Favorite Scenes: The Limey

Wilson (Terence Stamp) talks to the local head DEA agent (Bill Duke) after nearly being killed and stealing an agent's badge. Wilson: How you doin’ then? Alright, are ya? Now look, squire, you’re the governor. I can see that. I’m on your manor now, so there’s no need to get your knickers in a twist. Whatever this bollocks is that’s going down between you and that slag Valentine, it’s got nothing to do with me. I couldn’t care less, alright, mate? Let me explain to you. When I was in prison . . . the second time, uh, no tellin’ a lie, third stretch, yeah, third, third. There was this screw what really had it in for me, and that geezer was top of my list. Two years after I got sprung, I sees him in Arnold Park. He’s sittin’ on a bench feedin' bloody pigeons. There was noone about, I could've gone up behind him and snapped his f&ckin' neck. (claps hands) Wallop! But I left it. I could've knobbled him, but I didn't. 'Cause what I thought I wanted wasn't what I wanted. What I thought I was thinkin' about was something else. I didn't give a toss. It didn't matter, see? This berk on the bench wasn't worth my time. It meant sod-all in the end, 'cause you gotta make a choice: when to do something and when to let it go. When it matters and when it don't. Bide your time. That's what prison teaches you if nothing else. Bide your time, and everything becomes clear, and you can act accordingly.

Head DEA agent: There’s one thing I don’t understand. The thing I don’t understand is every motherf&ckin’ word you’re sayin’.

Wilson: (sits down) Do you know what I reckon? You and I are after the same thing, but for different reasons.

DEA agent: And what would that be?

Wilson: The reasons?

DEA agent: Start with the thing.

Wilson: I would hazard a guess that whatever you’re after involves a considerable sum of money.

DEA agent: And that’s not what lights your fire?

Wilson: In the past, granted – I have been known to redistribute wealth. But no, I’m after another kind of . . . satisfaction. Do you know what I mean?

DEA agent: You’re not from around here, are you?

Wilson shakes head.

DEA agent: You’re not carrying any kind of ID?

Wilson: Me? ID? No. No. When your chaps went through my pockets, there was nothing there.

DEA agent: What’s your connection to Terry Valentine?

Wilson: My daughter was living with him when she died. I imagine about the same time as whatever the deal was that Terry Valentine grafted you out of your share of. When I say “grafted”, . . .

DEA agent: (interrupting) You think Terry Valentine screwed me out of some deal?

Wilson: It wouldn’t surprise me. I mean, he’s about as straight as a dog’s hind leg. What could this deal have been, I wonder, to have set in motion such an unfortunate chain of events?

DEA agent: Could have been anything. Sh!tload of heroin imported from somewhere or other. The usual scumbags involved, but you know the thing about scumbags is - no matter what they do with the drugs, the harder thing to move is the money. The money. In my line of work, best thing to do is to follow the money, because you can’t hide the money, you can only disguise it. So what do you do? Find some rich fool to bank all the cash coming in. Make it look legitimate in exchange for skimming a percentage off the top. Maybe as much as a million dollars commission. Rich fool who overextended himself over time, in danger of not being so rich anymore., but I can’t be sure. I can’t prove anything. Anything at all. What was your daughter’s involvement?

Wilson: That’s what I want to know. I was hoping you might . . .

DEA agent: (interrupting) The security guy that works with Valentine, he’s the one who sent those creeps after you.

Wilson: I shouldn’t wonder. Yeah. Must have done.

DEA agent: Kind of a slippery fellow. But he keeps his hands clean – and Valentine’s. Darn it. There go my slippery hands again. (He drops Valentine’s file on the ground in front of Wilson)

DEA agent: There was an incident in downtown Los Angeles a couple of days ago that may have spurred this most recent activity. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, right?

DEA agent: Thank you. Your daughter – she had a fondness for dangerous men?

Wilson: Shame about the money, though, going into Valentine’s pocket and not yours.

DEA agent: (Camera moves over the agent's left shoulder out the window. The action then goes outside where other agents are burning heroin) I don’t give a sh!t about the money. Personally, I prefer the heroin. See, crooks move faster than the system, so we’re gonna clean up the neighborhood, we don’t have time to wait for things like search warrants and trials. Procedure becomes whatever you gotta do on the day.

Wilson: Yeah. Cheers, mate. (returns the agent's badge)

DEA agent: Go with God.

Wilson: Yeah.