There are many great quotes in the iconic gangster movie, Scarface. And a good number of the impressive remarks come from Tony Montana.
In Scarface, gangster Tony Montana has the quintessential rags to riches story, rising from a Cuban immigrant to one of the biggest crime bosses in Miami. The character is considered a cultural icon and there are many reasons why this is the case. One of the impressive things about him is the way he holds conversations.
Tony is boisterous, always talking more than he listens. But he isn't just a loudmouth with no content. The gangster makes some very interesting comments throughout the movie, making himself look very intelligent in the process. To date, some of Tony's best quotes remain an important part of pop culture.
Tony normally prefers to go with the law of the street but when dealing with the authorities, things get a little different. When he gets arrested, he doesn't request a lawyer the way ordinary people do.
It's one of Tony Montana's most badass scenes because he acts like getting arrested is only a minor inconvenience to him. The gangster's claim that he'll be out in no time is believable since he is wealthy enough to afford the most skilled lawyers in Miami. He is so certain that he is going to get off easy that he decides to shift to mockery. His advice to dress warmly is even funnier, considering that he adopts a very serious expression when he says it.
Tony gets smitten by Elvira, the mistress of his first boss, Frank, the moment he sees her. When he begins seducing her, she wonders if he's worried about what Frank will do to him when he finds out.
The trope of the junior gangster falling in love with the boss' wife or girlfriend can be found in a number of the best gangster movies of all time but it is Scarface that explores it magnificently. Elvira appears good from far but as soon as Tony marries her, she ends up giving him more migraines than he ever imagined.
After Tony gets attacked by two assassins, he confronts the dirty cop Mel Bernstein with a gun. Mel begs for his life, promising he can fix things but Tony shoots him.
From the early moments of the movie, it becomes clear that Tony isn't one to forgive whenever he feels aggrieved. The fact that Mel is a police officer and killing him might bring a lot of heat to him doesn't stop him. Though it's not necessarily that the reality of the situation, Tony feels untouchable in the city.
Tony's trusted henchman Chi-Chi accompanies him to a meeting with new Colombian drug lords at the Sun Ray hotel. When it all goes wrong, Tony orders him to get the yayo quickly.
The Miami underworld slang used in the movie is part of what makes it so great. Any passers-by definitely wouldn't understand what yayo means so Tony is wise to use the word while making a getaway. Additionally, the moment further paints Chi-Chi as the obedient subordinate who would do anything his boss wants. After all, he had agreed to kill to get a green card.
During a dinner date at a restaurant, Tony flips, causing his wife, Elvira, to walk out. When he is gone, he starts lecturing the patrons, telling them he's better than them because he has the guts to do whatever he wants. He then concludes by ordering them to wish him goodnight.
After the argument with his wife, Tony is aware that some of the elite patrons are looking down on him for his lack of discipline. By ranting at them, he is simply trying to make himself feel better. He is also flexing his power, believing that none of them can do anything to him no matter how lowly they think of him.
Tony's banker Jerry gets worried when the gangster starts bringing in too much money for him to launder. He thus demands higher cuts to keep doing the job. The next time he and Tony meet, he asks his client how marriage life is taking him, to which Tony gives a precise answer.
Tony's marriage life is shown to be quite bad. The fact that he considers his relationship with his wife to be better than his relationship with Jerry shows just how angry he is. Tony ultimately chooses to work with another banker named Seidelbaum, something that contributes to his downfall.
When drug lord Alejandro Sosa's army invades Tony Montana's compound, he locks himself inside his office and grabs a grenade launcher. Knowing the men are now outside the door, he yells the words above before mowing them down.
It's undoubtedly one of the best scenes in gangster movies because Tony chooses to take out several men before he dies rather than just sit and wait to be executed. It's rather unfortunate that Tony doesn't get to face Sosa himself before he dies but his words and bravery make the moment very worthwhile.
When threatened with deportation, Tony starts ranting at one of the immigration officers. He accuses of being a weak person since only follows orders and likens his situation to that of a sheep and shepherd. Even better is that he goes on to make sheep sounds.
In most Hollywood productions, gangsters are shown to despise people who work 9 to 5 jobs. They consider such people not only not adventurous but also unworthy of respect. It's the reason he goes on a passionate rant, which eventually turns comical. The way Tony does the sheep imitation qualifies this as one of the funniest scenes in Scarface.
Sosa once sends Tony and Alberto to assassinate a journalist who has incriminating information. The two disagree during the job so Tony kills him. He later tells Sosa about it, a revelation that makes the boss furious.
Tony's words show how highly he thinks of himself. Instead of apologizing, he boasts about ending Alberto's life yet he had no authorization to do that. After all, he isn't the boss at this particular time. His cavalier attitude eventually causes him to fall out with Sosa, leading to a war between the two men.
In Tony's final moments, he gets outnumbered by Sosa's men and dares them to kill him. It's something they do all too gladly, leading to one of the most iconic deaths in the movie.
Even in his last moments, Tony can't help but thump his chest. Given how much power he has amassed throughout his criminal career, he has come to think of himself as immortal. For a moment, even the audiences are made to believe that Tony can't die. But it happens, bringing the gangster's reign to an end.
