the beginning, not sure which Marshall he was supposed to be, he had white hair and it was his only line.

"I AM NEY!"

I can't remember the exact words, but when someone says to Wellington that Napoleon is within artillery range.

Wellington says something along the lines of:-

We have more important things to do rather than shoot at him

Seems like a good place to ask this. I've seen the movie more times than I can remember. Watched the DVD with subtitles which has been pointed out is a complete joke. Tried to find the script online with no luck. There is one line I've never understood.

Ney: "Wellington won't hold us an hour…not with that (blank) of his. English Belgians, Brunswickers, and god knows what else.

Any idea what that word Ney says. Sounds like weirass.

"I like a man who can defend a hopeless position. Promote him to corporal!"

Wellington to Muffling
"I BEG Marshall Blucher to come to Waterloo by 1 O'Clock"

Napoleon to Ney
"This Wellington wages war in a new way he fights sitting on his ass we'll have to move him off it"

Napoleon to his Officers
"I was in this position before at the Battle of Marengo I lost the Battle at 5 O'Clock BUT I WON IT BACK AGAIN AT SEVEN"

What huge stones that took.

I thought it was hemorrhoids…

Perhaps it was the former that caused the latter?

Perhaps they effected how he rode?

Ashenduke: I thought it was, (I have no idea how to spell this, or say it for that matter.), "bouyeabase". I am not much on french cuisine, or anybody elses for that matter, but I thought it was some kind of "Mulligan Stew", which in the USA, is a stew with all kinds of different things in it.
John Miller

"Weird mass?"

Either that, or it's a French term*, or it's a bad spot in the soundtrack.

But I've long wondered the same myself.

* Mr. Miller may be on to something when he suggests it's a culinary term. I don't think it's the one he thinks (bouillabaisse – thanks, Google), but there are so many to choose from we'd need Julia Child to sort it out.

I've always thought he said bourasse. That's derived from bourrer which refers to stuffing, which would fit the allied army nicely.

A to my favorite line(s). Most are covered, but I must add,

"Raise high the black flags, children, and let no man show mercy in his eyes. I will shoot the man who shows mercy."

Or something close to that. Made more effective because Old Blucher is surrounded by Totenkopfs as he says it.

Ty Dan I think thats it! I listened to that part again and it does sound correct.

I always heard it as bouillabaisse, which is a French fish stew full of every kind of fish and shellfish you can get.

for me its the breakfast scene with Napoleon (Rod)
in ebullient form looking at all the dishes under the
silver dish covers..and saying "this one!!)…and the
remark about the vicar not having much of a congregation..
looking wildeyed and just getting up..and all the High
Brass follow .hungry!! splendid stuff!!

Ged
gringo40s.com
gringo40s.blogspot.com

Gordon: "The lads are down to 5 rounds apiece" (Wellington shoots him an angry look), "aye, but they'll fight"

The British Army: "Boney fought the Roos-ians Jean Francois, Boney was a warrior way-ay-ay…"

DeLancey: "Who's the boy to kick Boney's arse?
Army: "Our 'Atty!"

Not sure if this one made the final cut:

Wellington: "Oi, Orinoco – you missed a Coke can and an old tyre under that hedge."

Agree with Vaughan, it always sounded like bouillabaisse to me. And the implication that it is a soup made of anything that could be scraped together. My favourite line would have to be the following, with apologies for memory induced errors:

Aide: Foy's division is attacking now, sir! You could quickly move the 95th down………
Wellington: I am not going to run around like a wet hen! There'll be plenty of time sir, plenty of time.

Mollinary

"By God, sir, I've lost my leg!", to which Wellington replied to Uxbridge "By God, sir, so you have!"

This, to me, encapsulates the British stiff upper lip, and what happens when one is the missing their lower leg.

There was bad blood between Wellington and Uxbridge and they did not get on, (an under statment!)

Uxbridge had eloped with Wellingtn's sister in law,
A good British cavalry commander that never served under Wellington in Spain.

I'm with Dan W with the Bluchur quote on the black flags,

At the Duchess of Richmond's Ball
The Duchess commenting on how badly Sir Thomas Picton danced
Wellington reply "He dances very well with the French".

Wellington with his staff at the start of the Battle
toasted to "Todays Fox".

My memory might be deceiving me but I seem to remember reading one Scott's Gray saying that at one point he had a fellow from a highland infantry grab his stirrup and yell "For Scottland!" with eyes ablaze.