Daily Dialogue — August 23, 2016

Malone: You said you wanted to get Capone. Do you really wanna get him? You see what I’m saying is, what are you prepared to do?
Ness: Anything within the law.
Malone: And then what are you prepared to do? If you open the can on these worms you must be prepared to go all the way. Because they’re not gonna give up the fight, until one of you is dead.
Ness: I want to get Capone. I don’t know how to do it.
Malone: You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That’s the Chicago way. And that’s how you get Capone. Now do you want to do that? Are you ready to do that? I’m offering you a deal. Do you want this deal?
Ness: I have sworn to capture this man with all legal powers at my disposal and I will do so.
Malone: Well, the Lord hates a coward.

Malone shakes his hand.

Malone: Do you know what a blood oath is, Mr Ness?
Ness: Yes.
Malone: Good, ’cause you just took one.

— The Untouchables (1987), screenplay by David Mamet, suggested by book written by Oscar Fraley, Eliot Ness

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Mentor, suggested by Michael Waters who also suggested today’s dialogue

Trivia: According to Brian De Palma and Art Linson in the DVD documentary, it was Sean Connery’s idea to film the “blood oath” scene between Ness and Malone in a Catholic church. Originally it was going to take place on the street (in the same scene that follows the church scene). Connery felt that a church would be the only “safe” place in Chicago where the two characters would make such a commitment to fight Capone.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Michael: “The trick to writing a great Mentor seems to be that the mentor has already walked the path the Protagonist is on.”

Michael also notes of the scene: “It’s outside of the ambit of screenwriters comments but it’s worth noting that the usual shot-reverse camerawork has been replaced by a two shot series in which both actors are in all shots. It seems to add to the significance of the threshold they are about to cross.”

Comment Archive