How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Quote #1
GUSTAVE: Why do you want to be a Lobby Boy?
ZERO: Well, who wouldn't, at the Grand Budapest, sir? It's an institution.
GUSTAVE: Very good.
Normally when we think about reputation, we think about people. However, Zero's remark shows us that the Budapest itself has garnered much respect over the years. It's not merely a hotel. It's its own entity (although Gustave probably has a lot to do with that).
Quote #2
GUSTAVE: What is a Lobby Boy? A Lobby Boy's completely invisible, yet always in sight. A Lobby Boy remembers what people hate. A Lobby Boy anticipates the client's needs before the needs are needed. A Lobby Boy is, above all, discreet to a fault. Our guests know their deepest secrets, some of which are, frankly, rather unseemly, will go with us to our graves.
Maintaining the Budapest's reputation is all about maintaining the reputation of its guests. No one wants their dirty laundry aired… even if that does mean it'd stop smelling so much.
Quote #3
HENCKELS: Your companion was very kind to me when I was a lonely little boy. My men and I apologize for disturbing you.
FRANZ: I beg your pardon, sir.
GUSTAVE: You see? There are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity.
Reputation might often be the product of surface level appearance, but there's nothing frilly and frivolous about respect. Henckels' respect of Gustave saves Zero big time, and we learn that all of Gustave's accommodating gusto isn't just for show.
Quote #4
GUSTAVE: …when you find yourself in a place like this, you must never be a candy-ass. You've got to prove yourself from day one. You've got to win their respect. You should take a long look at his ugly mug this morning. He's, actually, become a dear friend.
Earning respect isn't always easy. Sometimes it leaves a person bloodied and bruised. Checkpoint 19 is way different from the Budapest, where Gustave's cordiality with guests and strictness with staff earn him respect. Inside the prison, all it takes is dishing out a good beating.
Quote #5
GUSTAVE: Until I walk amongst you again as a free man, the Grand Budapest remains in your hands, as does its impeccable reputation. Keep it spotless and glorify it. Take extra special care of every little-bitty bit of it as if I were watching over you like a hawk with a horse whip in its talons… because I am.
The Grand Budapest may be an "institution" but it didn't become one overnight. Gustave's hard work and dedication to the hotel have earned both it and him a reputation. If only M. Jean was a hawk with a horsewhip, maybe the '85 Budapest would be a little more respectable.
Quote #6
SNITCH: How did you get out there?
LUDWIG: Shut the f*** up.
SNITCH: These guys are trying to escape.
LUDWIG: What's wrong with you, you goddamn snitch?
SNITCH: Guard! Guard!
[Tall man with large scar in his face throttles the snitch, shutting him up.]GUSTAVE: It's you. Thank you. Thank you, you sweet, kind man.
Just by being warm and generous, Gustave made an unlikely ally who will repay him during the escape. Respect, like loyalty, seems to always come back around.
Quote #7
ZERO: Well, you see, my father was murdered and the rest of my family were executed by firing squad. Our village was burned to the ground and those who managed to survive were forced to flee. I left because of the war.
GUSTAVE: I see. So you're, actually, really more of a refugee, in that sense?
ZERO: Truly.
GUSTAVE: Well, I suppose I'd better take back everything I just said. What a bloody idiot I am.
When Gustave learns of Zero's origins he, along with viewers, gains a new respect for Zero. He's not just an immigrant, but someone who experienced and fled from the atrocities of war. It's a very sobering moment amidst the craziness of the film, which makes us stop and reevaluate the lobby boy.
Quote #8
GUSTAVE: I'm not angry with Serge. You can't blame someone for their basic lack of moral fiber. He's a frightened little yellow-bellied coward. It's not his fault, is it?
Um… isn't it? We don't want to descend into the circular realm of "it depends," but how is it not his fault? You can't exactly pick apart how someone acts from the person they are.