Paul Kersey Quotes in Death Wish (1974)

Paul Kersey: Nothing to do but cut and run, huh? What else? What about the old American social custom of self-defense? If the police don't defense us, maybe we ought to do it ourselves.

Jack Toby: We're not pioneers anymore, Dad.

Paul Kersey: What are we, Jack?

Jack Toby: What do you mean?

Paul Kersey: I mean, if we're not pioneers, what have we become? What do you call people who, when they're faced with a condition or fear, do nothing about it, they just run and hide?

Jack Toby: Civilized?

Paul Kersey: No.

Paul Kersey: [Kersey confronts the mugger who has wounded him in the leg] Hey!

[the mugger faces Kersey and knows Kersey has the drop on him]

Paul Kersey: Fill your hand.

Mugger: [Puzzled, evidently not familiar with the old-West metaphor] Huh?

Paul Kersey: Draw.

[Kersey passes out and the mugger flees]

Sam Kreutzer: [Sam complains about the crime situation in the city] You know, decent people are going to have to work here and live somewhere else.

Paul Kersey: By "decent people," you mean people who can afford to live somewhere else.

Sam Kreutzer: Oh Christ, you are such a bleeding-heart liberal, Paul.

Paul Kersey: My heart bleeds a little for the underprivileged, yes.

Sam Kreutzer: The underprivileged are beating our goddamned brains out. You know what I say? Stick them in concentration camps, that's what I say.

Ames Jainchill: You're probably one of them knee-jerk liberals that thinks us gun boys would shoot our guns because it's an extension of our penises.

Paul Kersey: Never thought about it that way. It could be true.

Ames Jainchill: Well, maybe it is. But this is gun country.

Frank Ochoa: We want you to get out of New York... Permanently.

Paul Kersey: [pause] Inspector... By sundown?

Jack Toby: We gotta let the cops handle this, Dad!

Paul Kersey: Yeah?

[squint]

Paul Kersey: Well, what if the cops can't handle this, Jack?

Paul Kersey: You've got a prime figure. You really have, you know.

Joanna Kersey: That's a euphemism for fat.

Paul Kersey: Any chance of catching these men?

Lt. Briggs: There's a chance, sure.

Paul Kersey: Just a chance?

Lt. Briggs: I'd be less than honest if I gave you more hope, Mr. Kersey. In the city, that's the way it is.

Sam Kreutzer: [Paul and Sam listen to a police statement on the news] I'll bet muggings are down, and they're afraid to tell us.

Paul Kersey: There's only one way to find out. Take a walk on Columbus Avenue tonight.

Sam Kreutzer: Thanks a lot, Paul. I think I'll wait for the official report.

Tony Hoyle: Let the law take these guys down. You know, sometimes the law works.

Paul Kersey: And Sometimes it doesn't! These people, they steal, they murder, they destroy people's lives and they get away with it! They have alibis, money, lawyers, power. They have everything.

Paul Kersey: Hey, Freddie! I'm gonna cure your dandruff problem, for you!

Paul Kersey: [Detonates Bomb]

Tommy O'Shea: Wait! Whatever you want. Whatever you need.

Paul Kersey: I don't need anything. But *you*. You need a bath!

[Pushes him into a vat of liquid plastic]

[last lines]

Paul Kersey: Hey Lieutenant, if you need any help, give me a call.

Paul Kersey: [Points gun to O'Shea] Guns make you nervous?

Paul Kersey: [Over walkie talkie] I'm coming for you, O'Shea.

Olivia Regent: [Looking in the mirror] Tell me, Paul, what do you see?

Paul Kersey: I see the women I'm going to marry.

[Night, Paul Kersey is sitting on a bed with a doll in his hand, when Hector Vasquez enters the room, Paul sees him through a mirror, he has a gun in his hand]

Hector Vasquez: I didn't think it would be this easy, Kersey.

[Kersey suddenly turns around with a revolver in hand and shoots Vasquez twice in the chest, Vasquez falls to the floor]

Paul Kersey: Neither did I.

Chuck Paconi: [pointing a gun at Paul] You got a problem?

Tommy O'Shea: Guns make you nervous?

Paul Kersey: Guns have their uses. Idiots with guns make me nervous.

[In the Paconi Family restaurant, Paul has just poisoned Chuck Paconi, who is sitting down, making horrible gagging and choking sounds]

Paul Kersey: You got a problem?

[Chuck looks up at Paul, still choking. Paul pushes Chuck's face onto the table and then walks out of the restaurant]

[Tommy O'Shea is taking his daughter with him, he tosses some papers at Paul, while Sal and Chuck Paconi look on]

Tommy O'Shea: Read 'em and weep, she's coming with me.

Paul Kersey: Like hell she is.

[Paul punches Tommy, but Sal and Chuck grab Paul and hit him from behind with a log, knocking him unconscious, Sal and Chuck then proceed to help Tommy get up]

Tommy O'Shea: Son of a bitch is quick.

[Tommy, Sal, and Chuck leave the house]

Paul Kersey: You believe in Jesus?

Stomper: Yes, I do.

Paul Kersey: Well, you're gonna meet him.

[Paul shoots Stomper dead]

[last lines]

Elliott Cass: Are you free tomorrow, Paul?

Paul Kersey: Of course. What else would I be doing?

[we hear several gunshots on Skid Row and the end credits roll]

Paul Kersey: [after getting caught killing Charles 'Nivana' Wilson] He raped and killed my daughter.

Donald Kay: I know. I know who you are, Mr. Kersey. I read about that in the newspapers.

[after a short pause]

Donald Kay: I'll give you three minutes before I sound the alarm.

Paul Kersey: [caught off guard] Why are you doing this?

Donald Kay: You're wasting time.

Paul Kersey: [Noticing the cross on Nirvana's neck] You believe in Jesus.

Nirvana: [Nervously because Paul Kersey has a gun pointed at him] Yes, I do.

Paul Kersey: Well, you're going to meet him.

[then he shoots Nirvana]

Paul Kersey: Where's my wallet?

Jiver: I ain't got it!

[as Frank Bauggs confronts Kersey sneaking into his apartment]

Frank Bauggs: What the fuck are you doing here?

Paul Kersey: I was making a sandwich.

Paul Kersey: Not great, but pretty damn good.

Paul Kersey: I was just using the... toilet?

Ed Zacharias: [as Kersey walks to him] Who are you?

Paul Kersey: I'm the guy that set you up.

Ed Zacharias: Why?

Ed Zacharias: [Then Paul opens up his coat pocket and shows the picture of his girlfirend's daughter to Ed] I don't know the girl

Paul Kersey: I DO!

[Then Kersey shoots Ed dead]

Rapist: Who the fuck are you?

Paul Kersey: Death!

Kathryn Davis: I hope you like chicken. It's the only thing I know how to make.

Paul Kersey: Chicken's good. I like chicken.

Bennett: They call him "The Giggler".

Paul Kersey: Jesus, he really moves.

Mrs. Kaprov: [inspecting a booby-trap, Kersey notices something] What is it?

Paul Kersey: Teeth.

Paul Kersey: Hey, what's the problem?

Punk at Car #1: What?

Paul Kersey: With the car... what's the problem?

Punk at Car #1: Just get outta my fuckin' face. Who are you?

Punk at Car #2: We're stealing a fuckin' car, what's it to you?

Paul Kersey: It's my car.

Punk at Car #1: Now you gonna die!

[Kersey shoots them both dead]

Paul Kersey: I'm going out for some ice cream... this is America, isn't it?

Paul Kersey: My friend Wildey's coming.

Doctor at hospital: Mrs. Rodriguez has expired.

Paul Kersey: But you told me over the phone she only had a broken arm?

Paul Kersey: It's like killing roaches - you have to kill 'em all, otherwise what's the use?

Bennett: [after watching Kersey make his own bullets for half an hour] You load the shells yourself?

Paul Kersey: Nothing's too good for our friends!

Paul Kersey: A .475 Wildey magnum is a shorter version of the African big game cartridge, it makes a real mess.

Bennett: We heard shots. What happened?

Paul Kersey: I sent them a message.

Bennett: What's the car for?

Paul Kersey: Bait.

Rodriguez: [to Kersey, about the package just arrived in the mail] What is it?

Paul Kersey: A LAWS missile launcher. Anti tank, anti personnel. These rounds are self propelling, armour piercing. The round arms three feet out of the barrel. Won't do me much good though, unless I can get them bunched...

Rodriguez: All I got is a zip gun.

Paul Kersey: Well, we should get a few of them...

Paul Kersey: Do you always violate peoples Constitutional Rights?

Richard S. Shriker: Well this is MY jail, Kersey, and I'M the LAW. That means I GET to violate your Constitutional Rights!

[punches Kersey in the face]