Most scenes together: Michael Corleone & Fredo Corleone (4), Michael Corleone & Frank Pentangeli (4), Michael Corleone & Tom Hagen (4)
I have business that's important with Hyman Roth. I don't want it disturbed.
Then you give your loyalty to a Jew before your own blood.
You know my father did business with Hyman Roth. He respected him.
Your father did business with Hyman Roth. Your father respected Hyman Roth, but your father never trusted Hyman Roth, or his Sicilian messenger boy Johnny Ola!
Sometimes I think I should have married a woman like you did, like Kay — have kids, have a family, for once in my life be more like Pop.
It's not easy to be his son, Fredo. It's not easy.
Mama used to tease me. She’d say, "You don't belong to me. The Gypsies left you on the doorstep." Sometimes I think it’s true.
You’re no Gypsy, Fredo.
Mikey, I was mad at you! Why couldn’t we spend time like this before?
I saw an interesting thing today. A rebel was being arrested, and rather than be taken alive, he pulled the pin on a grenade he had hidden in his jacket. He killed himself and the captain of the command.
Guest Ah, the rebels are lunatics!
Maybe. But it occurred to me, the soldiers are paid to fight. The rebels aren't.
What does that tell you?
They can win.
You heard what happened in my home?
Mike, I almost died myself. We was all so relieved.
In my home! In my bedroom, where my wife sleeps! Where my children come and play with their toys! In my home. I want you to help me take my revenge.
Michael, anything. What can I do?
Settle these troubles with the Rosato brothers.
Mike, I don't understand! I don't— Look, I don't have your brain for big deals, but this is a street thing. That Hyman Roth in Miami, that — he's backing up those son-of-a-bitches.
I know he is.
Then why? Why do you ask me to lay down to them, Mike?
It was Hyman Roth that tried to have me killed. I know it was him.
Jesus Christ, Mike! Jesus Christ! Look, let's get them all. Let's hit them all, now while we got the muscle.
My father taught me many things here. He taught me in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Now if Hyman Roth sees that I interceded in this thing, in the Rosato Brothers' favor, he's going to think his relationship with me is still good. That's what I want him to think. I want him completely relaxed and confident in our friendship. Then I'll be able to find out who the traitor in my family was.
Note: the bolded portion is ranked #58 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema. That portion has often been attributed to Sun Tzu and sometimes to Niccolò Machiavelli, but there are no published sources yet found which predate its use in this film. There is, however, an Italian proverb that follows closely: "Dagli amici mi guardi Iddio, che dai nemici mi guardo io!" – May God protect me from my friends, I protect myself from my enemies. Voltaire said, "God protect me from my friends, I'll take care of my enemies”.
Tell me something, Ma. What did Papa think, deep in his heart? He was being strong, strong for his family. But by being strong for his family, could he lose it?
You’re thinking about your wife, about the baby you lost. But you and your wife can always have another baby.
No, I meant, lose his family.
But you can never lose your family.
Questadt Are you the son of Vito Corleone?
Yes, I am.
Questadt Where was he born?
Corleone, Sicily.
Questadt Is it, at a time, he has an alias that known to certain circle as 'Godfather'?
'Godfather' was a term that was used by his friends. One of affection, and one of respect.
Senate Committee Chairman Mr. Corleone, you have been advised as to your legal rights. We have testimony from a previous witness, one Willi Cicci. He stated that you are head of the most powerful Mafia family in the country. Are you?
No, I'm not.
He testified that you are personally responsible for the murder of a New York police captain in 1947, and with him a man named Virgil Sollozzo. Do you deny this?
Yes, I do.
Is it true, that in the year 1950, you devised the murder of the heads of the "Five Families" in New York, to assume and consolidate your nefarious power?
That is a complete falsehood.
Mr. Questadt?
Questadt Is it true you have a controlling interest in three major hotels in Las Vegas?
Questadt Do you have any control over gambling and narcotics in New York State?
No, I do not.
Senator, my client would like to read a statement.
Questadt Mr. Chairman, I think this statement is totally out of order at this time.
Sir, my client has answered this committee's questions with the utmost sincerity. He hasn't taken the Fifth Amendment, as it is his right, so in all fairness this statement should be heard.
N-No, I'll allow Mr. Corleone to read his statement. I'll put it in the record.
In the hopes of clearing my family name, to give my children their share of the American way of life without a blemish on their name and background, I have appeared before this committee and given it all my cooperation in my power. I consider it a great personal dishonor to have to deny that I am a criminal. I wish to have the following noted for the record: That I served my country faithfully in World War Two and was awarded the Navy Cross for actions in defense of my country. That I have never been arrested or indicted for any crime. That no proof linking me to any criminal conspiracy, whether it is called "Mafia" or "Cosa Nostra" or any other name, has ever been made public. I have not taken refuge behind the Fifth Amendment, although I have the right to do so. I challenge this committee to produce any witness or evidence against me, and if they do not, I hope they will have the decency to clear my name with the same publicity with which they have besmirched it.
Well, I'm sure we're impressed, particularly with your love for our country. The court will be in recess until 10 a.m. Monday, when we will produce a witness who'll corroborate the charges against you. At which time you may very well be subject to indictment for perjury. I remind you that you're still under subpoena. Adjourned!
What do you want from me? Do you expect me to let you go? Do you expect me to let you take my children from me? Don't you know me? Don't you know that that's an impossibility, that that could never happen, that I'd use all my power to keep something like that from happening? Don't you know that? Kay, now in time, you'll feel differently. You'll be glad I stopped you now. I know that. I know you blame me for losing the baby. Yes, I know what that meant to you. I'll make it up to you, Kay. I swear I'll make it up to you. I'm gonna change. I'll change. I've learned that I have the strength to change. And you'll forget about this miscarriage. And we'll have another child. And we'll go on, you and I. We'll go on.
Oh, Michael. Michael, you are blind. It wasn't a miscarriage. It was an abortion. An abortion, Michael! Just like our marriage is an abortion, something that's unholy and evil. I didn't want your son, Michael! I wouldn't bring another one of you sons into this world! It was an abortion, Michael! It was a son, Michael! A son! And I had it killed because this must all end! I know now that it's over. I knew it then. There would be no way, Michael, no way you could ever forgive me, not with this Sicilian thing that's been going on for 2,000 years—!
BITCH! [Hits Kay, knocking her down.] You won’t take my children.
Yes, I will!
YOU WON’T TAKE MY CHILDREN!!!
They’re my children, too!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the lord is with thee... Blessed art thou amongst women... Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus... Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners...
Ah, say, what do you think of the nerve of those Japs? Them slanty-eyed bastards, huh? Dropping bombs in our backyard, and on Pop's birthday, you know.
Now, they didn't know it was Pop's birthday.
"They didn't know it was Pop's birthday."
We should have expected it after the oil embargo.
What do you mean, expected it? Expect it or not, they have no right dropping bombs. What are you, a Jap lover or something? Are you on their side?
Tessio I understand thirty thousand men enlisted this morning.
A bunch of saps.
Why are they saps?
Sonny, come on, we don't have to talk about the war.
Hey, beat it. You go talk to Carlo, alright? [to Michael] They're saps, because they risk their lives for strangers.
Now that's Pop talking.
You're goddamn right that's Pop talking.
They risk— they risk their lives for their country.
Your country ain't your blood. You remember that.
I don't feel that way.
"I don't feel that way." Well, if you don't feel that way, why don't you just quit college and go to-- go to join the Army?
I did. I enlisted in the Marines.
Michael, why? Why didn't you come to us? I mean Pop had to pull a lot of strings to get you a deferment.
I didn't ask for it. I didn't ask for a deferment and I didn't want it.
What's wrong—
Come on. Come on! Knock it off!
Tessio Sonny!
Punk!
Tessio Sonny. Sonny, sit down.
Go on.
Tessio Sit down.
One of Sonny's twins: Mommy, Daddy's fighting again! [laughs]
Go show Carlo the tree.
One of Sonny's twins: Uncle Michael, Mama.
Nice. Real nice. Break your father's heart on his birthday.
That's swell. Congratulations. [extends his hand to Michael]
Yeah, go on. Encourage him. I want— I want you to get me a drink. Go on. [Fredo exits]
Now you don't understand but, uh, your father has big plans for you. Now, many times he and I have talked about your future.
You talked to my father about my future? My future?
Mikey, he has high hopes for you!
Well, I have my own plans for my future.
What'd you go to college to get stupid? You're really stupid.
Come on. Come on. [goes to exit before glancing back to Michael] Stupid.
[All exit while Michael sits at he table alone]
