The Deer Hunter Quotes

Steven This comes every month from Saigon. I don't understand...That place is gonna fall any day now.

Michael It's Nicky, Steve.

Steven Where is a guy like Nick gettin money like this?

Steven Pushkov Hey, look at that! Whoa! What the hell is that?

Michael Vronsky Where? Oh yeah. Holy shit! You know what that is? Those are sun dogs.

Peter "Axel" Axelrod What does it mean?

Michael "Mike" Vronsky It means a blessing on the hunter sent by the great wolf to his children.

Stanley What the fuck are you talking about?

Michael "Mike" Vronsky No, it's an old Indian thing.

Michael Vronsky Here's to Nick.

Julien Grinda When a man says no to champagne, he says no to life.

Steven's mother I still do not believe this. My own boy with a strange girl and not so thin, if you understand my meaning...The next thing you know, he goes to Vietnam...I do not understand, Father. I understand nothing anymore, nothing...Can you explain? Can anyone explain?

Steven's mother You marry this girl, you leave her with me, and you go with these bums to Vietnam.

Nick Did you hear about the happy Roman? He was "GLAD HE ATE HER"!

Linda I was hoping, somehow Michael, maybe you had Nick with you...He never wrote to me, he never called me.

Axel You're so full of shit, you're gonna float away.

Steven The place is great...It's like a resort...I mean they got basketball, bowling...Princess Grace came to see us the other day.

Nick I hope they send us where the bullets are flyin and the fightin's the worst, huh?

Green Beret veteran Fuck it.

Michael Well, what's it like over there? Will you tell us anything?

Green Beret veteran Fuck it.

Nick Will you marry me?

Linda Yeah.

Nick You would? What I mean is, when we get back from...when we get back. I don't know what the hell I mean.

Linda What goes through your mind comes out your mouth.

Julien Grinda If you are really brave and lucky, I can make you very, very rich.

Michael Vronsky I just wanted to say how sorry I am about Nick. And how, I know how much you loved him and I know that it will never be the same. I just wanted to tell you that.

Michael What kind of beer would you like?

Linda What? I don't know. I don't care. Any kind.

Michael I'll get you a Rolling Rock.

Linda Okay.

Michael It's a good beer, it's the best around.

Michael I came 12,000 miles back here to get you...What's the matter with you? Don't you recognize me?...Nicky, I love you, you're my friend. What are you doing? We don't have much time, Nick. Is this what you want? Is this what you want? I love you, Nick. Come on, Nicky, come home. Just come home. Home. Talk to me. What did you do to your arms? Do you remember the trees? Do you remember all the different ways of the trees? Do you remember that? Do you remember? Huh? The mountains? Do you remember all that?

Nick One shot.

Michael One shot, one shot.

Michael Nicky, Nicky, don't, Nick, no!!

Michael Vronsky You wanna play games? All right, I'll play your fucking games.

Michael Every time he comes up, he's got no knife, he's got no jacket, he's got no pants, he's got no boots. All he's got is that stupid gun he carries around like John Wayne. Stanley, see this? This is this. This ain't something else. This is this. From now on, you're on your own.

Stanley I fixed you up a million times. I fixed him up a million times. I don't know how many times I must have fixed him up with girls. And nothing ever happens. Zero...Nobody ever knows what the fuck you're talkin about. Huh? This is this. What the hell is that supposed to mean? This is this. I mean, is that some faggot soundin bullshit or is that some faggot...There's times I swear I think you're a fuckin faggot...Last week, he could have had that new red-headed waitress...He could have had it knocked. And look what he did. Look what he fuckin did. Nothin'.

Stan How does it feel to be shot?

Michael Don't, don't hurt. That's what you want to know. And how's it been, doing OK?

Stan Yeah, same old thing, you know. Nothin's changed. I'm gettin more ass than a toilet seat and Axel here, he's gettin better than ever.

Axel Hey Stan, why don't you show him that gun - that little pussy thing you carry around in the back there. Look at that...

Michael What's that for?

Stan The same thing the other one was for.

Michael And what was that?

Michael Vronsky Okay. Okay!

Michael Everything's going so fast. Hey Nick, do you think we'll ever come back?

Nick From Nam?

Michael Yeah.

Nick You know somethin'? The whole thing - it's right here. I love this fuckin place. I know that that sounds crazy. If anything happens Mike, you don't - don't leave me over there. You got, you gotta...Just don't leave me. You gotta promise me that, Mike.

Michael Hey!

Nick No man, you got, you gotta, you gotta promise definitely.

Michael Hey Nicky...You got it, pal.

Julien Grinda What is there to be afraid of in this war? The war is a joke, a silly thing...I pay my players - cash - American. However, should you prefer German marks or perhaps Swiss francs, that of course can be arranged.

Nick What do you think you are, God?

Michael We gotta play with more bullets...That means we gotta play each other...You gotta listen to me. You wanta stay down here and die?...Go ahead Nickie. It's gonna be all right...Don't worry, in five minutes we're gonna be outa here...It's gonna be all right, Nickie, go ahead. Shoot. Shoot, Nickie.

Michael I'll tell ya one thing, if I found out my life had to end up in the mountains, it'd be all right, but it has to be in your mind.

Nick What? One shot?

Michael Two is pussy.

Nick I don't think about one shot that much any more, Mike.

Michael You have to think about one shot. One shot is what it's all about. The deer has to be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that - they don't listen. Do you ever think about Vietnam?

Nick Yeah. I don't know. I guess I'm thinkin about the deer, goin to Nam. I like the trees, you know? I like the way the trees are on the mountains, all different. The way the trees are. I sound like some asshole, right?

Michael I'll tell ya, Nick. You're the only guy I go huntin with, you know. I like a guy with quick moves and speed. I ain't gonna hunt with no assholes.

Nick Who's an asshole?

Michael Who's an asshole? Who do you think's an asshole? They're all fuckin assholes. I mean, they're great guys, I love em. But if it's not you and me, I'm huntin alone.

Nick You're just a nut. A control freak!

Michael Hey - I don't like no surprises.

Linda Why don't we go to bed? Can't we just comfort each other?

Michael No, I can't. Not here. I gotta get out of here. I'm sorry. I just gotta get out...Look, I don't know. I feel a lot of distance and I feel far away. I'll see ya later.

Linda So, how are you, anyway?

Michael I'm fine, OK. How are you?

Linda Me? I'm OK. I'm fine. I go along, you know. Still workin at the market. There's a million things to do. You sure you're all right, huh?

Michael Yeah.

Linda What about your wounds?

Michael There's nothin', just healed. Just the usual complications, that's all.

Linda But we heard...

Michael No, that's not true. A lot of guys went through it.

Linda Oh, I'm so glad you're alive. I'm so happy. I really don't know what I feel.