Soylent Green Quotes

Det. Thorn: Who bought you?

Hatcher: You're bought as soon as they pay you a salary.

Det. Thorn: I know, Sol, you've told me a hundred times before. People were better, the world was better...

Sol: Ah, people were always lousy... But there was a world, once.

[Thorn chuckles]

Sol: I was there, I can prove it! When I was a kid, you could buy meat anywhere! Eggs they had, real butter! Not this... crap!

Sol: Why, in my day, you could buy meat anywhere! Eggs they had, real butter! Fresh lettuce in the stores.

Det. Thorn: I know, Sol, you told me before.

Det. Thorn: You know what, Lieutenant.

Hatcher: What?

Det. Thorn: [tossing back Hatcher's wristwatch] I think it really is broken this time.

Det. Thorn: [inquiring about her incinerator] Used it lately?

Martha Phillips: It doesn't work.

Det. Thorn: What does?

Martha Phillips: I should've offered you something, Mr. Thorn.

Det. Thorn: If I'd had the time, I would've asked for it.

Gilbert: [hesitating before killing Simonson] Uh... they told me to uh... to say that they were sorry, but that you had become... unreliable.

Simonson: That's true.

Gilbert: They can't risk, uh... catastrophe, they say.

Simonson: They're right.

Gilbert: Then, uh... this is right?

Simonson: No, not right... Necessary.

Gilbert: To who?

Simonson: To... God.

State Security Chief Donovan: Do you have the words straight?

Gilbert: You know, I won't understand them if I live to be a hundred.

State Security Chief Donovan: You won't.

[last lines]

Det. Thorn: Ocean's dying, plankton's dying... it's people. *Soylent Green is made out of people.* They're making our food out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!

Hatcher: I promise, Tiger. I promise. I'll tell the Exchange.

Det. Thorn: You tell everybody. Listen to me, Hatcher. You've gotta tell them! Soylent Green is people! We've gotta stop them somehow!

Hatcher: And what about the furniture?

Det. Thorn: [motions to chest] Like grapefruit.

Hatcher: [chuckles] You never saw a grapefruit.

Det. Thorn: You never saw her.

[Shirl tells Thorn that she's getting a new tenant]

Det. Thorn: He'll like you. You're a helluva piece of furniture.

Shirl: Don't talk to me like that. Please.

Det. Thorn: OK.

Sol: There was a world, once, you punk.

Det. Thorn: Yes, so you keep telling me.

Sol: I was there. I can prove it.

Det. Thorn: I know, I know. When you were young, people were better.

Sol: Aw, nuts. People were always rotten. But the world 'was' beautiful.

[Announcer doing a commercial announcement before Gov. Santini's interview]

Richard: ...is brought to you by Soylent red and Soylent yellow, high energy vegetable concentrates, and new, delicious, Soylent green. The miracle food of high-energy plankton gathered from the oceans of the world.

New Tenant: How old are you?

Shirl: Twenty-one.

New Tenant: Charles said you were twenty-four.

Shirl: That makes us both liars.

[first lines]

Voice over PA: First stage removal. First stage removal. Streets prohibited to non-permits in one hour. Streets prohibited to non-permits in one hour.

Sol: [after reading the Soylent report] Good God!

Exchange Leader: What God, Mr. Roth? Where will we find him?

Sol: Perhaps at home...

[with resignation]

Sol: Yes, at home.

Sol: [through the audio system] I've lived too long.

Det. Thorn: No.

Sol: I love you, Thorn.

Det. Thorn: [tearfully] I love you, Sol.

Det. Thorn: Turn the air conditioning way up!

Shirl: Way up! We'll make it as cold as winter used to be!

Hatcher: What's the story with the Simonson homicide?

Det. Thorn: It was carefully set up to make it look like he was killed after he caught some punk burglarizing his apartment.

Hatcher: What do you think it was?

Det. Thorn: It was an assassination. A well-planned assassination.

Hatcher: You know this for a fact?

Det. Thorn: Four reasons. One: the alarm system in the building was out of order for the first time in two years. Two: the bodyguard who was supposed to be protecting him was conveniently out shopping. Three: the punk that broke into the apartment didn't take anything. And four: the punk who killed Simonson was no punk because he used a meat hook instead of a gun to make it look like a punk.

Hatcher: Well, if the punk didn't take anything from the apartment, what did you take?

Det. Thorn: Everything I could lay my hands on.

Sol: [Thorn is seeing the beautiful images shown in Sol's euthanasia chamber] Can you see it?

Det. Thorn: [choked up] Yes...

Sol: Isn't it beautiful?

Det. Thorn: Oh, yes...

Sol: I told you.

Det. Thorn: [humbly] How could I know? How could I... how could I ever imagine?

Sol: I don't know why I bother!

Det. Thorn: Because it's your job. Besides, you love me.

Det. Thorn: I'm getting pretty sick of you.

Sol: Yes, but you love me.

Hatcher: So, you finally made it. Do you know what time it is?

Det. Thorn: You tell me. You're the only one here who has a wristwatch.

Hatcher: I can't. The damn thing won't run.

Kulozik: They're running out of the damn Green again!

Det. Thorn: Geez, those idiots!

Kulozik: Somebody fouled up on the transport again.

Det. Thorn: This crowd will blow.

Kulozik: I know. I've got the scoops standing by two blocks away but... I don't know if they can even handle this crowd.

Det. Thorn: When are you going to make the announcement?

Kulozik: As soon as I get the nerve. About five minutes. Pass it on.

Det. Thorn: I will.

State Security Chief Donovan: I am here to inform you sir, that the board has decided to resolve the Simonson case.

Gov. Santini: But I thought it was resolved. I ordered the investigation to be shut down right away.

State Security Chief Donovan: I know, but the police officer in charge of the investigation refuses to close the case.

Gov. Santini: Oh, I see.

State Security Chief Donovan: Maybe it's because we went to church yesterday.

Gov. Santini: What does that mean?

State Security Chief Donovan: It was Simonson's church. My associate told me that the cop spoke nearly 20 minutes with the priest.

Gov. Santini: So?

State Security Chief Donovan: It was the same priest who heard Simonson's confession the day before he died.

Gov. Santini: I don't want to hear any more about it. I can't hear any more! Contact all of your associates and then some, Donovan. Just do what you have to do.