Quotes

Dialogue

Capt. Arie D. "Harry" Bestebreurtje: Why the emergency meeting? Brig. Gen. James Gavin: Just keeping me abreast of the little changes. Bestebreurtje: How big are the little changes? Gavin: I'll answer with typical British understatement: gigantic. For example, they can't get us all in at once. Too many men, too much equipment, not enough planes. It's gonna take three days to get the men into Arnhem, Poles and the British. Bestebreurtje: Well, what about us? Gavin: We'll be all right. Aside from the fact that we're parachuting in daylight, we have nothing to worry about. Bestebreurtje: Daylight? Has it ever been tried before? Gavin: Not in a major drop. Bestebreurtje: You think there might be a reason for that? Gavin: Let's hope not. Bestebreurtje: What do you think? Gavin: It'll be all right. It's a no-moon period anyway. We have to go in daylight. It doesn't matter. Just so they get us over the target area. Half a mile away, three quarters of a mile, I'll settle for that– Bestebreurtj

Dialogue

Capt. Glass: My problem is, I'm not totally crazy about the prospect of dying. SSgt. Eddie Dohun: So don't die. Drinking that garbage isn't gonna keep you alive, is it? Glass: What is? Dohun: What is? Well, not gettin' shot. Glass: What can guarantee that? Dohun: Nothing, for sure. Glass: You will. Dohun: I will what? Glass: You tell me, Eddie. You tell me I won't die. Dohun: Alright, you won't die. Glass: No, no. Guarantee me. I want you to guarantee me I won't die. Dohun: [seriously] I guarantee you.

Dialogue

SSgt. Eddie Dohun: Colonel, if you don't look at him right now, he's going to die. U.S. medical colonel: He's dead now. Dohun: It would mean a lot to me, sir, if you'd check him out. U.S. medical colonel: Come on, Sergeant! For Chrissakes get him out of here! Dohun: [briefly goes out, returns] Would you look at him please, sir. [brandishes .45 Pistol] Right now. Or I'll blow your fuckin' head off. [cocks the .45] Right now. U.S. medical colonel: I can give him a quick examination if you like. Dohun: Thank you very much, sir. U.S. medical colonel: [doing so, discovers that Glass is indeed still alive] I'll be the son of a...ORDERLY!

Dialogue

U.S. medical colonel: [To military policeman Lt. Rafferty] Sergeant Dohun pulled a gun on me and threatened to kill me unless I did precisely what he ordered...I want you to put him under arrest. Lt. Rafferty: Yes sir. U.S. medical colonel: I want you to keep him there; I want you to keep him there, for at least ten seconds. Rafferty: [brief pause] I'm not all that sure I understand, Colonel. U.S. medical colonel: Count to ten, Lieutenant, fast. Rafferty: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Like that, sir? U.S. medical colonel: [dismisses him] Thank you, Lieutenant. [Rafferty salutes and leaves, confused] Brig. Gen. James Gavin: What's the best way to take a bridge? Maj. Julian Cook: Both ends at once. Gavin: I'm sending two companies across the river by boat. I need a man with very special qualities to lead. Cook: Go on, sir. Gavin: He's got to be tough enough to do it and he's got to be experienced enough to do it. Plus one more thing. He's got to be dumb enoug

Dialogue

Maj. Harry Carlyle: Rather interesting development, sir. [to the German] That's far enough! We can hear you from there! SS Panzer Officer: My general says there is no point in continuing this fighting! He is willing to discuss a surrender! Lt. Col. John Frost: Tell him to go to hell. Carlyle: We haven't the proper facilities to take you all prisoner! Sorry! SS Panzer Officer: [confused] What? Maj. Harry Carlyle: We'd like to, but we can't accept your surrender! Was there anything else? Frost: Right. SS Panzer Officer: Mein Herr General.... [dejectedly enters shotgun seat of General Bittrich's staff car] And now? Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Bittrich: [slowly] Flatten Arnhem.

Dialogue

Lt. Col. John Frost: Hello, Harry. Maj. Harry Carlyle: Hello. Johnny. Frost: You know, Harry; I always wanted to ask you, but didn't because I knew you so very much wanted me to and I didn't want to give you the satisfaction; but why the hell do you always carry that bloody umbrella? Carlyle: Memory. Frost: What? Carlyle: Bad...memory. Never could remember the password. Knew no Jerry would carry one. Had to prove...I was an Englishman. [passes away]

Dialogue

Gen. Karl Ludwig: Not possible. Dr. Jan Spaander: If you would just say yes, it would be very possible. Gen. Ludwig: Forgive me, but there is a battle. And we are in the process of winning it. Dr. Spaander: Winning or losing is not a concern. Living or dying is. Cease fire. One hour... two... just to evacuate our wounded. Afterwards you can kill us as much as you want. Gen. Karl Ludwig: Rest assured...I, for one, don't kill anybody because I want to. Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Bittrich: General Ludwig. [motions with fingers to come to him. They whisper and Ludwig leaves with his staff; in German to Spaander] Your request will be met. The ceasefire will begin at three o'clock. Dr. Spaander: [to British officer] Ceasefire at three. [to Bittrich in German] I would like to thank you. British officer: Would you like to thank him, please? Dr. Spaander: I just did. Bittrich: [in German] Please, you can go. [walks out]

Dialogue

Brig. Gen. James Gavin: Well that's it then. We're pulling them out. [long pause] It was Nijmegen. Lt. Col. J.O.E. Vandeleur: It was the single road getting to Nijmegen. Lt. Gen. Brian Horrocks: No, it was after Nijmegen. [leaves] Lt. Gen. Frederick "Boy" Browning: [to General Sosabowski] And the fog, in England. [leaves] Maj. Gen. Stanislaw Sosabowski: Doesn't matter what it was. One man says to another, "I know what let's do today, let's play the war game."... everybody dies.

Dialogue

Lt. Gen. Frederick "Boy" Browning: Hello, Roy. How are you? Maj. Gen. Roy Urquhart: I won't be sure for a while. But I'm sorry it didn't work out better. Browning: You did all you could. Urquhart: Yes, but did everybody else? Browning: They've got a bed for you upstairs, if you want it. Urquhart: I took ten thousand of our best men to Arnhem. I've come back with less than two thousand. I don't feel much like sleeping. Browning: Quite. I've just been on to Monty. He's very proud and pleased. Urquhart: Pleased!? Browning: Of course. Technically, Market Garden was 90% successful. Urquhart: But what do you think? Browning: ...Well, perhaps we tried to go a bridge too far. [Urquhart stares silently at him]