"Pick up the pieces folks, Jimmy's in action again!"
Director: Raoul Walsh
Cast: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran
White Heat — Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Made it, Ma! Top of the world!
Context
Shouted triumphantly as he shoots the gas tank he is standing on, intentionally detonating the chemical plant and killing himself.
Meaning
The ultimate expression of hubris, madness, and Oedipal fulfillment. It is a terrifying claim of victory even in the face of absolute defeat.
It's like having a red-hot buzz saw inside my head.
Context
Spoken to his mother while hiding out in a freezing cabin after the brutal train robbery that opens the film.
Meaning
Describes the agonizing, psychosomatic migraines that cripple him, serving to momentarily humanize his otherwise terrifying and impenetrable persona.
A copper, a copper, a copper!
Context
Shouted in unhinged disbelief during the final heist when he discovers Vic Pardo's true identity as an undercover agent.
Meaning
The repetitive, manic realization of ultimate betrayal. It shows his psychological break as the one man he trusted besides his mother is revealed to be his enemy.
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