Name: No Country for Old Men
Genre: Western, Thriller, Crime
Released: 2007-11-21
Duration: 122 min
Rating: 7.9
Cast: Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald

19 quotes

No Country for Old Men

A Conversation About Choices and Consequences

Carla Jean Moss What're you goin to do?

Llewelyn Moss I'm fixin to do somethin dumber'n hell but I'm goin anyways. If I don't come back, tell Mother I love her.

Carla Jean Your mother's dead, Llewelyn.

Llewelyn Well then, I'll tell her myself.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

No Country for Old Men

The Absence of Laws

Taglines There are no laws.

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No Country for Old Men

Reflections on Law and Changing Times

Sheriff Ed Tom Bell I was Sheriff of this county when I was 25 years old. Hard to believe. My grandfather was a lawman, father too. Me and him was sheriffs at the same time, him up in Plano and me out here. I think he's pretty proud of that. I know I was. Some of the old time Sheriffs never even wore a gun. A lotta folks find that hard to believe. Jim Scarborough never carried one. That's the younger Jim. Gaston Borkins wouldn't wear one up in Comanche County. I always liked to hear about the old-timers. Never missed a chance to do so. You can't help but compare yourself against the old-timers. Can't help but wonder how they'd have operated in these times. There was this boy I sent to the electric chair at Huntsville here awhile back, my arrest and my testimony. He killed a 14 year-old girl. Papers said it was a crime of passion but he told me there wasn't any passion to it. Told me that he'd been plannin to kill somebody for about as long as he could remember. Said that if they turned him out, he'd do it again. Said he knew he was going to hell, be there in about fifteen minutes. I don't know what to make of that. I surely don't. The crime you see now, it's hard to even take its measure. It's not that I'm afraid of it. I always knew you had to be willin to die to even do this job. but I don't want to push my chips forward and go out and meet somethin I don't understand. A man would have to put his soul at hazard. He'd have to say: "Okay, I'll be part of this world.

[opening monologue]

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No Country for Old Men

The Story of Uncle Mac's Tragic End

Ellis I sent Uncle Mac's thumb buster and badge over to the Rangers, to put in their museum. Daddy ever tell you how Uncle Mac come to his reward? Gunned down on his own porch, over in Hudspeth County. Seven or eight of em come up there, wantin this and wantin that. Uncle Mac went back in the house to get the shotgun, and well, they was ahead of him. Shot him in his doorway. Aunt Ella come out, to try and stop the bleedin', and Uncle Mac all the while tryin to get that shotgun. They just sat there on their horses, watchin him die. After a while, one of em said somethin in Indian, and they turned and left out. Uncle Mac knew the score, even if Aunt Ella didn't. Shot through the left lung. And that was that, as they say.

[Ed Tom shakes his head]

Ed Tom Bell When'd he die?

Ellis Nineteen-zero and, uh, nine?

Bell No, I mean was it right away, or in the night, or when was it?

Ellis I believe it was that night. She buried him the next mornin', diggin in that hard old caliche. What you got, ain't nothin new. This country's hard on people. You can't stop what's comin'. It ain't all waitin on you. That's vanity.

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No Country for Old Men

The Anticipation of Chaos

Deputy Wendell This is turnin into a hell of a mess, ain't it, Sheriff?

Sheriff Ed Tom Bell If it isn't, it'll do until the mess gets here.

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No Country for Old Men

Confrontation Over Money and Loss

Carla Jean Moss I knew this wasn't done with.

Anton Chigurh No.

Carla Jean I ain't got the money. What little I had is long gone and there's bills a-plenty to pay yet. I buried my mother today. I ain't paid for that neither.

Chigurh I wouldn't worry about it.

Carla Jean I need to sit down. You got no cause to hurt me.

Chigurh No, but I gave my word.

Carla Jean You gave your word?

Chigurh To your husband.

Carla Jean That don't make sense. You gave your word to my husband to kill me?

Chigurh Your husband had the opportunity to save you. Instead, he used you to try to save himself.

Carla Jean Not like that. Not like you say. You don't have to do this.

Chigurh People always say the same thing.

Carla Jean What do they say?

Chigurh They say, "You don't have to do this.

Carla Jean You don't.

Chigurh Okay. This is the best I can do. Call it.

[sighs; tosses a coin]

Carla Jean I knowed you was crazy when I saw you sittin there. I knowed exactly what was in store for me.

Chigurh Call it.

Carla Jean No, I ain't gonna call it.

Chigurh Call it.

Carla Jean The coin don't have no say. It's just you.

Chigurh Well, I got here the same way the coin did.

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No Country for Old Men

Frustration in the pursuit of justice

Sheriff Ed Tom Bell Aw, now that's aggravatin'.

Deputy Wendell Sheriff?

Bell Still sweatin'.

[Gestures to a bottle of milk on the coffee table]

Wendell Oh, Sheriff! We just missed him! We gotta circulate this, on radio!

Bell Alright. Then what do we circulate? Lookin for a man who's recently drunk milk?

Wendell Oh, Sheriff, that's aggravatin'.

Bell I'm ahead of you, there.

Wendell You think this boy Moss has got any notion of the sorts of sons of bitches that're on him?

Bell I don't know, he ought to. He's seen the same things I've seen, and it's certainly made an impression on me.

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No Country for Old Men

The Cost of Chasing Lost Time

Ellis All the time you spend trying to get back what's been took from you, more is going out the back door.

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No Country for Old Men

A Simple Transaction in Uncertain Times

Anton Chigurh How much?

Proprietor $0.69.

Chigurh And the gas.

Proprietor Y'all gettin any rain up your way?

[trying to make conversation]

Chigurh ...what way would that be?

[starts eating the peanuts]

Proprietor I seen you was from Dallas.

Chigurh What business is it of yours, where I'm from... "friendo"?

Proprietor I didn't mean nothing by it.

[confused]

Chigurh Didn't mean nothing.

Proprietor Just passing the time. If you don't wanna accept that, I don't know what else I can do for you. Will there be something else?

Chigurh I don't know, will there?

Proprietor Is something wrong?

[minor pause. He clears his throat]

Chigurh With what?

[confused]

Proprietor With anything.

Chigurh Is that what you're asking me? "Is there something wrong with anything"?

[mildly amused, though hardly showing it]

Proprietor Will there be anything else?

Chigurh You already asked me that.

Proprietor Well, I need to see about closing now.

[pause]

Chigurh See about closing?

Proprietor Yes, sir.

Chigurh What time do you close?

Proprietor Now, we close now.

Chigurh Now" is not a time, what time do you close?

Proprietor Generally around dark. At dark.

[gestures vaguely outside, which is still mildly daytime]

Chigurh You don't know what you're talking about, do you?

[deep inhale, short exhale]

Proprietor Sir?

Chigurh I said, you don't know what you're talking about. What time do you go to bed?

[pause]

Proprietor Sir?

[getting more uncomfortable]

Chigurh You're a bit deaf, aren't ya? I said "What time do you go to bed"?

Proprietor Um... usually somewhere around 9:30? I-I'd say around 9:30.

Chigurh I could come back then.

[ominously]

Proprietor Why would you be coming back? We'd be closed.

[confused]

Chigurh Yeah, you said that.

Proprietor Well, I got to close now.

Chigurh You live in that house out back?

[noticing the house in the back]

Proprietor Yes, I do...

[a bit disturbed]

Chigurh You lived here all your life?

Proprietor This is my wife's father's place, uh, originally.

Chigurh ...you married into it?

[stifles a cough in disgust before resuming]

Proprietor We lived in Temple, Texas, for many years. Raised a family there, in Temple. We come out here about four years ago.

Chigurh You married into it.

[still focused on the man's last statement]

Proprietor If that's the way you wanna put it.

[slight chuckle]

Chigurh I don't have some way to put it. That's the way it is. What's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss?

[he exhales before placing the crumpled peanut wrapper on the counter top and pulling out a quarter]

Proprietor Sir?

Chigurh The most you ever lost on a coin toss.

Proprietor I don't know. I couldn't say.

Chigurh Call it.

Proprietor Call it?

Chigurh Yes.

[sighs]

Proprietor For what?

Chigurh Just call it.

Proprietor Well, we need to know what we're callin for here.

Chigurh You need to call it. I can't call it for you. It wouldn't be fair.

Proprietor I didn't put nothin up.

Chigurh Yes, you did. You've been "putting it up" your whole life, you just didn't know it. You know what date is on this coin?

Proprietor No.

Chigurh 1958. It's been traveling 22 years to get here, and now it's here and it's either heads or tails. And you have to say. Call it.

Proprietor Well look, I need to know what I stand to win.

Chigurh Everything.

Proprietor How's that?

Chigurh You stand to win everything. Call it.

[annoyed]

Proprietor All right. Heads, then.

Chigurh Well done. Don't put it in your pocket.

[deadpan; flicks the quarter to the proprietor]

Proprietor Sir?

Chigurh Don't put it in your pocket, it's your lucky quarter.

Proprietor Well, where do you want me to put it?

Chigurh Anywhere not in your pocket. Or it'll get mixed in with the others and become just a coin... which it is.

[gives a glance]

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No Country for Old Men

The Illusion of Clean Getaways

Taglines There are no clean getaways.

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No Country for Old Men

Confrontation Between Two Reluctant Survivors

Carson Wells Buenos días. I'm guessing this isn't the future you had planned for yourself when you first clapped eyes on that money. Don't worry. I'm not the man who's after you.

Llewelyn Moss I know that. I've seen him.

Wells You've seen him, and you're not dead?

Moss What's this guy supposed to be, the ultimate badass?

Wells No, I wouldn't describe him as that.

Moss How would you describe him?

Wells I guess I would say he doesn't have a sense of humor.

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No Country for Old Men

Inevitability of Future Events

Taglines You can't stop what's coming.

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No Country for Old Men

Recognition of Anton Chigurh's Identity

Man Who Hires Wells You know Anton Chigurh by sight. Is that correct?

Carson Wells Yes, sir. I know him every which way.

Man Who Hires Wells When did you last see him?

Wells Uh, November 28th of last year.

Man Who Hires Wells You seem pretty sure of the date. Did I ask you to sit?

Wells No sir, but you struck me as a man who wouldn't want to waste a chair.

[sitting down]

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No Country for Old Men

Missing Floor in a Tall Building

Carson Wells You know, I, uh, counted the floors of this building from the street.

Man Who Hires Wells And?

Wells Well, there's one missing.

Man Who Hires Wells We'll look into it.

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No Country for Old Men

Questions About Chigurh's Reputation

Man Who Hires Wells How well do you know Chigurh?

Carson Wells Well enough.

Man Who Hires Wells That's not an answer.

Wells What do you want to know?

Man Who Hires Wells I'd just like to know your opinion of him in general. Just how dangerous is he?

Wells Compared to what, bubonic plague? He's bad enough you called me. He's a psychopathic killer, but so what? There's plenty of em around.

Man Who Hires Wells He killed three men in a motel in Del Rio yesterday, and two others at that colossal goatfuck out in the desert.

Wells We can stop that.

Man Who Hires Wells You seem pretty sure of yourself. You've led something of a charmed life, haven't you, Mr. Wells?

Wells In all honesty, I can't say that charm has had a whole lot to do with it.

No Country for Old Men

The Last Man Standing Question

Taglines Where's the last man standing?

No Country for Old Men

Struggling with Faith and Self-Reflection

Ellis Loretta tells me you're quittin'. How come you're doin that?

Ed Tom Bell I don't know. I feel overmatched. I always figured when I got older, God would sort of come into my life in some way, and He didn't. And I don't blame Him. If I was Him, I'd have the same opinion of me that He does.

Ellis You don't know what He thinks.

No Country for Old Men

Reflections on Dreams and Time

Loretta Bell How'd you sleep?

Ed Tom Bell I don't know. Had dreams.

Loretta Well, you got time for em now. Anything interesting?

Ed Tom Well, they always is to the party concerned.

Loretta Ed Tom, I'll be polite.

Ed Tom All right then. Two of em. Both had my father in em. It's peculiar. I'm older now than he ever was by twenty years. So, in a sense, he's the younger man. Anyway, the first one I don't remember too well but, it was about meetin him in town somewheres and he give me some money. I think I lost it. The second one, it was like we was both back in older times and I was on horseback goin through the mountains overnight. Goin through this pass in the mountains. It was cold and there was snow on the ground and he rode past me and kept on goin'. Never said nothin goin by, just rode on past. And he had his blanket wrapped around him and his head down. When he rode past, I seen he was carryin fire in a horn the way people used to do, and I-I could see the horn from the light inside of it - about the color of the moon. And in the dream I knew that he was goin on ahead and he was fixin to make a fire somewhere out there in all that dark and all that cold. And I knew that whenever I got there, he'd be there. And then I woke up.

No Country for Old Men

A Proposal for Mercy and Money

Carson Wells You don't have to do this. I'm a day trader. I could just go home.

Anton Chigurh You could?

Wells I could make it worth your while. I could take you to an ATM with 14 grand in it, and everyone just walks away.

Chigurh An ATM.

[amused]

Wells I know where the satchel is.

Chigurh If you knew, you would have it with you.

Wells I can find it from the riverbank. I know where it is.

Chigurh I know something better. I know where it's going to be.

Wells Where's that?

Chigurh It will be brought to me and placed at my feet.

Wells You don't know to a certainty. Twenty minutes, it could be here.

Chigurh I do know to a certainty, and you know what's going to happen now, Carson. You should admit your situation. There would be more dignity in it.

Wells You go to hell.

Chigurh All right. Let me ask you something. If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?

Wells Do you have any idea how crazy you are?

Chigurh You mean the nature of this conversation?

Wells I mean the nature of you. You...You can have the money, Anton.

[The phone rings. Wells looks at it briefly before looking back to Chigurh, who shoots him dead. He picks up the phone.]

Llewelyn Moss Hello?

Anton Chigurh Yes?

Moss Is, uh, Carson Wells there?

Chigurh Not in the sense that you mean. You need to come and see me.

[glances at Wells' corpse]

Moss Who is this?

Chigurh You know who it is.

Moss Yeah, I know who it is.

[sighs]

Chigurh You need to talk to me.

Moss I don't need to talk to you.

Chigurh I think you do. Do you know where I'm going?

Moss Why would I care where you're going?

Chigurh I know where you are.

Moss Yeah? Where am I?

Chigurh You're in the hospital across the river. But that's not where I'm going. Do you know where I'm going?

Moss Yeah, I know where you're going. She's not gonna be there.

[quietly]

Chigurh It won't make a difference if she's there.

Moss So what are you going up there for?

Chigurh You know how this is going to turn out, don't you?

Moss No. Do you?

Chigurh I think you do, so this is what I'll offer: you bring me the money and I'll let her go. Otherwise she's accountable, the same as you. That's the best deal you're going to get. I won't tell you you can save yourself, because you can't.

Moss Yeah, I'm goin to bring you somethin', all right. I've decided to make you a special project of mine. You ain't goin to have to look for me at all.