Summary
- Scarface is a violent and twisted take on the American dream, filled with unforgettable quotes that define the movie's lasting legacy.
- Tony Montana is a terrifying yet fascinating character, and his journey to power is incredibly entertaining.
- The best Scarface quotes showcase Tony's ambition, ruthlessness, and twisted sense of humor, solidifying his status as one of the greatest movie gangsters.
The best Scarface quotes are a key reason Tony Montana has gone down in history as one of the greatest movie gangsters of all time. Al Pacino created one of the most iconic movie characters of all time with the Cuban immigrant turned drug lord Tony Montana. He is a terrifying, brutal, and unpredictable force of nature, however, he is also fascinating as his journey to become a man of power is incredibly entertaining, and filled with unforgettable Scarface quotes.
Scarface is a warped and violent take on the American dream and so much of the dialogue reflects Tony's twisted ambition that leads a path of violence in his wake. These impactful Scarface quotes help to define the lasting legacy of Brian De Palma's 1983 masterpiece and showcase why Tony Montana was a career-defining role for Al Pacino. Scarface is a movie that still packs a punch after 40 years, the Brian De Palma movie has remained prominent in pop culture throughout the decades thanks to the many memorable quotes.
Scarface is available to stream on Netflix.
25 "I Didn’t Come To The United States To Break My F***ing Back."
Tony Montana
As intense and violent as Scarface is at various times, it is also a funny movie with Tony as such an outlandish character that it is hard not to laugh at some of his antics. Even within this ambitious search for the distorted American dream, Tony is unintentionally funny — as this hilarious and refreshingly honest Scarface quote shows. After getting his green card and starting his new life, Tony is upset that his path to fortune and a life of luxury is taking more work than he envisioned and that he feels his American dream should require less effort.
24 "You Want A Job, Ernie?"
Tony Montana
Mercy is not an attribute that many people would associate with Tony Montana, but even he can be in a charitable mood at times. After confronting his former boss Frank and the corrupt cop Bernstein, Tony executes them both in cold blood. It would seem likely that his massacre would extend to the men who worked for Frank, but when Tony steps up to the terrified henchman Ernie, he offers him a job which Ernie gratefully accepts — as if he really had a choice.
23 "I Only Tell You Once. Don't F*** Me, Tony. Don't You Ever Try To F*** Me."
Alejandro Sosa
Part of the thrill of watching the movie is seeing Tony continue to climb to new levels of success in the drug world. As vile and violent as he can be, it is hard not to root for him a little. However, when he meets Sosa, it seems that Tony has come across someone who may be too powerful for him. Sosa is one of the most intelligent characters in Scarface and he takes Tony under his wing in some way. However, his warning to Tony hints that he is not someone who can be crossed lightly and sets up the inevitable end for Tony Montana.
Every Major Change Al Pacino's Scarface Makes To The 1932 Original
A classic remake of a classic, Brian De Palma's Scarface made several major changes from the 1932 original, achieving a far more bombastic production.
22 "I Kill A Communist For Fun, But For A Green Card, I Gonna Carve Him Up Real Nice."
Tony Montana
Unlike some crime stories that follow the gradual corruption of the main character, Tony was fairly ruthless right from the beginning. That penchant for violence and his willingness to do just about anything opens up some enticing opportunities when he is stuck in a refugee encampment. When Tony is offered the deal to assassinate a communist officer living in the encampment, Tony admits that he would have done the deed for free but the fact that it will get him one step further to his new life in America means that he will really relish the job.
21 "All I Have In This World Is My Balls And My Word, And I Don't Break 'Em For No One!"
Tony Montana
After Sosa exposes Tony's accomplice Omar as a police informant and hangs him from a helicopter, he turns his interrogation on Tony to find out if he can be trusted or if he will have to meet a similar fate. Tony immediately responds with this quote before challenging Sosa to work with him or make a move against him. It's enough to convince Sosa that Tony is a man of his word, even if his feelings towards Tony's boss are less than desirable. Tony presents himself as a man of principles as odd as it may seem given his many other flaws.
20 "You Still Gonna Show Up Here And Throw Some Money Around And You Think You Can Get My Respect?"
Georgina Montana
The relationship between Tony and his mother is one of the most fascinating and underrated aspects of the movie, and it led to one of the best Scarface quotes not from Tony himself. Georgina Montana doesn't have much screen time, but she's pivotal to Tony Montana's character.
Instead of the cliché of the character growing up in an unloving home which turns him to his life of crime, Tony's mother seems to reject him because he is a criminal. When he comes around with his money and offers to let her in on some of his wealth, she shuts him down and shows she is unimpressed with what he achieved. In truth, she is perhaps the one character Tony has no power over at any time.
19 "Every Dog Has His Day."
Tony Montana
When Tony's drug lord employer, Frank, gets tired of his newfound independence and ambition, he plans to have him killed to protect his empire. After a hit job that goes sour, Tony returns to confront both Frank and the crooked cop, Bernstein, who orchestrated the hit. After making Frank beg for his life to the point where he's kissing Tony's shoes, he's killed by Manny after briefly being given false hope for a second chance. After the deed is done, Tony sits down and utters this quote to call an end to an era. Seeing him rise to his new seat of power is both an exhilarating and chilling moment.
Scarface: The Main Characters, Ranked By Intelligence
The 1983 movie, Scarface serves several fictional characters from the Miami, Cuban and Bolivian underworlds, all with varying levels of intelligence.
18 "Who Ever Said You Was One?"
Tony Montana
If there is one character whose confidence and lack of fear rivals Tony's own, it is Bernstein. He is entirely comfortable blackmailing criminals with a self-assured smile on his face. Even after Tony has Frank killed right in front of him, Bernstein doesn't seem at all worried for his own life. However, that confidence is taken away when Tony shoots him in the gut. Despite the corruption, Bernstein thinks his badge still protects him and tells Tony he can't shoot a cop, but Tony assures Bernstein he doesn't see him as a cop but rather some lower life form.
17 "The World, Chico, And Everything In It."
Tony Montana
When Tony begins taking his first steps into a much more dangerous world, his ambition and arrogance are amplified to the point where he begins seeing himself as unstoppable. This is shown in a scene of Tony driving with Manny in the passenger seat, conversing about their newfound employer. Clearly unsatisfied with what he already has, Tony explicitly says that he wants what's coming to him, prompting Manny to ask. Tony's response is an indication of Tony's untethered ambition and a hint that even when he is at the top, he will never be satisfied.
16 "You Need People Like Me So You Can Point Your F***in' Fingers And Say, 'That's The Bad Guy!'"
Tony Montana
A drunk and angry Tony Montana flips out in the middle of dinner and causes his wife Elvira to storm out in rage. When the chaos dies down and the rest of the patrons sit there staring in disbelief at what just transpired, Tony turns and addresses them with a terrific monologue. This Scarface quote represents a moment of self-reflection for Tony that he twists in order to justify his criminal behavior.
Rather than take responsibility for his unwillingness to utilize the American dream positively, he chastises those who look down on him. This is one of the best Scarface quotes as it establishes Tony Montana as more than a straightforward gangster character and as something more interesting.