Carlito's Way Quotes

Carlito Brigante Dumb move, man. Dumb move. But it’s like them old reflexes comin’ back. I know what’s supposed to happen now. Benny’s gotta go down. And if I don’t do it, they’re gonna say: “Carlito, he’s flaky, man. Slacked-out. A used-to-be bad guy. Joint got to Carlito.” The street is watchin’. She is watchin’ all the time.

Carlito Brigante Sorry, boys, all the stitches in the world can’t sew me together again... Lay down. Lay down. Gonna stretch me out in Fernandez Funeral Home on 109th street... Always knew I’d make a stop there, but a lot later than a whole gang of people thought. Last of the Mo-Rican’s. Well, maybe not the last. Gail’s gonna be a good mom. New, improved Carlito Brigante. Hope she uses the money to get out. No room in this city for big hearts like hers... Sorry, baby, I tried the best I could. Honest. Can’t come with me on this trip, though... Gettin’ the shakes now. Last call for drinks. Bar’s closin’ down. Sun’s out. Where we goin’ for breakfast? Don’t wanna go far... Rough night. Tired, baby... Tired...

Gail Yeah, I had a dream, Charlie, but now I’m awake. And I hate my dream.

Carlito Brigante I’M RELOADED! Come on in here, motherfuckers! Come on, I’m waitin’ for ya! You ain’t comin’ in? I’m comin’ out! You’re up against it now, motherfuckers! I’m gonna blow your fuckin’ brains out! You think you’re big time? You’re gonna fuckin’ die big time! You ready? Here comes the pain!

Carlito Brigante Okay, Benny Blanco from the Bronx. The chick Steffie belongs to the club. Now if I ever, I mean if I ever, see you here again you die, just like that.

Stef Hey, Carlito, where you been hiding this man, huh? This is one sexy man. He’s an animal. You know that?

Carlito Faster than a speeding bullet, huh.

Carlito Brigante Here’s me back on the street. Third Sunday in August. Old Timer’s Day in the barrio. Nothin’ left. Like them old cowboy movies, only instead of tumbleweed and cow dung we got stripped car wrecks and dog shit.

Guajiro C'mon, Quisqueya, huh bro? What news?

Quisqueya Your boss is dead and SO ARE YOU!

Gail I mean, I don’t judge you. You know, Charlie. And what do you do that’s so wonderful? You ever kill anybody, Charlie?

Carlito Brigante Oh, Jesus. Jesus Christ, look at you. You said they were friends, Guajiro. But there ain’t no friends in this shit business.

Benny Blanco Hey, remember me? Benny Blanco From The Bronx?

Carlito Brigante When you can’t see the angles no more, you’re in trouble, baby. You’re in trouble.

Gail I know how this dream ends, Charlie. It isn’t in paradise. It ends with me carrying you into Sutton Emergency Room at three o’clock in the morning. And standing there, crying like an idiot... while your shoes fill with blood and you die.

Carlito Brigante This guy, this counsellor in Lewisburg, Mr Seawald, once said to me: “Charlie, you run out of steam. You can’t sprint all the way. You gotta stop sometime. You can’t buck it forever. It catches up to you. It gets you. You don’t get reformed, you just run out of wind.”

David Kleinfeld Fuck you and your self-righteous code of the goddamned street. Did it pull you out of a thirty-year stint in five years? Did it? No, I did. Did it get you acquitted four fucking times? No, it didn't, I did. So fuck you, fuck the streets, your whole goddamn world is this big, and there's only one rule - you save your own ass.

Carlito Brigante Somebody’s pullin’ me close to the ground. I can sense, but I can’t see. I ain’t panicked, I been here before. Same as when I got popped on 104th Street. Don’t take me to no hospital, please. Fuckin’ emergency rooms don’t save nobody. Sons of bitches always pop you at midnight when all they got is a Chinese intern with a dull spoon. Look at these suckers scramblin around. What for? My Puerto Rican ass ain't supposed to have made it this far. Most of my crew got washed a long time ago. Don't worry. My heart, it don't ever quit. I ain't ready to check out. Seems like I just got out of the joint. Stood up in front of that judge, and told him what was who.

Pachanga Carlito, man, Death Valley out here, man. You know me, I take to the street with any of these Motherfuckers, man. But these new kids nowadays, man, they got no respect for human life. They shotgun you just to see you fly up in the air. You’re better off in jail.

Lalin What do you mean? You didn’t hear? I took a few in the back. When the streets are mad at you she don’t put you in a box, she puts you in one of these things.

Saso What has happened to you? What are you acting like this for? It doesn’t make sense that you should hate this guy. Because this guy is you, twenty years ago.

Gail Everything you learned in the neighbourhood, every instinct you’ve got won’t do anything but get you killed!

Carlito Brigante Your Honor with all due respect, past and present, and without further to-do. Let me ensure this court that I am through walkin’ on the wild side. That’s all I’ve been tryin’ to tell you. I have been sick with the social ills known in the ghetto. But my time in the sterling correction facilities of Green Haven and Sing Sing have not been in vain. I’ve been cured! Born again, like the Watergaters. I know you heard this rap before. Your Honor, I mean it. This is the truth. I changed. I changed, and it didn’t take no thirty years like Your Honor thought, but only five. That’s right, sir, five years. And look at me. Completely rehabilitated, reinvigorated, reassimilated and finally going to be relocated, and I want to thank a lot of people for that. I look over there and I see that man there, Mr Norwalk. I want to thank you, sir, for making the tapes in an illegal fashion. I would like to thank the Court Of Appeals, for reversing you, Your Honour. And I want to thank Almighty God without whom no case gets tossed.

Carlito Brigante Guys went down, yeah, but it ain’t like, you know, you just decide one day and that’s it. No. You just do what you gotta do to survive. Somehow, you know, you just end up where you are.

Carlito Brigante You think you're big time? You're gonna fuckin DIE big time!

Carlito So look at you. You really made something of your life.

Kleinfeld You put me in business. All my first clients came through you.

Carlito As I say, you know, top drawer. You’re Top Drawer, Davey.

Stef Carlito, I see you were talkin’ to Benny Blanco before.

Carlito Yeah. Benny Blanco from the Bronx.

Stef They say he’s coming up in the world.

Carlito Really?

Stef Hmm, mmm.

Carlito He’s got a big future if he can live past next week.

Carlito Brigante The dream don't come no closer by itself. We gotta run after it now.

Carlito Brigante No favor. I owe you. Favor gonna kill you faster than a bullet.

Carlito Brigante Times have changed. What happened to the miniskirts? Where’s all that marijuana? Now everything is platforms, cocaine, and dances I don’t dance. What a man gotta come to when he loses five years.

Benny Blanco You’re over, man. You’re fuckin’ in the history books. That’s where you are, man. So you might as well fuckin’ kill me now, ‘cause if I ever see you again, swear to god, I’m gonna fucking kill you.

David Kleinfeld Hey, look, relax. You’re not dealing so he can’t have anything on you. That’s not possible. This is the way this guy is. He’s on a goddamn fishing exhibition.

Carlito Brigante You ain’t a lawyer no more, Dave. You’re a gangster now. You’re on the other side. Whole new ball game. You can’t learn about it at school, and you can’t have a late start.

Carlito Brigante Dave is my friend, Gail. I owe him. That’s who I am, That’s what I am, right or wrong. I can’t change that!

Benny Blanco Mr Brigante, this is the second time you turned me down for a drink. What, you don’t like my champagne?

Benny Blanco My name is Benny Blanco from the Bronx.