The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (II) (1959)

Keiji Sada: Kageyama Shôi

Quotes 

• Kageyama Shôi : You're a clever man, but picking the army as the stage for your battles was a fool's work. It's wiser to play it safe than be stubborn.

  Kaji : Will you do a clever fool a favor? The mother hen's leaving half her brood behind. My absence may make it easier to keep the vets in line. Can I count on you?

  Kageyama Shôi : Don't be such a pessimist. If you must worry, worry about your wife.

• Kageyama Shôi : She's praying that our worthless lives might be spared, hoping against hope that you'll survive. She repeats that over and over.

• Kageyama Shôi : Save your heroism for your soldiers. He who shouts loudest isn't always the bravest.

• Kageyama Shôi : Take that slipper out of your mouth! Take it out.

• Kageyama Shôi : A new batch of recruits arrives soon. I want you to assist me in their training.

  Kaji : In what way?

  Kageyama Shôi : The new men range from 20 to 44 years old. Half active service, the remainder untrained. Artillery men are a rough bunch. They'd tear these men to shreds.

  Kaji : Basic is like that anywhere.

  Kageyama Shôi : That's why I need your help.

  Kaji : Count me out. I told you I gave up guarding the army's sheep.

  Kageyama Shôi : I've reported that you're my assistant in the rifle squad. I'll see that you make private 1st class.

  Kaji : Think you can bait me with a promotion?

  Kageyama Shôi : No, I know I can't. I just figured you could spare those recruits a lot of grief. Need I say more?

  Kaji : I'll accept your proposal... on one condition.

  Kageyama Shôi : What's that?

  Kaji : I want radical changes in squad composition.

• Kaji : It's not because I took a beating. I want orders forbidding all corporal punishment of recruits.

  Kageyama Shôi : I'd go along with you if we were stationed further back. But it's different here. The vets may be louts, but they can stand on their own two feet. If I lost control over them, what would happen in battle?

  Kaji : I'd place my recruits and myself at your command.

  Kageyama Shôi : In actual combat... I couldn't trust you half as much as I trust those men. Those jaded five-year vets wouldn't listen to a 2nd lieutenant fresh from the academy.

• Kageyama Shôi : The vets may have grumbled, but you got your way, even if it meant eating that slipper.

• Kageyama Shôi : I understand.

  Nonaka Shôi : What do you understand?

  Kageyama Shôi : That I'll probably die here. And 2nd Lt. Nonaka... so will you.

• Kageyama Shôi : Michiko wrote me. I told her you were here with me. She can't understand why you so rarely write, since you must be enjoying more freedom here.

  Kaji : More freedom, eh?

  Kageyama Shôi : Want to read it?

  Kaji : Just give me the gist.

  Kageyama Shôi : She's relieved. Figures you have it easy under my command. She has a lot to learn. She asked me to keep an eye on you. Be careful, Kaji.

  Kaji : Don't twist her words to support your own position.

  Kageyama Shôi : Fool! She's praying that our worthless lives might be spared, hoping against hope that you'll survive. She repeats that over and over.

  Kaji : I'm sorry. You're an officer. You can write to her. If you send a reply, here's what you should say: 'Kaji will not die. No matter what happens, he'll make it out alive.' Please tell her that.