Rorschach Quotes in Watchmen (2009)

Rorschach: I heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Life seems harsh, and cruel. Says he feels all alone in threatening world. Doctor says: "Treatment is simple. The great clown - Pagliacci - is in town. Go see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. "But doctor..." he says "I am Pagliacci." Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.

Rorschach: None of you seem to understand. I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with *ME*!

Rorschach: You see, Doctor, God didn't kill that little girl. Fate didn't butcher her and destiny didn't feed her to those dogs. If God saw what any of us did that night he didn't seem to mind. From then on I knew... God doesn't make the world this way. We do.

Rorschach: [reading from journal] Rorschach's Journal. October 12th, 1985: Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"... and I'll whisper "no."

Rorschach: Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That's always been the difference between us, Daniel.

[last lines]

Rorschach: Rorschach's Journal: October 12th, 1985. Tonight, a comedian died in New York.

Adrian Veidt: [Nixon finishes his speech on Veidt's TVs] Do you see? It's your super powers retreating from war. I've saved the Earth from hell. We both have. This is as much your victory as it is mine. Now we can return. Do what we were meant to.

Rorschach: We were meant to exact justice! Everyone's gonna know what you've done...

Adrian Veidt: Will they? By exposing me, you would sacrifice the peace so many died for today.

Dan Dreiberg: Peace based on a lie.

Adrian Veidt: But peace! Nonetheless.

Jon Osterman: ...He's right. Exposing Adrian would only doom the world to Nuclear destruction again.

Laurie Juspeczyk: No... we can't do this.

Jon Osterman: On Mars, you taught me the value of life. If we hope to preserve it here, we must remain silent.

Rorschach: Keep your own secrets...

[the others look as Rorscach leaves, then Jon and Adrian make eye contact]

Dan Dreiberg: Don't even think about it.

[Goes after Rorscach]

Dan Dreiberg: Rorscach! Wait.

Rorschach: [Turns] Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That's always been the difference between us, Daniel.

[Leaves the building]

Adrian Veidt: I've made myself feel every death... see every innocent face I've murdered to save humanity.

[Turns to Jon]

Adrian Veidt: You understand, don't you?

Jon Osterman: Without condoning... or condemning. I understand.

Rorschach: [Outside, in the snow, Rorscach comes across a copy of Jon standing in the snow] Out of my way. People have to be told.

Jon Osterman: You know I can't let you do that.

Rorschach: Suddenly you discover humanity. Convenient.

[Takes off his mask]

Rorschach: If you'd cared from the start, none of this would've happened.

Jon Osterman: I can change almost anything... but I can't change human nature.

Rorschach: Of course, you must protect Veidt's new Utopia. One more body amongst foundations makes little difference. Well, what are you waiting for? Do it...

[Jon hesitates]

Rorschach: DO IT!

[Jon makes Rorscach explode into a pile of blood]

Dan Dreiberg: NOOOOOOOO!

[after killing a murderer who begged to be arrested]

Rorschach: Men get arrested. Dogs get put down.

Rorschach: Give me back my face!

Edgar Jacobi: I have cancer.

Rorschach: What kind of cancer?

Edgar Jacobi: Well, you know the kind you eventually get better from?

Rorschach: Yes.

Edgar Jacobi: Well, that ain't the kind I got.

Rorschach: [voiceover] Rorschach's journal, October 13th, 1985. 8:30 PM. Meeting with Dreiberg left bad taste in mouth. A flabby failure who sits whimpering in his basement. Why are so few of us left active, healthy, and without personality disorders? The first Nite Owl runs an auto repair shop. The first Silk Spectre is a bloated, aging whore, dying in a California rest resort. Dollar Bill got his cape stuck in a revolving door where he got gunned down. Silhouette, murdered: a victim of her own indecent lifestyle. Mothman's in an asylum in Maine. Only two names remain on my list. Both share private quarters at Rockefeller Military Research Center. I shall go to them. I shall go tell the indestructible man that someone plans to murder him.

Rorschach: [examining psychiatrist's inkblot test] A pretty butterfly.

Rorschach: We need to squeeze people.

Dan Dreiberg: [sarcastic] Sure. We'll pick them out of a phone book.

Rorschach: You forgot how we do things, Daniel. You've gotten too soft. Too trusting. Especially with women.

Dan Dreiberg: No, listen, I am through with that! God, who do you think you are, Rorschach? You live off people while insulting them and nobody complains because they think you're a goddamn lunatic!

Dan Dreiberg: [Rorschach approaches Dan, who sighs and turns to him] I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, man.

Rorschach: Daniel? You are a good friend.

[extends his hand and Dan takes it]

Rorschach: Of course. You must protect Veidt's new utopia. What's one more body amongst the foundations? Well, what are you waiting for? Do it.

[Dr. Manhattan hesitates]

Rorschach: DO IT!

Detective Fine: [From outside Moloch's apartment] Rorschach! This is the police, we know you're in there.

Rorschach: No! No!

Detective Fine: [From outside Moloch's apartment] If there's anybody in there with you, send 'em out unharmed.

Rorschach: No! No, no, no, no!

Detective Fine: [From outside Moloch's apartment] Come out and make this a nice, clean surrender.

Rorschach: Walked right into it! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Never surrender.

Detective Fine: [From outside Moloch's apartment] Alright, I hope you're ready, hero.

Rorschach: When you are.

Dan Dreiberg: I'm not the one still hiding behind a mask.

Rorschach: No. You're hiding in plain sight.

[Laurie and Dan are breaking Rorschach out of prison]

Rorschach: Need to visit men's room.

Laurie Juspeczyk: Oh, Christ!

Rorschach: This city's afraid of me... I've seen its true face...

Big Figure: He's dead, Rorschach. While everyone's distracted, we thought we'd bring you a little housewarming gift. Something from the machine shop.

Fat Thug: Hey, Boss, you notice? None of that "small world, tall order" crap, cause he knows once we slice open his lock, he's next on the block.

Rorschach: Fat chance.

Rorschach: Your turn doctor! Tell me!

[puts on Rorschach mask]

Rorschach: What do you see?

Rorschach: A Comedian died last night, and nobody cares. Nobody cares but me.

Dan Dreiberg: [referring to the exit tunnel] There's a maintenance hatch that will let you out two blocks north.

Rorschach: I remember. I used to come here often, back when we were partners.

Dan Dreiberg: Those were good times, huh Rorschach? What happened?

Rorschach: [as he walks down the tunnel] You quit.

Rorschach: I don't like you.

Prison Psychiatrist: Ah. You don't like me? Well, why is that?

Rorschach: Because you're fat.

[Looking at psychiatrist's ink blot, remembering being bullied]

Rorschach: Clouds.

Edward Blake: So now Moloch's back in town and you got your knickers all in a twist... you really think it matters if you catch him?

Rorschach: Justice matters!

Edward Blake: Justice? Justice is coming to all of us, no matter what the fuck we do. You know, mankind's been trying to kill each other off since the beginning of time. Now, we finally have the power to finish the job. Ain't nothing gonna matter once those nukes start flying; we'll all be dust. And Ozymandias here will be the smartest man on the cinder.

Rorschach: Once a man has seen society's black underbelly, he can never turn his back on it. Never pretend, like you do, that it doesn't exist.

Rorschach: [after knocking out and then electrocuting a thug against a toilet] Hm. Never disposed of sewage with a toilet before. Obvious, really.

[Looking at psychiatrist's ink blot, remembering his abusive mother]

Rorschach: Some nice flowers.

Rorschach: You keep calling me Walter. I don't like you.

[Big Figure has just killed one of his own men to get to Rorschach's cell]

Big Figure: Now you're gonna find out what the score is!

Rorschach: One, nothing. Come and get me.

Rorschach: Funny, ancient pharaohs looked forward to the end of the world. Hoping the cadavers would rise, and reclaim hearts from golden jars. Must currently be holding breath in anticipation.

Fat Thug: [Reaching into Rorschach's cell] You're dead, Rorschach! We got a prison full of killers out here! What do you got?

Rorschach: [Grabbing Fat Thug's hands] Your hands. My pleasure.

[Rorschach breaks Fat Thug's hands and ties them to the prison bars]

[repeated line]

Rorschach: Fine like this.

Dan Dreiberg: Watchmen are over.

Rorschach: Says Tricky Dick.

Dan Dreiberg: Says me.

Rorschach: The engines!

Dan Dreiberg: They're icing up. Hold on to something!

Rorschach: Daniel, you're coming in too low. Don't wish to interfere with running of ship, but perhaps should pull up sharply before...

Dan Dreiberg: Yeah, I know, I'm trying! I'm trying to pull him up, goddamnit!

Dan Dreiberg: [examining blood stained Comedian badge] Is that bean juice?

Rorschach: Human bean juice. Badge belonged to The Comedian. Blood too. He's dead.

Dan Dreiberg: Let's talk downstairs.

Adrian Veidt: [Nixon finishes his speech on Veidt's TVs] Do you see? Two super powers retreating from war. I've saved the Earth from hell. We both have. This is as much your victory as it is mine. Now we can return. Do what we were meant to.

Rorschach: We were meant to exact justice! Everyone's gonna know what you've done...

Adrian Veidt: Will they? By exposing me, you would sacrifice the peace so many died for today.

Dan Dreiberg: Peace based on a lie.

Adrian Veidt: But peace! Nonetheless.

Jon Osterman: ...He's right. Exposing Adrian would only doom the world to Nuclear destruction again.

Laurie Juspeczyk: No... we can't do this.

Jon Osterman: On Mars, you taught me the value of life. If we hope to preserve it here, we must remain silent.

Rorschach: Keep your own secrets...

[the others look as Rorscach leaves, then Jon and Adrian make eye contact]

Dan Dreiberg: Don't even think about it.

[Goes after Rorscach]

Dan Dreiberg: Rorscach! Wait.

Rorschach: [Turns] Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That's always been the difference between us, Daniel.

[Leaves the building]

Adrian Veidt: I've made myself feel every death... see every innocent face I've murdered to save humanity.

[Turns to Jon]

Adrian Veidt: You understand, don't you?

Jon Osterman: Without condoning... or condemning. I understand.

Dan Dreiberg: Maybe this was a political killing?

Rorschach: Maybe. Or maybe someone's picking off costumed heroes.

Dan Dreiberg: Um. Don't you think that's maybe a little paranoid?

Rorschach: That's what they're saying about me now? That I'm paranoid?

Rorschach: How's your friend Hollis Mason?

Dan Dreiberg: What's Hollis got to do with any of this?

Rorschach: He wrote that book. Said some things about the Comedian in it.

Dan Dreiberg: I don't like what you're implying. I like being followed even less.

Rorschach: Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.