The Godfather is considered one of the greatest movies ever made and is universally recognized as a monumental staple in cinema history. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather is based on Mario Puzo‘s best-selling novel of the same name and went on to win several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. While the film features unforgettable characters and phenomenal performances by the overall cast, it’s also one of the most quoted movies of all time.
Without question, The Godfather is one of the most quotable gangster movies and has been referenced throughout countless movies and television shows, including The Sopranos and American Gangster. Some are more popular and memorable than others, but out of the dozens of incredible quotes and one-liners, these are the best quotes from The Godfather, ranked.
30
“Where does it say that you can’t kill a cop?”
Michael Corleone
After Michael (Al Pacino’s iconic character) is assaulted by the corrupt Captain McClusky (Sterling Hayden), Tom (Robert Duvall) and Sonny (James Caan) sit down with Tessio (Abe Vigoda) and Clemenza (Richard S. Castellano) to strategize their next move against Virgil “The Turk” Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) who has requested that he and someone from the Corleone family meet to discuss the recent event. As they all realize that McClusky will be with Sollozzo at the meeting, they feel it’s too risky to try and take him out, but Michael, who has been quietly listening, chimes in with an unexpected question that inevitably turns the tables.
Michael’s question about killing a cop marks a vital turning point for his character and an act on his part that shows how deeply he cares about his family as well as his father’s safety. The once warm and kind war hero has transformed into a hardened mafioso who realizes that his upstanding reputation and staying away from the family business is the perfect way to get Sollozzo and McClusky to let their guard down. He also knows they won’t kill him because he will present himself as a messenger and an unassuming threat to his targets.
29
“Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, consider this justice as a gift on my daughter’s wedding day.”
Don Vito Corleone
When Amergio Bonesera (Salvatore Corsitto) meets with Vito Corleone during his daughter’s wedding, he agrees to offer his services to the undertaker in exchange for his friendship. After initially hesitating, Bonesera eventually agrees but still fears that he has somehow made a deal with the devil. As Vito walks with Bonesera to the door, he addresses what he expects from him after agreeing to give his daughter the justice she deserves, admitting that he may or may not come to him one day to repay his debt.
Vito’s quote has not only become a popular phrase in pop culture, but it also shows how Vito’s lack of transparency is essentially a way to test his friends. Like anyone, Bonesera believes that whatever Vito asks of him will involve breaking the law or putting him and his family at risk, but when Vito brings Sonny’s bullet-riddled body to Bonesera, it’s clear that Vito never expects his friends to stick their necks out for them; instead, he expects them to repay their debt using their skills and expertise.
28
“Hello, Carlo.”
Peter Clemenza
Towards the end of the movie, Michael finally confronts his brother-in-law, Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo), about his involvement in Sonny’s murder. Initially, Carlo denies knowing anything, but after Michael adamantly assures him that he has no intention of making his sister a widow, Carlo finally admits that he helped Emilio Barzini (Richard Conte) set Sonny up. In disgust, Michael tells Carlo to get out of his sight and that a car is waiting for him to take him to the airport. As Carlo gets into the car, thinking he’s about to catch a flight, but as soon as he shuts the door, he’s greeted by Clemenza with two deafening words.
Clemenza’s deadly greeting to Carlo is short but oh so satisfying for audiences, making it one of the movie’s all-time best one-liners. It’s never mentioned in the movie, but in Puzo’s novel, it’s revealed that Clemenza is Sonny’s godfather, which, as we all know, is a title of honor and respect. While Clemenza’s cold words essentially set the tone of what comes next, knowing that he is the one who avenges his godson makes this quote all the more gratifying.
27
“No Sicilian can ever refuse a request on his daughter’s wedding day.”
Tom Hagen
At the beginning of the movie, the audience learns about an old Sicilian tradition from Tom, who tells his wife that no Sicilian can refuse a request on the day of his daughter’s wedding. While the quote sheds light on why there’s a line of people waiting to speak with Don Corleone, it also shows that the Corleone family is one rich with honoring their ancestral traditions and loyalty to their familial roots.
Tom’s quote serves two valuable purposes that all speak to his admirable character. In the novel, Tom is more knowledgeable and familiar with Sicilian traditions than his siblings, which shows Tom’s gratitude and respect for the man who raised him as his own. While Sonny and Fredo (John Cazale) are enjoying the festivities (among other things), Tom is the only one who is consistently in the room with Vito while he conducts his business, essentially revealing his superior devotion to not only the family business but also Vito.
26
“I refused to be a fool dancing on the strings held by all those big shots.”
Don Vito Corleone
When Michael and Vito are sitting together outside, Vito admits that he never wanted this life for his youngest son, explaining how he imagined that he would become a politician or prominent lawyer who could help legitimatize the family. Despite his power and modest wealth, Vito reveals that he isn’t entirely proud of the life he chose, but in his opinion, it was far better than settling to be a pawn or puppet for others, acknowledging his immense pride and self-respect.
Unlike more traditional gangster movies, The Godfather focuses on the reasons why Vito turned to organized crime by exposing the discrimination and challenges that he and many other immigrants faced living in the United States. While some may still disapprove of his choice, this highly marginalized quote essentially reveals that he had too much pride and self-respect to lead a life as a puppet and to do the bidding of those who looked down on people like him. There are dozens of quotes that speak volumes to Vito’s character, but this is one of the greatest Godfather lines that deserves more recognition than it generally receives.
25
“You gotta get ’em close like this, and badda-bing, you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit.”
Santino “Sonny” Corleone
When everyone is sitting down trying to figure out their next move against Virgil “The Turk” Sollozzo, Michael speaks up and boldly suggests that he should be the one to take Sollozzo out. Considering Michael isn’t actually involved in the family business, the others don’t initially take him seriously, and his older brother, Sonny, decides to bust his balls with a quick-witted joke.
Despite serving in the war, Sonny still sees his little brother as the straight-laced war hero whom his father had higher aspirations for. Sonny’s joke is humorous, but it also shows how Sonny doesn’t take his brother seriously and speaks to him like he’s a child who doesn’t understand what he just suggested. Even though Sonny loves his brother, there’s a part of him that fails to see his full potential and almost sees him as the stereotypical Ivy League-educated man who doesn’t have the guts to pull off such a brutal job.
24
“And if by chance an honest man like yourself should make enemies then they would become my enemies…and then they will fear you.”
Don Vito Corleone
Once Bonesera and Vito Corleone come to a mutual agreement regarding Bonesera’s request, the Don leaves the man with a few words of comfort and assurance. As the men are walking to the door, Vito essentially tells Bonesera that if anyone decides to mess with him or his family, then they will be messing with Don Corleone, which should shake any reasonable man to his core.
Vito Corleone is a man of his word and when any of his friends or family are in trouble, he will do everything in his power to help them, which is evident with this quote. Ironically, the last line of this quote is repeated in The Godfather: Part III by Connie Corleone Rizzi (Talia Shire). When Michael finds out that Connie and Al Neri (Richard Bright) gave the go-ahead for Vincent to kill Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna), he’s furious but also knows it had to be done. Before he leaves, his sister echoes her father’s words to him, to which he replies, “maybe they should fear you,” acknowledging that his sister is the one who orchestrated the whole matter.
23
“It doesn’t make any difference to me what a man does for a living, you understand. But your business is a little dangerous.”
Don Vito Corleone
After politely declining Sollozzo’s business offer, Sollozzo thinks the Don doesn’t want to be associated with that kind of business and tries to rationalize that basically everyone is trying to put their hands in the rising drug business, but even if he increased the cut or sweetened the deal, Don Corleone isn’t concerned about the details of the offer. He respectfully explains to Sollozzo that he’s not here to judge how a man chooses to make a living, but when it comes to the business Sollozzo is in, he doesn’t want to get involved due to the high risks that come with it.
Unlike the new generation of gangsters, Vito Corleone isn’t out to become the richest man in the country, and, considering his respectable reputation and making powerful connections, he doesn’t believe they are worth risking for Sollozzo’s deal. Despite his refusal, he also doesn’t judge Sollozzo or anyone else who chooses to make a living through drugs, knowing he isn’t exactly a law-abiding citizen, but in the end, Sollozzo fails to understand that Don Corleone is a man with integrity and morals who can’t be swayed with money.
22
“Tell Mike it was only business.”
Salvatore Tessio
At the end of the movie, Michael figures out that his father’s longtime friend and faithful capo, Tessio, is the one who betrayed the family. As Tessio is leaving the house, Tom Hagen informs him that he will have to drive to the meeting with Barzini alone, leading to the others chiming in saying how they won’t be able to make it either. It finally dawns on Tessio that he has been found out and that he isn’t going to meet with Barzini either.
Tessio knows the fate that awaits him and when he tells Tom to let Michael know it was just business, his words circle back to the meeting they had when they were plotting Sollozzo and McClusky’s murders, reiterating Michael’s own words about how it’s nothing personal, it’s just business. For some, Tessio’s betrayal is a bit of a shock, but at the beginning of the movie, there is a subtle hint about his future betrayal. Throughout The Godfather movies, any time an orange is present, it almost always indicates that something bad is about to happen or someone is going to die. In the early scene of Connie and Carlo’s wedding, audiences can see Tessio peeling an orange while sitting at a table with Carmela Corleone.
21
“It’s the smart move, Tessio was always smarter.”
Michael Corleone
Before Vito Corleone passes away, he warns Michael that whoever comes to him about meeting with Barzini is the one who betrayed their family. At Vito’s funeral, Michael is approached by Tessio, who informs him that Barzini wants to arrange a meeting with him, unknowingly revealing to Michael that he is the traitor. As Tessio leaves, Tom whispers to Michael that he expected it to be Clemenza, to which Michael admits that while it’s unfortunate that it turned out to be Tessio, it makes sense why it was him.
The moment Michael realizes that Tessio is the traitor is a climactic moment in the movie. Not only does it turn out to be one of his father’s most trusted and loyal capos, it also exposes Tessio’s lack of faith and trust in Michael to honor the promise his father made to him and Clemenza about forming their own families. Michael understands why Tessio made the choice he did, knowing that he is a smart and tactful man who believed that he had a better chance of elevating his position with a man like Barzini than with Michael. While the betrayal hits hard, Michael can’t fault Tessio for believing that he was making the smarter move, fully acknowledging that it’s simply business.
