Mathilda quotes from Léon (1994)

Mathilda

You've been really great with me, Leon. And it's not always like that-- you know?

Mathilda

If you don't help me I'll die tonight. I can feel it. And I don't wanna die tonight.

Mathilda

I'm putting in the name of a girl in my class who makes me sick. If things get hot, she'll take the heat.

Mathilda

Can we try with real bullets now?

Mathilda

I know where to find the guys who killed my brother. Their boss is Norman Stansfield, and he's in the D.E.A. building, room 4602. I'm gonna do them myself. If something goes wrong, I left you twenty grand on the table. It's for a contract -- five grand a head, right? I know I'll feel better after I do this." (voice-over, from note)

Mathilda

I think we're gonna be okay here, Leon.

Mathilda

If you really wanted to help it, you'd plant it in the park, so it could have roots. [in reference to Leon's treasured plant]

Why did you hide the cigarette?

Mathilda

This building is full of rats. I didn't want my old man to find out. Got enough problems.

What happened?

Mathilda

I fell off my bike.

Mathilda (on telephone): Hello?

This is Margueritte McAllister, headmistress of the Spencer School for Girls in Wildwood, New Jersey. Is Mr. or Mrs. Lando home?
Mathilda (faking deeper voice): Yes, this is she.

Mrs. Lando, when your husband enrolled Mathilda at Spencer, he told us she had "problems". Well, as you know, we pride ourselves on turning troubled girls into healthy, productive young women. But if they are not here, there is very little we can do. Now, Mathilda left school without permission nearly two weeks ago. I know your husband paid tuition in advance for a year, but if you will refer to page twenty of the rules and regulations manual we sent you, you will see you will see that unless there is a valid excuse for prolonged absence, your tuition will be forfeit.

Mathilda

She's dead. (She hangs up.)

Mathilda

Is life always this hard, or is it just when you're a kid? [while nursing a bleeding nose, probably a result of her father's beatings]

Always like this.

I'm sorry about your father.

Mathilda

If somebody didn't do it, one day or another I would've probably done it myself.

Your mother, she --

Mathilda

She's not my mother! And my sister -- she wanted to lose some weight anyway. Bet she never looked better. She's not even my real sister. Just a half-sister, and not a good half at that.

If you couldn't stand them, why are you crying?

Mathilda

Because they killed my brother! What the hell did he do? Four years old... he never used to cry. He just used to sit next to me and cuddle. I was more of a mother to him than that goddamn pig ever was!

Mathilda

Leon, what exactly do you do for a living?

Cleaner.

Mathilda

You mean you're a hit man?
L?on [reluctantly]: Yeah.

Mathilda

Cool.
...

Mathilda

Do you "clean" anyone?

No women, no kids. That's the rules.

Mathilda

How much would it cost to hire someone to get those dirtbags who killed my brother?

Five grand a head.

Mathilda

Wow. How about this: I work for you, and in exchange, you teach me how to clean. Hmmm? What do you think? I'll clean your place, I'll do the shopping, I'll even wash your clothes. Is it a deal?

No, it's not a deal/

Mathilda

What do you want me to do? I've got no place to go.

You've had a rough day today. Go to sleep now. We'll see in the morning.

You sleep well? (Mathilda nods.) Good. After breakfast you gotta take off.

Mathilda

Where to?

Not my problem.
Mathilda (setting note in front of L?on): Read it.

Uh -- (stares blankly at note.)

Mathilda

You don't know how to read.

I'm learning, but I've had a lot of work lately, so... I'm a little behind. What's it say?

Mathilda

I've decided what I want to do with my life. I wanna be a cleaner.

You wanna be a cleaner? [sets a pistol on table] Here, take it. It's a goodbye gift. Go clean -- but not with me! I work alone, understand? Alone!

Mathilda

Bonnie and Clyde didn't work alone! Thelma and Louise didn't work alone! And they were the best.

Mathilda -- don't you ever do that again or I'll break your head. You got that?

Mathilda

Okay.

I don't work like that. It's not professional. There is rules.

Mathilda

Okay.

And stop saying "okay" all the time, okay?

Mathilda

Okay.

Good.

You expect to use that in this hotel?

Mathilda

Mister -- I have to use it... because I have an audition at Juilliard next month, and I have to practice.

Okay, okay, okay -- but not after ten.

Mathilda

Okay, I promise.

All right. I'll put you at the end of the hall so you don't disturb anyone. (He sets some forms in front of L?on.) Fill those out, please.

Mathilda

Oh, um... Daddy, can I please fill them out? You know how I like to check into hotels. (L?on nods.) Thanks, Pop! (to Clerk) I'll bring these back in a minute.

Uh... fourth floor.
Mathilda (running up stairway): Thanks, mister!
Clerk (to L?on): You're lucky to have a little girl who's interested in things. I got a kid, seventeen, does nothing all day long.

Mathilda

Leon, I want you to teach me how to be like you. I want to be strong like you, smart like you.

Mathilda --

Mathilda

I know I'm not strong enough yet, but I could learn the basics -- the theory. What do you think? Just the theory.

Mathilda

You love your plant, don't you?

It's my best friend. Always happy, no questions. It's like me, you see? No roots.

Mathilda

If you really love it you should plant it in the middle of a park so it can have roots.

Yeah.

Listen, Mathilda, you'd better be careful. You can't just speak to any guy off the street.

Mathilda

L?on, get a grip. What's the big **** deal? I was just smoking a butt while I was waiting.

I want you to stop cursing. You can't talk to people like that all the time! I want you to make an effort to talk nice.

Mathilda

Okay.

And I want you to stop smoking. It will kill you.

Mathilda

Okay. (she throws cigarette away.)

Stay away from him -- he looks like a weirdo.

Mathilda

Okay.

I'll be out in five minutes. Stand where I can see you.

Mathilda

Okay.

Mathilda

L?on, I think I'm kinda falling in love with you. It's the first time for me, you know?

How do you know it's love if you've never been in love before?

Mathilda

'Cause I feel it.

Where?

Mathilda

In my stomach. It's all warm. I always used to have a knot there, and now it's gone.

Mathilda, I'm glad you... don't have a stomach ache anymore. I don't think it means anything.

Mathilda

Follow the blue car.

And I suppose you want me to blast the music and go through the lights, eh?

Mathilda

No. Drive slowly, take the hundred bucks, and shut the **** up, okay?

I won't be long.

Mathilda

Did I do something wrong?

No. This one is too big.

Mathilda

Yeah, and I only get the leftovers, is that it?

Mathilda since I met you everything been different. So I just need some time alone. You need some time to grow up a little.

Mathilda

I finished growing up, Leon. I just get older.

For me its the opposite. I'm old enough. I need time to grow up.

Special delivery, huh? Let me guess. Chinese? Thai, maybe? I've got it -- Italian food. What's your name, angel?

Mathilda

Mathilda.

Mathilda, I want you to set the sack on the floor. Good. (He draws a pistol.) And now, I want you to tell me everything you know about Italian food... and don't forget the name of the chef who fixed it for me.

Mathilda

Nobody sent me. I do business for myself.

So, th-th-this, this is something personal, is it? What filthy piece of shit... did I do now?

Mathilda

You killed my brother.

I'm sorry. (he moves in close to Mathilda.) And -- you wanna join him?

Mathilda

No.

It's always the same thing. It's when you start to become really afraid of death that you learn to appreciate life. Do you like life, sweetheart?
Mathilda (whispering): Yes.

That's good -- because I take no pleasure in taking a life if it's from a person who doesn't care about it.

Mathilda

Relax. Everything's fine. Sleep well?

I never really sleep. Got one eye open always.

Mathilda

Yeah, I forgot. You know, I never saw someone with one eye open snore so much.

I snore?

Mathilda

Like a baby.

Tony

In the meantime, all you gotta do is come here every once in a while and I'll dish it out so's you can have a little fun. Okay? Here's a hundred bucks to start with.

Mathilda

Can't I get a job instead?

Tony

A job? What the hell can you do?

Mathilda

I can "clean".

Tony

I ain't got no work for a twelve-year-old kid, so get it out of your goddamn head! It's OVER! The game's OVER! L?on's DEAD!

Tony

Come on. You think I ain't hurtin' too? But he's dead. And you're gonna forget all this craziness and get your little ass back to school. Capisce?

Mathilda

My parents... d-died in a car accident about four weeks ago. It was terrible.

Headmistress

You know, we didn't have the time to get to know one another when you first came here. But I want you to know that I'm not the kind of woman that would let down a child -- no matter what her situation, no matter what her mistake. So I'm going to help you and do my best to welcome you here again. But on one condition: you have to stop lying to me, Mathilda. I want you to take a chance, and trust me, and tell me what happened to you.

Mathilda

Okay. My family got shot down by D.E.A. officers because of a drug problem. I left with the greatest guy on earth. He was a hit man -- the best in town. But he died this morning... and if you don't help me, I'll be dead by tonight.