Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)

Maj. Weldon Penderton: Now, a man does not flee because... um... he's fighting in an unjust cause. He does not attack because his cause is just. He flees 'cause he's the weaker. And he conquers 'cause he's the stronger. Or more to the point because his leaders made him feel stronger. Rommel... Patton, Marshall, MacArthur. They - they had it. How did they - uh... how did they make their troops believe they were stronger? Leadership is intangible... hard to measure, difficult to describe. Leadership must include a measure of inherent ability to control... uh... and direct self-confidence... based on initiative, loyalty to superiors, and a sense of pride. Pride. It's far easier to recognize a leader, than to define leadership in clear and in universally understood terms. Now... is leadership - uh... learned? Is it taught? Is a man born with it? How did it come to Patton?... Uh, class dismissed.

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Maj. Weldon Penderton: [to Leonora] You disgust me.

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Leonora: [to Weldon] So, Firebird's alright, is he?
Leonora: [Lashes him across the face with her horse whip]

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Originally released in a version in which all scenes were suffused with the color gold, with one object in each scene (such as a rose) normally-colored. This was in reference to the houseboy's drawing of a golden peacock in whose eye the world is a mere reflection. But that version puzzled audiences, so it was withdrawn and a normally-colored version released.
In the scene where Maj. Penderton gives a lecture on leadership, a subject for which he is ill-suited, Marlon Brando asked director John Huston for another take after delivering what Huston considered a superb performance. In the second take, Brando delivered a different line reading that was equally brilliant. When it came time to cut the film, Huston was baffled over which of the takes to use, as each was superb and relevant to the character.
John Huston wanted Patrick O'Neal, who'd previously starred in the Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana" for the role of Major Penderton. But Elizabeth Taylor rejected Huston's suggestion along with his alternate choices of Richard Burton and Lee Marvin; she wanted Marlon Brando.
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