J. Edgar

& J. Edgar Hoover: Communism is not a political party. It is a disease. It corrupts the soul, turning even the gentlest of men into vicious, evil tyrants.

& Hoover: Now imagine if every citizen in this country were uniquely identifiable... by their own card and number, say, the pattern on their fingers. Imagine how quickly we could find them if they committed a crime.
    Helen Gandy: It’s all very impressive, John.

& Hoover: No one freely shares power in Washington, D.C., Agent Smith.

& Agent Stokes: But the crimes we’re investigating aren’t crimes, they’re ideas.
    Hoover: Well, if your idea... If your idea is to come into our country and plot the overthrow of our government... then, yes, indeed, that is a crime.

& Hoover: I’m happy to send your objections to Mr. Palmer himself... but, in the meantime, expose Miss Goldman’s sham marriage... and you will change that suit of yours.
    Agent Stokes: Pardon me, John?
    Hoover: Your suit, sir, your suit. This isn’t a saloon. Have respect for yourself, but, more importantly... have respect for this department.

& Attorney General Stone: And why do they call you Speed?
    Hoover: Who calls me that?
    Stone: They all do, behind your back, evidently.
    Hoover: I gained a reputation for delivering groceries when I was 10 years old. I was the fastest in the neighborhood. It was just a nickname.
    Stone: You sure it’s not for the way you talk?
    Hoover: Perhaps, sir.
    Stone: ... Young man, I want you to be acting director of the Bureau of investigation.
    Hoover: I will take the job, Mr. Stone, but only on certain conditions.
    Stone: What are they?
    Hoover: The Bureau must be divorced from politics and not be a catchall for political hacks. Recruits must be college-educated. Appointments must be based on merit. Promotions will be made on proven ability. And, well, the Bureau will be responsible only to you, sir... the Attorney General.
    Stone: I wouldn’t give you the job under any other conditions.

---

& Hoover: I am determined to summarily dismiss from this Bureau... any employee whom I find indulging in the use of intoxicants. It is my belief that when a man becomes a part of this Bureau... he must so conduct himself, both officially and unofficially... as to eliminate even the slightest possibility of criticism... as to his conduct.

& Helen: “Well-educated, highly recommended, willing to guarantee five years service. Has a family in New York and a new baby”.
    Hoover: No interview.
    Helen: The family in New York or the baby?
    Hoover: Miss Gandy, five years is not enough. We need men willing to dedicate their lives. How many is that so far?
    Helen: That’s 320 denied and 21 interviews.
    Hoover: Hmm.

& Hoover: Do you know that there are talks of reorganizing the Bureau?
    Helen: Yes, I’ve heard similar whispers.
    Hoover: Hmm... Have you? Miss Gandy, do you remember that file we created on his wife?
    Helen: Mrs. Roosevelt?
    Hoover: Yes. Will you make a copy for me, please?

& Hoover: Just post a sign, like this one.
    Clyde Tolson: What would you like it to say, “keep out”?
    Hoover: “The Bureau of investigations Technical Laboratory”. Have it carved and nailed to the wall. It’s time we at least have one thing the bad guys don’t.
    Clyde: Decorating skills?
    Hoover: Science, Clyde. Science.

& Clyde: Is that legal?
    Hoover: Sometimes you need to bend the rules a little... in order to keep your country safe, right? And to make sure I hadn’t heard it wrong, I clarified this with Secretary of State Hull. And he said, and I quote, “You go ahead and investigate those cocksuckers”.
    Clyde: Vulgar.
    Hoover: Hmm, agreed.

& Hoover: I need you, Clyde. Do you understand? I need you.
    Clyde: On one condition. Good day or bad, whether we agree or disagree... we never miss a lunch or a dinner together.
    Hoover: Well, I would have it no other way.

& Hoover: I don’t know who I can trust anymore. Only you. Only you, Mother. You’re all I have to keep me safe, you understand that? Please, Mother, let me take you to a doctor. A simple examination isn’t unholy, is it? Mother? Mother, please.
    Mother: Faith, Edgar. Faith.

& Miss Colby: Take my word for it, Mr. Hoover. All the admiration in the world can’t fill the spot love goes.
    Hoover: Hmm.
    Colby: ...Or keep your bed warm.
    Hoover: ..... I serve my country, Miss Colby. The nation’s admiration is more than enough for me.
    Colby: But it likely makes for a cold bed.

& Hoover: Mother, I don’t like to dance. Mostly I don’t like to dance with women. I think it’s time you knew this.

& Mother: Did you ever wonder why we called him Daffy?
    Hoover: For his odd behavior, I believe.
    Mother: It’s short for “daffodil*,” Edgar.

& Mother: Do you remember what happened to Daffodil Pincus?
    Hoover: Yes, Mother. He... He shot himself six weeks after.
    Mother: That’s right. And I thank God every day that my own sons don’t suffer from his condition.

& Hoover: I’m begging you, Clyde! Clyde, please. After all... After all, we have another day of races.
    Clyde: If you ever mention a lady friend again... it will be the last time that you share my company.

& Hoover: They’re giving King the Nobel Prize. Can you believe it? The degenerates and radicals are being lifted up internationally. It’s like it’s 1920 all over again.

& Clyde: What’s your idea?
    Hoover: Well, we have friends in the press, right? We plant stories with them to ensure... that the activities of suspected radicals see the light of day.
    Clyde: They’ll trace it.
    Hoover: Well, only if it’s true. See, it’s called counterintelligence, Clyde. The more untrue the story, the more dramatic the impact.

& Hoover: A man’s legacy is determined by where the story ends, Agent Owens. Let’s think about that tonight and make a decision tomorrow.
    Agent Owens: Is this about a man’s legacy? Or an institution’s reputation?
    Hoover: The two are connected, Agent Owens. One invented the other and vice versa.

& Hoover: When morals decline... and good men do nothing... evil flourishes. Every citizen has a duty to learn of this that threatens his home... his children. A society uninterested and unwilling to learn from the past... is doomed. We must never forget our history. We must never lower our guard. Even today, there are organizations that have America as their prime target. They would destroy the safety and the happiness of every individual... and thrust us into a condition of lawlessness... immorality that passes the imagination.

& Hoover: The very essence of our democracy... is rooted in a belief in the worth of the individual. That life has meaning that transcends any man-made system... that love is the greatest force on earth... far more enduring than hatred... or the unnatural divisions of mankind.

--
daffodil — бледно-желтый нарцис

+ quotes on the Imdb.

__ Astonishing masterpiece from Eastwood as a director & a composer, DiCaprio & the rest of actors ensemble, not to mention Makeup department. They all're amazing.