Daily Dialogue — September 5, 2016

Pike Bishop: They got Freddy. Looks like he’s hit pretty bad.
Dutch Engstrom: Damn that Deke Thornton to hell!
Pike Bishop: What would you do in his place? He gave his word.
Dutch Engstrom: Gave his word to a railroad.
Pike Bishop: It’s his word!
Dutch Engstrom: That ain’t what counts! It’s who you give it to!

— The Wild Bunch (1969), screenplay by Walon Green and Sam Peckinpah, story by Green and Roy N. Sickner

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Argument, suggested by Mark Twain. Today’s suggestion by JasperLamarCrab.

Trivia: The train robbery itself was not in the script. All scenes were improvised on the spot, the same day. Same thing with “the walk” for the bunch to help “Angel”.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Jasper: “Sometimes movie arguments are lopsided, but this short and sweet exchange is particularly effective because the dialogue derives from two equally compelling positions — they’re both right and they’re both wrong. It gives the audience an interesting question — ‘What counts, your word or who you give it to?’ — instead of proffering a hollow platitude as an answer.”