Lt. Col. Frank Slate
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Lt. Col. Frank Slate
A little speech Al Pacino made in the movie Scent of a Woman, which I memorized when I first watched it in high school. The amazing thing is - like bicycle - I STILL remember every word of the speech. I typed the following from my memory, and some of the contents might be a little off(I know, I am SUCH a geek). But I figured that I need this speech on my blog, for how moving it is. Lt. Col. Frank Slate IS a character, and an inspiring one at that.
Mr. Trask," Mr. Simms, you are a cover-up artiste and you are a liar.
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," But not a snitch!"
Mr. Trask," Excuse me?"
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," No, I don't think I will."
Mr. Trask," Mr. Slate..."
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," This is such a croak of shit!"
Mr. Trask," Please watch your language Mr. Slate. You are in the Baird School, not the barracks. Mr. Simms, I'll give you one final opportunity to speak up."
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," Mr. Simms doesn't want it! He doesn't need to be labeled. 'Still worthy of being a Baird man', what the hell is that? What is your motto here? 'Boys, inform on your classmates. Save your hide, anything short of that we're gonna burn you at the stake'? Well, gentlemen. When the shit hits the fan, some guys run and some guys stay. Here's Charlie facing the fire and there's George, hiding in Big Daddy's pocket. And what are you doing? You're gonna reward George, and destroy Charlie."
Mr. Trask," Are you finished, Mr. Slate?"
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," Now, I'm just getting warmed up! I don't know who went to this place. William Howard Taft, William Jennings Bryan, William Tell, whoever. Their spirit is dead, if they ever had one - it's gone. You're building a rat-ship here, a vessel for sea-going snitches! And if you think you're preparing these 'menos' for manhood, you better think again. Because I say you are killing the very spirit this institution proclaims and instills! What a sham, what kind of a show you guys putting on here today? I mean the only class in this act is sitting next to me, and I'm here to tell you this boy's soul is intact. It's not negotiable. You know how I know? Someone here - I'm not gonna say who - offered to buy it. Only Charlie here wasn't selling."
Mr. Trask," Sir, you are out of order."
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," Now, I'll show you 'out of order'! You don't know what 'Out of order' is, Mr. Trask! I'd show you, but I'm too old. I'm too tired and I'm too fucking blind. If I were the man five years ago, I'd take a flamethrower to this place! 'Out of order', who the hell you think you're talking to? I've been around, you know? There was a time when I could see, and I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. And there is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit, there is no prosthetic for that. You think you are merely sending this splendid foot soldier back home to Oregon with his tail between his legs. But I say, you are executing his soul! And why? Because he's not a Baird man! Baird man. You hurt this boy, you're gonna be Baird bums, the lot of you. And Harry, Jimmy, Tramp, wherever you are out there, fuck you too!"
Mr. Trask," Stand down, Mr. Slate!"
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," I'm not finished. As I came in here, I heard those words. 'Cradle of leadership'. Well when the bowel breaks, the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here, it has fallen! Makers of men, creators of leaders! Be careful what kind of leaders you're producing here. I don't know if Charlie's silence here today is right or wrong, I'm not the judge or the jury. But I can tell you this: He won't sell anybody out to buy his future! And that my friends is called 'Integrity', that's called 'Courage'. Now that's the stuff leaders should be made of! Now I have come to the crossroads in my life. I always knew what the right path was, without exception, I knew. But I never took it, you know why? It was too damn hard. Now here's Charlie, he has come to the crossroads, and he has chosen a path. It's the right path, it's a path made of principles that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey. You hold this boy's future in your hands, committee! It's a valuable future! Believe me. Don't destroy it, embrace it. It's gonna make you proud one day, I promise you."
--- Scent of a Woman (1992)
And a mentioning of this movie cannot go without the showcase of this other brilliant scene.
A little speech Al Pacino made in the movie Scent of a Woman, which I memorized when I first watched it in high school. The amazing thing is - like bicycle - I STILL remember every word of the speech. I typed the following from my memory, and some of the contents might be a little off(I know, I am SUCH a geek). But I figured that I need this speech on my blog, for how moving it is. Lt. Col. Frank Slate IS a character, and an inspiring one at that.
Mr. Trask," Mr. Simms, you are a cover-up artiste and you are a liar.
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," But not a snitch!"
Mr. Trask," Excuse me?"
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," No, I don't think I will."
Mr. Trask," Mr. Slate..."
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," This is such a croak of shit!"
Mr. Trask," Please watch your language Mr. Slate. You are in the Baird School, not the barracks. Mr. Simms, I'll give you one final opportunity to speak up."
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," Mr. Simms doesn't want it! He doesn't need to be labeled. 'Still worthy of being a Baird man', what the hell is that? What is your motto here? 'Boys, inform on your classmates. Save your hide, anything short of that we're gonna burn you at the stake'? Well, gentlemen. When the shit hits the fan, some guys run and some guys stay. Here's Charlie facing the fire and there's George, hiding in Big Daddy's pocket. And what are you doing? You're gonna reward George, and destroy Charlie."
Mr. Trask," Are you finished, Mr. Slate?"
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," Now, I'm just getting warmed up! I don't know who went to this place. William Howard Taft, William Jennings Bryan, William Tell, whoever. Their spirit is dead, if they ever had one - it's gone. You're building a rat-ship here, a vessel for sea-going snitches! And if you think you're preparing these 'menos' for manhood, you better think again. Because I say you are killing the very spirit this institution proclaims and instills! What a sham, what kind of a show you guys putting on here today? I mean the only class in this act is sitting next to me, and I'm here to tell you this boy's soul is intact. It's not negotiable. You know how I know? Someone here - I'm not gonna say who - offered to buy it. Only Charlie here wasn't selling."
Mr. Trask," Sir, you are out of order."
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," Now, I'll show you 'out of order'! You don't know what 'Out of order' is, Mr. Trask! I'd show you, but I'm too old. I'm too tired and I'm too fucking blind. If I were the man five years ago, I'd take a flamethrower to this place! 'Out of order', who the hell you think you're talking to? I've been around, you know? There was a time when I could see, and I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. And there is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit, there is no prosthetic for that. You think you are merely sending this splendid foot soldier back home to Oregon with his tail between his legs. But I say, you are executing his soul! And why? Because he's not a Baird man! Baird man. You hurt this boy, you're gonna be Baird bums, the lot of you. And Harry, Jimmy, Tramp, wherever you are out there, fuck you too!"
Mr. Trask," Stand down, Mr. Slate!"
Lt. Col. Frank Slate," I'm not finished. As I came in here, I heard those words. 'Cradle of leadership'. Well when the bowel breaks, the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here, it has fallen! Makers of men, creators of leaders! Be careful what kind of leaders you're producing here. I don't know if Charlie's silence here today is right or wrong, I'm not the judge or the jury. But I can tell you this: He won't sell anybody out to buy his future! And that my friends is called 'Integrity', that's called 'Courage'. Now that's the stuff leaders should be made of! Now I have come to the crossroads in my life. I always knew what the right path was, without exception, I knew. But I never took it, you know why? It was too damn hard. Now here's Charlie, he has come to the crossroads, and he has chosen a path. It's the right path, it's a path made of principles that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey. You hold this boy's future in your hands, committee! It's a valuable future! Believe me. Don't destroy it, embrace it. It's gonna make you proud one day, I promise you."
--- Scent of a Woman (1992)
And a mentioning of this movie cannot go without the showcase of this other brilliant scene.
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on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 11:41 AM.
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