“- Don't you believe me, sir? - Yes, I do, but who else will?”
Why it's great
The reply turns belief into loneliness: yes, but who else will?
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Neutral
Use it yourself
I believe you, but who else will?
00:00 / 03:14
00:00 / 03:14
Dax Prepares the Accused Soldiers, Explained
Paths of Glory · 1957
Chapter 8 of 17 · 3'14"
Before the court-martial, Dax coaches the three accused: stick to your story, look the judges in the eye, don't whine or make speeches. Paris tells him Roget shot Lejeune on patrol and then blackmailed him, but with no witnesses it is useless. The trial opens by skipping the indictment and charging them with cowardice.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:48–1:35
Dax Coaches the Accused
47s - 2:25–3:12
The Court-Martial Opens
48s
Dax Prepares the Accused Soldiers, explained
What happens
Dax visits the three condemned men before their trial. Paris accuses Lieutenant Roget of shooting Lejeune on patrol and then blackmailing him into silence; the others explain they were chosen by lot or because an officer disliked them. Dax tells them to stick to their stories and behave like brave soldiers, then the court-martial opens and charges them with cowardice.
What's really going on
The scene is where the film's sense of procedure meets its corruption. Dax's advice is almost theatrical — how to sit, where to look, how loudly to speak — because the trial is a performance whose verdict is already written: 'Whatever the reason, you're on trial for your lives.' Paris's accusation against Roget, that he killed a man and then blackmailed a witness, is true and irrelevant; Dax tells him so because 'that story has nothing to do with the charges you're being tried for.' The court then makes its contempt plain by refusing even to read the indictment, and Dax's objection is overruled before it can land. What the soldiers are defending is not their conduct but the general's reputation, and the law exists only to dress that up.
Key lines & what they mean
- “- Don't you believe me, sir? - Yes, I do, but who else will?”
- Paris's frustration and Dax's honest answer: belief is not enough in court, and without evidence the true story cannot help him.
- “Whatever the reason, you're on trial for your lives.”
- Dax's plain warning that arguing about why they were picked is pointless — the only thing that matters now is survival.
- “so don't let it seem as if you're dropping your eyes in a hangdog manner.”
- His practical coaching on appearance: a witness who looks ashamed will be read as guilty, whatever the truth is.
- “But that story has nothing to do with the charges you're being tried for.”
- Dax sets aside the accusation against Roget as legally useless, even though it is the moral heart of the case.
- “Will the prosecutor question the witnesses without even reading the indictment?”
- Dax's objection to a trial that skips its own formalities, revealing the court's indifference to fair process.
- “Don't whine, plead or make speeches. That's my job.”
- His instruction to the soldiers: keep answers short and let the lawyer carry the argument, since emotion will not help them.
Theme
- Justice — A court is used to punish the men the general blames, and procedure is skipped exactly when the defense needs it most.
- Power — The accused cannot accuse an officer; truth without witnesses is worthless against rank.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
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A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“Whatever the reason, you're on trial for your lives.”
Why it's great
It sweeps the excuses aside and names the real stake: their lives.
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Formal
Use it yourself
Whatever the reason, the deadline still stands.
“so don't let it seem as if you're dropping your eyes in a hangdog manner.”
Why it's great
Hangdog names a whole posture of shame in one vivid word.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Don't let it seem as if you're unsure of your own answers.
“But that story has nothing to do with the charges you're being tried for.”
Why it's great
A calm cut between truth and charge shows how little the trial is about either.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
My mood has nothing to do with the decision.
“Will the prosecutor question the witnesses without even reading the indictment?”
Why it's great
One polite question exposes a trial that skips its own rules.
Register
Formal
Use it yourself
Will we vote without even reading the proposal?
“Don't whine, plead or make speeches. That's my job.”
Why it's great
Three verbs, then a dry handoff: the lawyer does the talking.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
Don't panic, guess or apologize. That's my job.
Up next · 09no-man's-landThe scene: Ferol Testifies at the Court-MartialTakeaways
What you walk away with- Dax coaches posture as much as answers.
- A skipped reading of the indictment tells you the verdict.
- Draw lots is justice by lottery, and everyone knows it.
- In the face of the enemy is the phrase that decides their fate.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Dax tell the soldiers to stick to their stories?
They are on trial for their lives, and any change in their account would be used against them. Consistency is their only defense in a court that already favors the prosecution.
Why is Paris angry about Roget?
Roget shot Lejeune on the patrol and then blackmailed Paris into silence. Paris believes he was chosen for the trial because he knows the truth about Roget.
Why can't Paris use the truth about Roget in court?
He has no witnesses. Dax explains that accusing an officer would only turn the court against him, and that the story has nothing to do with the charges.
How are the three men chosen for trial?
Not by any real judgment: one is picked by lot, another because an officer called him a social undesirable. The selection is arbitrary, which is the point.
How does the court-martial begin?
It opens by declaring a general court-martial and dispensing with formalities, then charges the men with cowardice without even reading the indictment to the defense.