magnificent?
You write a book about the gutter,
you call it Nana...
...and you hope to make a little money.
Come with me.
I have just finished stamping
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, Йmile?
- 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...
..shing 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 Йmile 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.
The army does not
make mistakes, Picquart...
...and it will not tolerate
civilian criticism.
I suggest that you see
the chief censor about this book.
Tell him the army demands
the punishment of this upstart.
Chief censor, over there.
- Monsieur.
- Mr. Zola...
...I sent for you because every book
you've written has caused trouble.
You attacked the Second Empire.
You attacked the Third Republic.
Germinal caused a furor and unrest
among the miners that lasted for years.
- Nana: Brutal, disgusting.
- But true.
All of them stirring France
to restlessness, angry passion.
And now this Downfall,
attacking our army.
The army heads are furious.
Such a book makes the whole country
lose confidence and respect.
Lose confidence in inefficiency?
Lose respect for cowardice and stupidity?
- That would be a pity, monsieur.
- You'll write no more such books.
Except, perhaps, one about the rascality
of army-ridden politicians.
That's an idea.
To expose the government itself...
...with as much truth and accuracy
as I put into The Downfall