Carnegie quotes from The Book of Eli (2010)

Carnegie

Read it!

Carnegie

It's not a **** book! It's a weapon! A weapon aimed right at the hearts and minds of the weak and the desperate! It will give us control of them! If we wanna rule more than one small **** town, we have to have it! People will come from all over, they'll do exactly what I tell them ... if the words are from the book! It's happened before, and it'll happen again! All we need is that book!

Carnegie

Are you bargaining with me? Is this a deal we're making here?

Carnegie

Why not? Why not? Let's get the **** out of here.

Carnegie

What did I tell you? He's just a man. [Kicks a wounded Eli down]

Carnegie

Where's your protection now?

Carnegie

It can't be... it can't be... it's IMPOSSIBLE! IT CAN'T BE!

Redridge

Carnegie. One of the road crews just pulled into town. They've got something for you.

Carnegie

Books?

Redridge

Whole bag of them.

Carnegie

Tell them I wanna see them right now.

Stay. No problem. Come on, let's go.

We did good. The one you want, it ain't there?

Carnegie

No.

I just don't understand. That's a shitload of books.

Carnegie

You don't have to understand. I understand. Leave that to me and we can be friends. I have faith in you. You'll find it.

Wait. I got this, too.

Carnegie

Now, this is a treat. That's shampoo. Yeah? Go get slammed. Get some pussy. Everything on me, as much as you and your boys can stand. Then go back on the road.

And we'll get you your book.

Carnegie

Of that I have no doubt.

Redridge

You're sending guys out who can't even read to look for one book. Well, no wonder they never find anything.

Carnegie

Yeah, I use the tools I have at hand. Unless you'd like to go with them?

Redridge

What about these?

Carnegie

Burn them.

Carnegie

The men you killed in my bar, now, they were nobody. But you, now.

Redridge

He ain't got the shakes. He ain't one of them.

Carnegie

Good. This is a civilized town. We don't eat humans. We don't see too many people from before. Not anymore. Do you read?

Eli

Every day.

Carnegie

All right. Well, good for you. Me, too. You know, it's funny. As old as we are, people like you and me, we're the future.

Eli

What do you want with me?

Carnegie

Straight to the point! I like that! You're not just educated. I never saw anyone handle themselves the way you did. I don't know where you learned it, but I sure as hell could use it. This little town, just the beginning. I'm about to expand. I need expert help. I could use someone like you.

Eli

Thank you, but I'm really not interested.

Carnegie

Well, the people who work for me live better than any walker ever dreamed. Ask Redridge here. Ask the boys, anyone. Real beds, hot food, women. [Slides jug across desk] Clean water. You could do a lot worse, my friend.

Eli

Thank you, but I got somewhere I need to be.

Carnegie

Where?

Eli

West.

Carnegie

There is nothing west.

Eli

I've been told different.

Carnegie

By who? [Sits in chair] Tell you what. Stay the night. Try a little local hospitality, see how you like it. We'll talk again in the morning.

Redridge

Word of advice, Walker. It's not a choice.

Eli

It's always a choice.

Carnegie

Is that thing loaded? I don't think it's loaded.

Eli

One way to find out.

Carnegie

Look, I need that book. I mean, I want the book and you, but if you make me choose, I'll kill you, I'll take the book.

Eli

Why? Why do you want it?

Carnegie

I grew up with it. I know its power. And if you read it, then so do you. That's why they burned them all after the war. Just staying alive is an act of faith. Building this town is an even bigger act of faith, but they don't understand that, none of them. And I don't have the right words to help them, but the book does. Now, I admit... that I've had to do things, many, many things, that I hate, to build this. I confess that. But if we have that book, I wouldn't have to. Now imagine. Imagine how different, how righteous this little world could be... if we had the right words for our faith. The people would truly understand why they're here and what they're doing... and they wouldn't need any of the uglier motivations. It's not right to keep that book hidden away. It's meant to be shared with others. It's meant to be spread. Isn't that what you want?

Eli

With all of my heart and soul. I always believed that... I'd find a place where this book belonged, where it was needed. But I haven't found it yet. [Walks away]

Carnegie

I love this guy. Shoot him, please.

It's like he's protected somehow, like there's nothing that can touch him.

Carnegie

He's just a **** man. You put a bullet in him, he'll go down like any other.

Claudia

Where is Solara?

Carnegie

Out there. Her choice. I tried to bring her back... she refused.

Claudia

What did you do that she refused?

Carnegie

Read it.

Claudia

What did you do to my daughter?

Carnegie

Read it!

Claudia

What did you do to my daughter?! [Claudia feels the Braille print. She smiles, realizing Carnegie's irony.]

Carnegie

You can start anytime.

Claudia

I'm sorry, it's been so long. I don't remember.

Carnegie

You have to.

Claudia

Do I have to? Really?

Carnegie

No, no, you have to. Please.

Claudia

Your leg.

Carnegie

It doesn't hurt anymore.

Claudia

I can smell it. [Places her hand on Carnegie's forehead] You worked so hard for that book. You sacrificed so much. So many men... more than you could spare. [Leans forward, almost nose-to-nose with Carnegie] Now all those people who were too scared to even say your name, they're downstairs tearing up the bar right now. Did you know that? And there's no one there to stop them. [Shoves his head back] And you're feverish. I can't imagine what it must feel like, having what you want so close, and it might as well be a million miles away.

Carnegie

Stop it! [Wathing Claudia leave] Are you leaving me? Claudia? Claudia! Claudia! [Carnegie gets up and follows after Claudia. He then walks out onto the patio looking over the bar, seeing for himself everything Claudia told him.]