43 Years Later, Scarface's Best Line Is Still One Of The Greatest Quotes In Gangster Movie History

Published Sep 27, 2026, 10:40 AM EDT Richard Craig is a Senior Author at Screen Rant covering film and TV. Richard has also written extensively about horror and film soundtracks, contributing a chapter to the first major academic collection on the folk horror genre, The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Richard is also a performing musician and holds an MA in Music and Sound Art. Few movie quotes have achieved the cultural reach of Tony Montana's famous declaration in Scarface. Even people who have never watched Brian De Palma's 1983 crime epic Scarface can usually identify at least one line from the film. The problem is that the most quoted line is not necessarily the movie's best. "Say hello to my little friend!" has become inseparable from Al Pacino's performance, appearing in everything from video games and sitcoms to advertising campaigns. It is loud, memorable, and perfectly suited to Scarface's explosive climax. Yet it is another quote, delivered almost casually halfway through the movie, that better captures what Scarface is actually about. Unlike many famous gangster movie quotes, it is not a threat, a boast, or a one-liner delivered during a shootout. Instead, it functions as a mission statement. In a single sentence, Tony explains what motivates him, how he views success, and why his pursuit of wealth becomes so destructive. The quote is so effective because it summarizes the character while simultaneously exposing the flaws that will eventually lead to his downfall. More than four decades after Scarface arrived in theaters, it remains one of the defining lines in gangster cinema. Tony Montana Reveals His Entire Philosophy In One Conversation During a conversation with Manny Ribera, Tony explains his philosophy of success in America: "First you get the money. Then you get the power. Then you get the women." The line appears early in Tony's rise through Miami's criminal underworld, long before paranoia, excess, and violence destroy everything he has built. The brilliance of the quote is how early it reveals Tony Montana's worldview. He delivers it after Manny unsuccessfully attempts to flirt with a woman, prompting Tony to explain what he sees as the real path to success. At that point in the story, Tony is still working for Frank Lopez and dreaming about a bigger future. He has ambition but very little actual influence. The audience watches him articulate the exact formula he intends to follow long before he becomes Miami's most powerful drug kingpin. Tony spends the rest of the movie proving himself right. He acquires enormous wealth through the cocaine trade. That wealth translates into power as he eliminates rivals and builds his criminal empire. Tony then wins the affection of Elvira Hancock, the woman he has coveted since arriving in Miami. Every stage of his philosophy appears to work exactly as promised. But the quote also contains the seeds of Tony's downfall. The line reduces human relationships to status symbols and treats money as the foundation of personal worth. Tony believes power and love are things that can be purchased through wealth and intimidation. By the end of Scarface, he has all three elements of the equation and is more miserable than ever. Scarface Spends The Rest Of The Movie Proving Tony Right — Before Showing Why He's Wrong Many great gangster movies explore the relationship between wealth and power, but few summarize that theme as efficiently as Scarface. Tony's philosophy reflects the larger American dream that drives the genre: the belief that enough money can buy freedom, influence, respect, and happiness. Oliver Stone later explained that the line came from his observations about American society during the early 1980s. Reflecting on the quote years after writing the screenplay, Stone said he believed the perceived order of success was money first, then power, then women. It is a cynical interpretation of success itself. Tony believes the entire country operates according to this hierarchy, and he structures his life around proving it. Yet Scarface ultimately dismantles everything he believes. Tony gains money, power, and the woman he wants, but loses his friends, destroys his marriage, alienates his family, and dies alone in the mansion that symbolizes his success. His rise validates the quote, while his fall exposes its limitations. That dual purpose elevates it above Scarface's other famous lines. "Say hello to my little friend" is a spectacular moment. "First you get the money" is the movie's central idea. It explains who Tony Montana is, what he wants, and why he ultimately cannot keep it. Release Date December 9, 1983 Runtime 170 minutes Director Brian De Palma