The Life of Emile Zola Page #3

and addressing it to you.

Well, open it and read.

"Nana sells 36,000...

...the first three days..."?

"Enclosed find check..."

For 18,000 francs?

Yes, well...

Why, I can't believe it. It's...

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I don't know how

to thank you. Adieu. Goodbye.

Goodbye, monsieur.

Goodbye, madame.

- Monsieur?

- Yes, what is it?

Could you...? Could you still

let me have a few franc? In cash.

I'll pay you back tomorrow.

Thank you, monsieur.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, madame. Thank you.

- Umbrella!

- Yes, of course. I'll have a dozen.

I'll have two doz...

No, I'll have one. Here.

- There you are.

- Umbrella!

New umbrella! Umbrella!

- Where are they going?

- To Berlin.

- Berlin?

- Haven't you heard? War's been declared.

Isn't it glorious?

Those dreadful Prussians,

at the very gates of Paris.

There, there, Maman. Don't take on so.

We'll all be murdered in our beds.

It's disgraceful.

There's not a morsel of food

to be bought anywhere in the whole town.

Even the horseflesh has been sold out.

And the streets...

It's frightening, terrifying.

Never did I think I'd live to see France...

...groveling in the dust

under the Prussian heel.

- How will it end, Emile?

- How does it always end?

In misery, suffering,

in the blood of the people.

Those generals plunged us recklessly

into a war for which we were unprepared.

Is it any wonder that we were

disastrously defeated?

- Those are the fortunes of war.

- Those are indeed the fortunes of war.

The whole structure had to collapse

before we could learn the truth.

But France shall know why.

I shall name her betrayers.

She shall see who led her men

to the slaughter...

...who's responsible for her downfall.

"During the entire war of 1870...

...the execution of the campaign

was lame, impotent...

...and nullified by petty jealousies

among the generals...

...each of whom thought only of securing

a field marshal's baton for himself.

The army was governed by

dry rot and slow paralysis.

The general staff was mediocre,

of an ignorance past belief...

...rushing into the adventure

of war with the confusion...

...of a flock of sheep

being led to the shambles."

- Good morning.

- Good morning, sir.

What is it? You seem disturbed.

Have you read the attack on the general

staff in this book, The Downfall?

Book? Book? I never read books.

Who's it by?

A certain Emile Zola.

A civilian daring to criticize the army.

He wasn't exactly criticizing, sir.

I've read the book.

The war has been over for many years,

but I've gathered, as Zola says...

...there were times in that campaign

when our staffwork wasn't brilliant.

- What?

- We should admit our mistakes.

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