One of the many ways to measure a film’s impact is to see how many iconic quotes it produces. Best Movies of All Time - gone With the Wind, Titanic, Casablanca - all have several lines that have transcended their narratives, becoming an integral part of pop culture, synonymous with the film industry as a whole.
As part of the annual film celebration, the American Film Institute has compiled a list of the 100 best quotes in the history of cinema. Released in 2005 list with exact title 100 years… 100 movie quotescollects some of the most iconic and beloved lines, recognizing them as the best of all time.
10 “You talk to me?” - ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976)
Martin Scorsese guides Robert DeNiro in the 1976 psychological thriller Taxi driver. The film is about Travis Bickle, a war veteran and loner with insomnia, who roams the morally corrupt and decadent New York City at night in his taxi. Obsessed with a beautiful young woman working on a political campaign, he becomes increasingly anxious and paranoid.
Taxi driverThe most iconic phrase is De Niro’s ingenious improvisation. The quote Travis said to himself while looking in the mirror is disturbing and menacing, a creepy nod to violence to come. De Niro put so much meaning into those four words, turning them into one of cinema’s most disturbing promises.
9 “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” - “All About Eve” (1950)
AFI named her the greatest woman of the Golden Age. Bette Davis is a cinematic giant with a career full of timeless classics. However, Joseph L. Mankiewiczdrama All about Eva may be her best film. The film is about Margo Channing, a respected but aging stage actress who falls prey to the ambitious and ruthless Eva Harington who slowly creeps into her life.
Margot, played by Davis, is a short-tempered, tough and straightforward woman who has developed thick skin to survive in the cutthroat world of Broadway. Margot delivers her most iconic quote during a party, and Davis’ dry, confident speech makes it unforgettable. The quote is universal, applicable to perhaps any situation as easily as it suits this witty and masterful drama.
8 “Let the force be with you.” - ‘Star Wars’ (1977)
George Lucaswildly creative, revolutionary space opera, star Wars, was a monumental cinematic achievement whose impact is still felt today. The plot follows a young Luke Skywalker as he becomes involved in the Rebel Alliance’s fight against the Galactic Empire, uncovering the secret of a powerful metaphysical entity known as “The Force”.
star Wars introduced the now legendary line: “May the force be with you.” The quote has become synonymous with the franchise and a universal way to wish good luck. It may be more common in the most geeky corners of pop culture, but the line is iconic enough to break through its genre barriers and enter the mainstream lexicon.
7 “Okay, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for the close-up.” - ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (1950)
Possibly the best film noir in Hollywood history. Billy WilderX Sunset Boulevard it is a cinematic triumph of acting, writing, directing and voice acting. The plot centers on struggling writer Joe Gillis who forms a manipulative and increasingly unstable relationship with Norma Desmond, an aging former silent film star convinced she can make a successful comeback.
Brilliantly played by an outstanding Gloria Swanson, Norma Desmond is a cinematic monster of incredible proportions. Dangerously misguided but extremely compelling, Norma is a charming creation, an exploration of the nature of loneliness, regret, bitterness and pain. Her last words, spoken with melodramatic delight by Swanson, represent her complete descent into madness, with the actress imbuing every word with sharp and chilling determination.
6 “Make my day.” - “Sudden Impact” (1983)
Clint Eastwood starred in many great films, although his main cinematic contributions are in the western and crime genres. 1983s sudden impact Eastwood will reprise his role as Harry Callahan, a brutal police inspector tasked with catching a serial killer.
Although not the best Dirty Harry movie, sudden impact differs in that it includes one of the coolest and most memorable lines in cinema. Delivered in Eastwood’s signature raspy voice, the line is a menace that far transcends the film’s legacy, to the point where politicians used it during official speeches.
5 “They’re watching you, child.” - ‘Casablanca’ (1942)
wide romance Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart And Ingrid Bergman. The film takes place during World War II. The film tells about Rick Blaine, an American immigrant from the Moroccan city of Casablanca. Surprised by the sudden arrival of his ex-lover, Rick must choose between being with her and helping her and her husband escape to Lisbon.
Casablanca differs in that it has the highest number of lines in the AFI list - six. His highest entry is the classic “I’m looking at you baby” spoken by Rick during his farewell to Ilsa. In a scene filled with more iconic quotes than most films, this line stands out for its simplicity and surprising ability to still pack an emotional punch.
4 “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” - “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
Issued in 1939, Wizard of Oz is the best classic fantasy film and a timeless masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences today. Judy Garland plays Dorothy Gale, a young girl transported to the magical land of Oz, where she must seek the Wizard’s help to return home.
Dorothy’s phrase upon arrival in Oz has become a classic, it is often used to describe any unfamiliar place or situation. Garland’s surprised and naive performance transforms what could easily be a passing phrase into a universal description of insecurity, fear and wonder, while embodying the film’s main themes of identity, belonging and growing up.
3 “You do not understand! I could have class. I could be a contender. I could be someone other than the bum that I am.” - “On the Embankment” (1954)
Marlon Brando won his first Oscar for playing the brooding dock worker Terry Malloy in the groundbreaking crime drama. On the embankment. The plot centers on Malloy, a former boxer who struggles to resist the corruption and violence that pervades the movers and their union.
Malloy was a pioneering character in film, and Brando’s portrayal is considered one of the greatest acting achievements in American cinema. The rough, uncompromising, all-consuming performance of the actor is perfectly summarized by this powerful line that Terry said to his brother Charlie. Terry Brando is an open wound, and this line is blood overflowing, a thousand emotions flashing across his face with every new word.
2 “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” - ‘The Godfather’ (1972)
Named by AFI the greatest gangster film of all time. Francis Ford Coppolacrime masterpiece, Godfather, is a cinematographic institution. The film follows the tumultuous life of the infamous Corleone crime family, led by Don Vito Corleone, as they groom their eldest son, Michael, to power.
Marlon Brando is a giant on the silver screen and his performance as Vito Corleone is considered one of the best. Dry but touching work by Brando in Godfather stellar, a triumph of contradictions, with an actor deftly mixing warmth with ruthlessness. Nowhere is this deadly combination more evident than in his execution of this phrase, which has become synonymous with the entire gangster genre. The alarming and foreboding phrase shouldn’t be a threat, but Brando fills it with a vague hint of danger, making it all the more memorable.
1 “Honestly, my dear, I don’t care.” - “Gone with the Wind” (1939)
Widely regarded as one of the best films of all time, gone With the Wind stars Vivien Leigh And Clark Gable in two of his most iconic roles. The film chronicles the life of the energetic Scarlett O’Hara, her unrequited love for Ashley Wilkes, and her subsequent marriage to the diabolical Rhett Butler in the final days of the Antebellum South.
The final quote from the film, delivered by Rhett as a final farewell to Scarlett, has become a timeless part of the cinematic vocabulary. Controversial at the time due to its inclusion of foul language, the line is presented by Gable with confident enjoyment and barely concealed disdain as the perfect conclusion to a great three-hour epic.
Source: Collider
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