Richard Crenna Quotes - Best Lines & Interviews

Memorable Quotes from Richard Crenna

2 quotes

Rambo III

Underestimating the Resolve of Freedom Fighters

Colonel Trautman You expect sympathy? You started this damn war, now you'll have to deal with it.

Zaysen And we will. It is just a matter of time before we achieve a complete victory.

Trautman Yeah, well, there won't be a victory. Every day, your war machines lose ground to a bunch of poorly-armed, poorly-equipped freedom fighters. The fact is that you underestimated your competition. If you'd studied your history, you'd know that these people have never given up to anyone. They'd rather die than be slaves to an invading army. You can't defeat a people like that. We tried; we already had our Vietnam! Now you're gonna have yours.

Zaysen So, you wish to test me? Good.

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Rambo III

A Reunion Between Old Allies

John Rambo So where you coming from?

Colonel Samuel Trautman Washington. Good to see you again!

Rambo Yeah, you too.

Trautman Do you want to tell me about it?

Rambo About what?

Trautman About yesterday, I've seen you stick fighting in a warehouse in Bangkok.

Rambo You saw that?

Trautman Yeah. And today I find you, working in a monastery.

Rambo They let me live here and I help out, fixing things.

Trautman And the stick fighting?

Rambo I just do that for their lack of money.

Trautman Yeah...I saw you give it to the monks.

Rambo You see a lot. Colonel, who are they?

[referring to Trautman's company]

Trautman They're part of the reason I'm here. This is Robert Griggs, he's a field officer of our local embassy.

Robert Griggs John Rambo? Pleasure. Well, you're sure not easy to find!

Rambo Why are you keepin track?

Griggs Well, like the Colonel says, good men are hard to find! John, I'd like you to take a look at some of these photos. I don't know how much you know about Afghanistan. Most people can't even find it on a map! But over two million civilians, mostly peasants farmers and their families, have been systematically slaughtered by invading Russian armies. Every new weapon, including chemical warfare, has been used to eliminate these people. And they've been very successful, at many levels. I assume that you're out of touch with the current states of the war. But after nine years of fighting, the Afghan Forces are now getting their Stinger missiles, and are now beginning to hold their own against the Air-Strikes. Except for one region. Apparently, the Soviet Commander there is exceptionally brutal, as those photos indicate. And he's managed to string along all aid from the outside. So we want to investigate the problem firsthand.

Rambo And what that's got to do with me?

Trautman They've asked me to go in.

Rambo You're not gonna do it?

Trautman Yes. And I want you to come with me, John.

Rambo I put in my time.

Griggs What does that mean?

Rambo It means my war is over.

[to Griggs; walks off]

Griggs I thought you said he was this great soldier. Well, Colonel...looks like we've got a long walk down those stairs.

[to Trautman]

Trautman Don't be tough on him, he's just following orders.

Trautman This mission's important, John.

Rambo Do you really think we can make a difference?

Trautman If I didn't, I wouldn't be going.

Rambo It didn't before.

Trautman That was another time. Come with me, John.

Rambo I don't know what you think about this place, but I like it. I like bein here, I like workin here. I like belong into something.

Trautman You do belong into something. Not this. When you're gonna come full circle?

Rambo What are you talkin about?

Trautman You said that your war is over. I think the one out there is, but not the one inside you. I know the reasons you're here, John. But it doesn't work that way. You may try, but you can't get away from what you really are.

Rambo And what is it I am?

Trautman A full-blooded combat soldier.

Rambo Not any more. I don't want it.

Trautman That's too bad, cause you're stuck with it. Let me tell you a story, John. There was a sculptor and he found a stone, a special stone. He dragged it home and he worked on it for months, until he finally finished. When he was ready, he showed it to his friends, and they said he had created a great statue. The sculptor said he hadn't created anything. The statue was always there. He just cleared away the small pieces. We didn't make you this fighting machine. We just chipped away the rough edges. Your own is gonna be tearing away with yourself, until you come to terms with what you are! Until you come full circle.

Rambo I guess I'm not ready yet.

Trautman Well, I got to move. Promise me you'll look for me when you're back in the States.

Rambo I promise. Colonel! I'm sorry. But it's gotta end for me sometime.

[as Trautman starts to walk off]

Trautman I understand.

[beat, nods]