Excert from “No Country For Old Men”

Anton Chigurh: What’s the most you ever lost on a coin toss?
Gas Station Proprietor: Sir?
Anton Chigurh: The most. You ever lost. On a coin toss.
Gas Station Proprietor: I don’t know. I couldn’t say.

Anton Chigurh: Call it.
Gas Station Proprietor: Call it?
Anton Chigurh: Yes.
Gas Station Proprietor: For what?
Anton Chigurh: Just call it.
Gas Station Proprietor: Well, we need to know what we’re calling it for here.
Anton Chigurh: You need to call it. I can’t call it for you. It wouldn’t be fair.
Gas Station Proprietor: I didn’t put nothin’ up.
Anton Chigurh: Yes, you did. You’ve been putting it up your whole life you just didn’t know it. You know what date is on this coin?
Gas Station Proprietor: No.
Anton Chigurh: 1958. It’s been traveling twenty-two years to get here. And now it’s here. And it’s either heads or tails. And you have to say. Call it.
Gas Station Proprietor: Look, I need to know what I stand to win.
Anton Chigurh: Everything.
Gas Station Proprietor: How’s that?
Anton Chigurh: You stand to win everything. Call it.
Gas Station Proprietor: Alright. Heads then.

Anton Chigurh: Well done.

Anton Chigurh: Don’t put it in your pocket, sir. Don’t put it in your pocket. It’s your lucky quarter.
Gas Station Proprietor: Where do you want me to put it?
Anton Chigurh: Anywhere not in your pocket. Where it’ll get mixed in with the others and become just a coin. Which it is.

What a great scene. This has got to be one of my all time favourite dialogues between two characters witnessed in a movie. It has been a long time coming too. The last great conversation between characters (that I can think of off the top of my head…) would have to of been in Pulp Fiction. The acting superb, great storyline, and the way it was directed (thank-you Coen Brothers!) was done beautifully. Sure it’s not a perfect movie - it does have flaws. But, I must say that I was nice surprise. I really wanted to see this movie when it initially came out to theatres - never got around to it. Finally, it comes out on DVD and going into it I didn’t really have any expectations.

With all that said, I highly recommend seeing this film. I will caution, not for the faint of heart. It does get a little graphic and gritty at times, but I think that’s one of the reasons I was attracted to it in the first place. The entire film comes across as authentic and true. Without giving away too much of the premise, you’re dealing with very real people put in very crummy situations based on decisions they made. It doesn’t get more real than that - and that is why it works.