The Beast of War (1988)

George Dzundza: Daskal

Photos 

Quotes 

• Daskal : [the tank is incapacitated. Daskal hands out a grenade to Kaminski and Golikov]  You know our standing orders.

  Kaminski : What?

  Daskal : Out of commission, become a pillbox. Out of ammo, become a bunker. Out of time, become heroes.

  Kaminski : You must be out of your fucking mind!

  [He tosses his grenade aside] 

  Daskal : Now. Together.

  [Daskal pulls the grenade pin] 

• Daskal : Get back in the tank.

  Kaminski : What for?

  Daskal : Because I said so.

  Golikov : We're going home, sir.

  Daskal : Yeah. In the tank.

  Kaminski : Why can't we go home in the fucking helicopter?

  Daskal : Because you're tankers.

• Daskal : I read your dossier, Mr. Intellectual. What would you say your record says about you?

  Koverchenko : That I think for myself.

  Daskal : You think for yourself. When I was eight years old, defending Stalingrad, I didn't *think for myself*. When the Motherland asked for our lives, we GAVE. My father didn't think of himself, he GAVE. My mother didn't think of herself, she GAVE. My brother didn't think of himself, he GAVE! My comrades tied a rope around my waist and lowered me on top of Nazi tanks. I'd stuff Molotovs under turret and cannon, and they pulled me up again. Eight years old! They called me Tank Boy. I took a lot of Nazi tanks. A lot. And over the years I've learned to smell a traitor.

• Helicopter pilot : Today's your lucky day. If we hadn't been out here looking for water we wouldn't have found you guys. Go ahead and climb aboard, I'll call in an airstrike on the tank.

  Daskal : Nobody wastes my tank...

• [Koverchenko and Daskal are in the tank removing a dud shell from the cannon breech] 

  Daskal : Just tell me one thing; why do you stick up for the Afghan?

  Koverchenko : Because he's doing the best he can, sir.

  Daskal : That's what worries me.

  [he then opens the cannon breech as the dud shell falls out into Koverchenko's arms] 

• Daskal : Your insubordination has gotten you demoted from intelligence to rescue operations to this tank. Your next stop is prison.

• Daskal : [drinks from Kaminski's canteen and spits it out]  Brake fluid?

  Koverchenko : No wonder they don't work.

• Daskal : This time your insubordination is going get you a court martial!

  Koverchenko : So will killing your own men, sir!

• Daskal : We're safe in here. My tanks have been hit by everything. In Mongolia once, RPG, direct hit. Commander, gunner and turret went flying. I drove the rest of the tank back to our lines. These tanks today are better. Much better.