Syriana Quotations

Syriana is a 2005 thriller film about the geopolitical implications of the oil business.

Written and directed by Stephen Gaghan.

Everything is connected.

Bob Barnes

If anything happens to me or my family, an accident, an accusation, anything, then first your son will disappear, his body will never be found. Then your wife. Her body will never be found either. This is guaranteed. Then, whatever is the most dangerous thing you do in your life, it might be flying in a small plane, it might be walking to the bank, you will be killed. Do you understand what I'm saying? I want you to acknowledge that you do understand so that we're clear and there won't be any mistakes.

I want you to take him from his hotel, drug him, put him in the front of a car, and run a truck into it at 50 mph.

Bryan Woodman

Beirut, it's great! It's like the Paris of the Middle East.

[to Prince Nasir Al-Subaai] But what do you need a financial advisor for? Twenty years ago you had the highest GNP in the world, now you're tied with Albania. So, good job. Your second largest export is secondhand goods, followed closely by dates for which you lose five cents a pound. You know what the business world thinks of you? They think a hundred years ago you were living in tents out here in the desert chopping each other's heads off and that's exactly where you'll be in another hundred years- so on behalf of my firm, yes, I accept your money.

Great. How much for my other kid?

[to Prince Nasir Al-Subaai] What are they thinking *hah*? What are they thinking? They're thinking that it's running out, it's running out and 90% of whats left is in the Middle East. Look at the progression, Versailles, Suez, 1973, Gulf War 1, Gulf War 2. This is a fight to the death. So what are THEY thinking? Great! They're thinking keep playing, keep buying yourself new toys, keep spending $50,000 a night on your hotel room, but don't invest in your infastructure... don't build a real economy. So that when you finally wake up, they will have sucked you dry, and you will have squandered the greatest natural resource in history...

Danny Dalton

[to lawyer Bennett Holiday] Some trust fund prosecutor, got off-message at Yale, thinks he's gonna run this up the flagpole, make a name for himself, maybe get elected some two-bit, congressman from nowhere, with the result that Russia or China can suddenly start having, at our expense, all the advantages we enjoy here. No, I tell you. No, sir! Corruption charges! Corruption?!! Corruption is government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulations. That's Milton Friedman. He got a goddamn Nobel Prize. We have laws against it precisely so we can get away with it. Corruption is our protection. Corruption keeps us safe and warm. Corruption is why you and I are prancing around in here instead of fighting over scraps of meat out in the streets. Corruption is why we win.

Prince Nasir Al-Subaai

[to his father, the emir, about his brother, Prince Meshal Al-Subaai] He's barely qualified to run a brothel, much less a country!

[to his political followers] When a country has 5 percent of the world's population but spends 50 percent of the world's military spending, that country's persuasive power is in decline.

Others

Dean Whiting: [to Prince Meshal Al-Subaai] Are you a king? Can you tell me what you want?

Jimmy Pope: Dig six feet, find three bodies. But dig twelve feet, you find forty.

Max Woodman: I want pig bacon!

Mussawi: Rumors of Bob, but never Bob.

Dialogue

Prince Nasir Al-Subaai: What are they thinking, my brother and these American lawyers?

Bryan Woodman: What are they thinking? They're thinking that it's running out. It's running out... and ninety percent of what's left is in the Middle East. This is a fight to the death.

Dean Whiting: In this town, you're innocent until you're investigated.

Bob Barnes: Innocent until investigated? That's nice. It's got a nice ring to it. Bet you've worn some miles on old sayings like that. Gives the listener the sense of the law being written as it's spoken.

Julie Woodman: Arabs are very family-oriented. As a people. Is that racist?

Bryan Woodman: Sure! A little.

Bryan Woodman: Do you understand what that means, it's like someone put a giant ATM on our front lawn.

Julie Woodman: Here's a question. How do you think it looks to profit off the death of your six year old?

Bryan Woodman: (pause) Fuck you.

Mussawi: Bob, what do you know about the torture methods used by the Chinese on the Falun Gong? Huh? Method number one. What's your guess? [pause] Water dungeon. Did you guess water dungeon? Number two method? Number two, twisting arm and putting face in feces. Not interested in two. Number three. Number three is called 'pulling nails from fingers'. What do you think Bob? Number three sound good to you? The purpose is to get the monks or whatever to recant their beliefs. What if I had to get you to recant? That would be pretty difficult right? Because if you have no beliefs to recant then what? Then you're fucked is what. You're going to give me the names of every person who's taken money from you. [rips off one of Bob's nails] Oh that is disgusting.

Bob Barnes: Come on Jimmy, you're not one of those Koran thumpers!

Mussawi: My name is Mussawi. [rips off another nail, then starts punching Bob] You fucking fuck, fucking fuck, stupid fuck, what the fuck, this is a war! Fuck you're a PO fucking W! Give me the fucking names! I'm cutting his fucking head off. I'm going to cut your head off, Bob!

Cast

George Clooney — Bob Barnes
Matt Damon — Bryan Woodman
Amanda Peet - Julie Woodman
Christopher Plummer — Dean Whiting
Amr Waked - Mohammed Sheik Agiza
Jeffrey Wright — Bennett Holiday
Chris Cooper — Jimmy Pope
Alexander Siddig — Prince Nasir Al-Subaai
Tim Blake Nelson — Danny Dalton
Mark Strong - Mussawi

Quoternity