Rambo III (1988) - Quotes

A Mission Fueled by Friendship

Taglines: The first was for himself. The second for his country. This time it's for his friend.

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Rambo's Vengeance Exceeds Divine Mercy

Taglines: God would have mercy. Rambo won't!

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A Standoff with No Escape

Zaysen: Drop your weapons! Now! You have no chance of escape! Come forward! I wish to take you back alive! This is your last warning! The choice is yours!

Colonel Trautman: What do you say John?

John Rambo: [opens fire] ...Fuck em.

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Confrontation of Identities in Rambo III

Zaysen: Who are you?

Rambo: Your worst nightmare.

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The Nature of Honor in War

Masoud: [to Rambo] Now you see how it is here. Somewhere in the war there's supposed to be honor. Where's the honor here? Where? Now, we're taking the survivors to the border. Are you coming?

Rambo: I'm going to the fort.

Masoud: Have you not seen enough death? Go! Go while you can! This isn't your war.

Rambo: It is now.

Masoud: So be it. You're a good friend.

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Journey from Arizona: A Long Walk

Hamid: Where do you come from?

John Rambo: Arizona.

Hamid: How many days walk?

Rambo: Two years.

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Resilience of the Afghan People

Mousa: [[w:Alexander the Great|Alexander the Great] This is Afghanistan... ] try to conquer this country... then Genghis Khan, then the British. Now Russia. But Afghan people fight hard, they never be defeated. Ancient enemy make prayer about these people... you wish to hear?

Rambo: Um-hum.

Mousa: Very good. It says, "May God deliver us from the venom of the Cobra, teeth of the tiger, and the vengeance of the Afghan." Understand what this means?

Rambo: That you guys don't take any shit?

Mousa: Yes... something like this.

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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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Unexpected Encounters in Rambo III

Mousa Chanin: I am Mousa Chanin. What is it you want?

John Rambo: I was sent by Griggs.

Mousa: You do not look like men Griggs sent before. You not look like you are with military.

Rambo: I'm not.

Mousa: What you are? A mercenary?

Rambo: No.

Mousa: [grins] You're not a military, you're not a mercenary, what are you? Lost tourist?

Rambo: [walks closer to Mousa, unsettling him] ...I'm not a tourist.

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Rambo Faces Unexpected Challenges in Mission

Robert Griggs: Rambo! Something went wrong.

John Rambo: What happened?

Griggs: Soviets intercepted the team, just over the border. Among we've gathered, Trautman and the rest of his party have been taken to the regional commandment post.

Rambo: And what are you doing about it?

Griggs: [starts to leave] I can't do anything about it. I'm sorry... I just thought you should know.

Rambo: [beat] What about me?

Griggs: What about you?

Rambo: Can you get me in?

Griggs: You're not serious.

Rambo: [sternly] Oh yeah, I'm serious.

Griggs: It can't be done officially.

Rambo: Then make it unofficial.

Griggs: If it can be done... I want you to know upfront that if you're captured, or any of this leaks, we'll deny any participation, or even knowledge of your existence.

Rambo: I'm used to it.

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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: [referring to Trautman's company] You see a lot. Colonel, who are they?

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: [to Griggs; walks off] It means my war is over.

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

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: [as Trautman starts to walk off] I promise. Colonel! I'm sorry. But it's gotta end for me sometime.

Trautman: [beat, nods] I understand.

The Art of Revealing Hidden Masterpieces

Colonel Trautman: [tries to convince Rambo to join him in Afghanistan] There was a sculptor. He found this stone, a special stone. He dragged it home and he worked on it for months until he finally finished it. When he was ready he showed it to his friends. They said he had created a great masterpiece, but the sculptor said he hadn't created anything. The statue was always there, he just chipped away the rough edges.