The Godfather

Bonasera: I believe in America. America has made my fortune, and I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom, but I taught her never to dishonor her family. She found a boyfriend, not an Italian. She went to the movies with him. She stayed out late. I didn't protest. Two months ago, he took her for a drive, with another boy friend. They made her drink whiskey and then they tried to take advantage of her. She resisted. She kept her honor, so they beat her like an animal. When I went to the hospital her nose was broken. Her jaw was shattered, held together by wire. She couldn't even weep because of the pain, but I wept. Why did I weep? She was the light of my life. A beautiful girl. Now she will never be beautiful again. [sobs] Sorry. I went to the police, like a good American. These two boys were brought to trial. The judge sentenced them to three years in prison and suspended sentence. Suspended sentence! They went free that very day! I stood in the courtroom like

The Godfather, CC BY-SA 4.0

Michael: Well, when Johnny was first starting out, he was signed to this personal service contract with a big band leader. And as his career got better and better, he wanted to get out of it. Now, Johnny is my father's godson. And my father went to see this band leader, and he offered him $10,000 to let Johnny go. But the band leader said no. So the next day, my father went to see him, only this time with Luca Brasi. And within an hour, he signed a release, for a certified check for $1,000. Kay: How'd he do that? Michael: My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Kay: What was that? Michael: Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract. That's a true story. That's my family, Kay. It's not me.

The Godfather, CC BY-SA 4.0

Johnny: A month ago, he bought the movie rights to this book, a best-seller, and the main character, it's a guy just like me. I, uh, I wouldn't even have to act, just be myself. [choking up] Oh, Godfather, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. Vito: [shaking Johnny] You can act like a man! [slaps Johnny] What's the matter with you? Is this how you turned out, a Hollywood finocchio that cries like a woman? "Eheheh! What can I do? What can I do?" What is that nonsense? Ridiculous. You spend time with your family? Johnny: Sure I do. Vito: Good, because a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. Come here. You look terrible. I want you to eat. I want you to rest a while, and in a month from now, this Hollywood bigshot's gonna give you what you want. Johnny: It's too late, they start shooting in a week. Vito: I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. Now, you just go outside and enjoy yourself, and, uh, forget about all this nonsense. I want you, I

The Godfather, CC BY-SA 4.0

Virgil Sollozzo: Don Corleone. I need a man who has powerful friends. I need a million dollars in cash. I need those politicians that you carry in your pocket, like nickels and dimes. Vito: What is the interest for my family? Sollozzo: 30%. In the first year your end should be three, four million dollars. And then it would go up. Vito: And what is the interest for the Tattaglia family? Sollozzo: ...My compliments. I’ll take care of them, out of my share. Vito: So I receive 30% for finance, political influence and legal protection? Sollozzo: That’s right. Vito: Why do you come to me? Why do I deserve this generosity? Sollozzo: If you consider a million dollars in cash just finance... te salud, Don Corleone. Vito: [gets up] I said that I would see you, because I heard you were a serious man, to be treated with respect. [sits next to Sollozzo] But, uh, I must say no to you, and I'll give you my reasons. It's true, I have a lot of friends in politics, but they wouldn't be friendly very lon

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Sollozzo: Your boss is dead. I know you're not in the muscle-end of the family, Tom, so I don't want you to be scared. I want you to help the Corleones, and I want you to help me. [hands Tom a drink.] Yeah, we got him outside his office just about an hour after we picked you up. Drink it. So now it's up to you to make the peace between me and Sonny. Sonny was hot for my idea, wasn't he? And you knew it was the right thing to do. Tom: Sonny'll come after you with everything he's got. Sollozzo: That'll be his first reaction, sure. That's why you gotta talk some sense into him. The Tattaglia family is behind me with all their people. The other New York families will go along with anything that will prevent a full-scale war. Let's face it, Tom, and all due respect, the Don, rest in peace, was slipping. Ten years ago, could I have gotten to him? Well, now, he's dead. He's dead, Tom, and nothing can bring him back, so you gotta talk to Sonny. You gotta talk to the caporegimes, that Tessio an

The Godfather, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonny: What the hell is this? Tessio: It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.

The Godfather, CC BY-SA 4.0