Godfather 1 Quotes

I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.

Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.

Great men are not born great, they grow great . . .

Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.

Italians have a little joke, that the world is so hard a man must have two fathers to look after him, and that's why they have godfathers.

Revenge is a dish that tastes best when served cold.

A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man.

The lawyer with the briefcase can steal more money than the man with the gun.

I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.

I don't trust society to protect us, I have no intention of placing my fate in the hands of men whose only qualification is that they managed to con a block of people to vote for them.

You cannot say 'no' to the people you love, not often. That's the secret. And then when you do, it has to sound like a 'yes'. Or you have to make them say 'no.' You have to take time and trouble.

Never let anyone know what you are thinking.

Accidents don't happen to people who take accidents as a personal insult.

Behind every successful fortune there is a crime.

He smelled the garden, the yellow shield of light smote his eyes, and he whispered, "Life is so beautiful." ... Yes, he thought, if I can die saying, "Life is so beautiful," then nothing else is important.

Many young men started down a false path to their true destiny. Time and fortune usually set them aright.

Time erodes gratitude more quickly than it does beauty!

Always the bridesmaid , never the bride." Always the godfather, never the god".

I should've known Gideon would spill. He's like a surrogate parent. Not like a stepfather, exactly - more like a godfather, or a sea horse who wants to stuff me into his pouch.

Lawyers can steal more money with a briefcase than a thousand men with guns and masks.

A man who is not a father to his children can never be a real man,

There are things that have to be done and you do them and you never talk about them. You don't try to justify them. They can't be justified. You just do them. Then you forget it.

We are all honorable men here, we do not have to give each other assurances as if we were lawyers.

Michael could never remember his father ever having uttered a word about death, as if the Don respected death too much to philosophize about it.

Yet, he thought, if I can die saying, "Life is so beautiful," then nothing else is important. If i can believe in myself that much, nothing else matters.

He should be careful. It's dangerous to be an honest man.

It was not perhaps the warmest friendship in the world, they would not send each other Christmas gift greetings, but they would not murder each other.

Woman and children can afford to be careless, men can not.

It was a lie but he believed in telling lies to people. Truth telling and medicine just didn't go together except in dire emergencies, if then.

When they come... they come at what you love.

He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful. It was this knowledge that prevented the Don from losing the humility all his friends admired in him.

Forgive. Forget. Life is full of misfortunes.

What other lost soul has the misfortune to have you as their fairy godfather?

Mothers are like cops. They always believe the worst.

Behind every great fortune there is a crime.

Tell my father I wish to be his son.

I have no such powers. If I did I would be more merciful than God, believe me.

Friendship is more than talent. It is more than government. It is almost the equal of family. Never forget that. If you had built up a wall of friendship you wouldn't have to ask me to help. - Don Corleone

Like many business men of genius he learned that free competition was wasteful, monopoly efficient.

In this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful.

And in that fraction of a second before anything actually happened, Santino Corleone knew he was a dead man.

Your enemies always get strong on what you leave behind.

The gunman said, "Fabrizzio,Michael Corleone sends you his regards.

When I look at you, I don't see my father's friend, or my uncle, or my godfather, or an older man. All I see is the person I've always loved and has always made me happy. That's it. I just see you.

You humans certainly have your hearts set on being happy, don’t you?

You let women dictate your actions and they are not competent in this world, though certainly they will be saints in heaven while we men burn in hell.

The other Dons in the room applauded and rose to shake hands with everybody in sight and to congratulate Don Corleone and Don Tattaglia on their new friendship. It was not perhaps the warmest friendship in the world, they would not send each other Christmas gift greetings, but they would not murder each other. That was friendship enough in this world, all that was needed.

You lived like a fool and you have come to a fool’s end.

Ah, men understand friendship more than we woman.

She emptied her mind of all thought of herself, of her children, of all anger, of all rebellion, of all questions. Then with a profound and deeply willed desire to believe, to be heard, as she had done every day since the murder of Carlo Rizzi, she said the necessary prayers for the soul of Michael Corleone.

She was the only person in the world who could make him act against his own nature

He claimed that there was no greater natural advantage in life than having an enemy overestimate your faults, unless it was to have a friend underestimate your virtues.

if I can die saying, “Life is so beautiful,” then nothing else is important.

Her mouth drops open in disbelief. “Your dad tried to blackmail the mob? Has he never seen The Godfather?

None of us here want to see our children follow in our footsteps, it’s too hard a life.

Neat' was the highest superlative possible from Burndee and it was not a word that he often used...unless he was describing something he had done. 'Neat'--without even 'very' or 'really' attached to it--was extremely high praise from Burndee.

Nothing was more calming, more conducive to pure reason, than the atmosphere of money.

treachery can’t be forgiven.

I believe in friendship and I'm willing to show my friendship first.

There are things that have to be done and you do them and you never talk about them.They can't be justified.You just do them.Then you forget it.

Italians have a little joke, that the world is so hard a man must have two fathers to look after him, and that's why they have godfathers. Since Johnny's father died, Mr. Corleone feels his responsibility even more deeply. As for trying you again, Mr. Corleone is much too sensitive. He never asks a second favor where he has been refused the first.

The Don considered a use of threats the most foolish kind of exposure; the unleashing of anger without forethought as the most dangerous indulgence. No one had ever heard the Don utter a naked threat, no one had ever seen him in an uncontrollable rage. It was unthinkable.

..for Justice, we must go to Don Corleone.

A man in my position can't afford to be made to look ridiculous!

He told me to tell you you could have everything you want and do everything you want as long as you take good care of the kids.” Hagen smiled. “He said to tell you that you’re his Don. That’s just a joke.

But let me say this. I am a superstitious man, a ridiculous failing but I must confess it here. And so if some unlucky accident should befall my youngest son, if some police officer should accidentally shoot him, if he should hang himself while in his jail cell, if new witnesses appear to testify to his guilt, my superstition will make me feel that it was the result of the ill will still borne me by some people here. Let me go further. If my son is struck by a bolt of lightning I will blame some of the people here. If his plane show fall into the sea or his ship sink beneath the waves of the ocean, if he should catch a mortal fever, if his automobile should be struck by a train, such is my superstition that I would blame the ill will felt by people here. Gentlemen, that ill will, that bad luck, I could never forgive. But aside from that let me swear by the souls of my grandchildren that I will never break the peace we have made. After all, are we or are we not better men than those pezzonovanti who have killed countless millions of men in our lifetimes?

He made no empty promises, nor the craven excuse that his hands were tied by more powerful forces in the world than himself.

My first choice would be to give you more god children, but that would be far too cruel a thing to do—to them.

I’m good, but I’m not that good. Unless we steal a baby—” Colin

Great. Note to self. Listen to the godfather.

What would the world come to if people kept carrying grudges against all reason? That has been the cross of Sicily, where men are so busy with vendettas they have no time to earn bread for their families.

Among reasonable men problems of business could always be solved.

That's like bringing a guy up from the minors to pitch the World Series.

With a great effort the Don opened his eyes to see his son once more. He smelled the garden, the yellow shield of light smote his eyes, and he whispered, "Life is so beautiful.

Life is so beautiful

I'll reason with him", Vito Corleone said. It was to become a famous phrase in the years to come. It was to become the warning rattle before the deadly strike.

My Dear Lucy, I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather, C.S. Lewis.

It almost made him feel sorry for Colin and that was just as unthinkable an estate as marriage.

Michael Corleone understood for the first time why men like his father chose to become thieves and murderers rather than members of the legal society. The poverty and fear and degradation were too awful to be acceptable to any man of spirit.

But up until that time I want you just to follow my lead and don’t worry. There are negotiations going on that will solve problems that you think are not solvable. So just be a little patient.” Tessio

The trick is that since he does not fear death and indeed looks for it, then the trick is to make yourself the only person in the world that he truly desires not to kill him. He has only that one fear, not of death, but that you may be the one to kill him. He is yours then.

Yet he thought, if I die saying " Life is beautiful", then nothing else is important.

Genius had its rewards.

The story you are holding was first published in 1969, which was, as you may know, a very interesting year.

The Don always taught that when a man was generous, he must show the generosity as personal.

Lampone made a gesture that said he would be patient, knowing his reward was certain.

Jack Woltz: Now you listen to me, you smooth-talking son-of-a-bitch, let me lay it on the line for you and your boss, whoever he is! Johnny Fontane will never get that movie! I don't care how many dago guinea wop greaseball goombahs come out of the woodwork! Tom Hagen: I'm German-Irish. Jack Woltz: Well, let me tell you something, my kraut-mick friend, I'm gonna make so much trouble for you, you won t know what hit you! Tom Hagen: Mr. Woltz, I'm a lawyer. I have not threatened you.

My Dear Lucy, I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand, a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather,

Don Corleone did this by putting a pistol to the forehead of the band leader and assuring him with the utmost seriousness that either his signature or his brains would rest on that document in exactly one minute. Les Halley signed.

You talk about vengeance. Is vengeance going to bring your son back to you or my boy to me? I forgo the vengeance of my son. But I have selfish reasons, my youngest son was forced to leave this country because of this Sollozzo business. All right, now I have to make arrangements to bring him back here safely cleared of all these false charges. But I'm a superstitious man and if some unlucky accident should befall him, if he should get shot in the head by a police officer, or if should hang himself in his jail cell, or if he's struck by a bolt of lightening, then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room, and that I do not forgive. But, that aside, let me say that I swear, on the souls of my grandchildren, that I will not be the one to break the peace we have made here today.

Did Jack Woltz have the balls to risk everything, to run the chance of losing all on a matter of principle, on a matter of honor; for revenge?

Le haré una oferta que no podrá rechazar.

It was not necessary that he be your friend, it was not even important that you had no means with which to repay him. Only one thing was required. That you, you yourself, proclaim your friendship. And then, no matter how poor or powerless the supplicant, Don Corleone would take that man’s troubles to his heart.

Với những người ta yêu thương thì không thể nói "không" được, ít ra là không thể nói thường xuyên. Đó là toàn bộ bí quyết. Còn khi buộc phải nói thì cần nói sao cho cái từ "không" của ta nghe như "có". Hoặc làm sao để chính người khác phải nói với ta cái từ "không" đó.

That night a bomb exploded in the Corleone Family mall in Long Beach, thrown from a car that pulled up to the chain, then roared away. That night also two button men of the Corleone Family were killed as they peaceably ate their dinner in a small Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village. The Five Families War of 1946 had begun.

Why would you be my friend? What do you get out of it?” I consider that question as I sip from the bottle of rum, sitting back down in my chair. “The truth?” “Please.” “I’m bored,” I admit. “I came to the city because of a movie, too. The Godfather. But reality? It’s nothing like it is in the movies. Most days we just sit around, waiting for something to happen. It’s monotonous. The world, it’s all in black and white, but you? You’re so many shades of red, woman, and color me curious, but I find myself not so bored with your bullshit around.

Luca Brasi was such a man. But he was such an extraordinary man that for a long time nobody could kill him. Most of these people are of no concern to ourselves but a Brasi is a powerful weapon to be used. The trick is that since he does not fear death and indeed looks for it, then the trick is to make yourself the only person in the world that he truly desires not to kill him. He has only that one fear, not of death, but that you may be the one to kill him. He is yours then.

Kay could see how Michael stood to receive their homage. He reminded her of statues in Rome, statues of those Roman emperors of antiquity, who, by divine right, held the power of life and death over their fellow men. One hand was on his hip, the profile of his face showed a cold proud power, his body was carelessly, arrogantly at ease, weight resting on one foot slightly behind the other. The caporegimes stood before him. In that moment Kay knew that everything Connie had accused Michael of was true. She went back into the kitchen and wept.

He had no illusions about the dangerousness of his mission. He spent the first year meeting with different chiefs of gangs in New York, laying the groundwork, sounding them out, proposing spheres of influence that would be honored by a loosely bound confederated council. But there were too many factions, too many special interests that conflicted. Agreement was impossible. Like other great rulers and lawgivers in history Don Corleone decided that order and peace were impossible until the number of reigning states had been reduced to a manageable number.

My father is a businessman trying to provide for his wife and children and those friends he might need someday in a time of trouble. He doesn’t accept the rules of the society we live in because those rules would have condemned him to a life not suitable to a man like himself, a man of extraordinary force and character. What you have to understand is that he considers himself the equal of all those great men like Presidents and Prime Ministers and Supreme Court Justices and Governors of the States. He refuses to live by rules set up by others, rules which condemn him to a defeated life. But his ultimate aim is to enter that society with a certain power since society doesn’t really protect its members who do not have their own individual power. In the meantime he operates on a code of ethics he considers far superior to the legal structures of society.