John
Carter
Quotes
(Page 2)
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[Dejah watches in sadness as the Tharks clear away the debris and dead bodies from the ships that had fallen in battle earlier]John Carter: War's a shameful thing.
Dejah Thoris: Not when a noble cause is taken by those who can make a difference. You made a difference today, Virginia.
John Carter: Okay. See, my name is John Carter. Virginia is where I'm from.
Dejah Thoris: Where did you learn to jump that way?
John Carter: I don't know. How'd you learn to fly?
Dejah Thoris: Your ships cannot sail on light in Virginia?
John Carter: No, professor. See, our ships sail the seas. Endless water everywhere.
[Dejah stares at him then begins to walk around him]
Dejah Thoris: Skeleton structure normal...
John Carter: What are you doing?
[Dejah continues to study him]
Dejah Thoris: It must be the density of your bones.
[she spanks him]
Dejah Thoris: Jump for me!
Sola: Enough! There will be time for playfulness later!
Dejah Thoris: I want no playfulness from him. I want his help.
[to Carter]
Dejah Thoris: Explain to me how you do it. If it's a skill, teach it to Helium. Name your price.
John Carter: I'm not for hire. I've got a cave of gold of my own. Somewhere.
[Carter walks away from her]
Dejah Thoris: Only a madman would rave about the time of oceans!
John Carter: Is that your expert view? I'm mad?
Dejah Thoris: Or a liar.
Sola: She's a good match for you, Dotar Sojat.
John Carter: Don't call me that.
Dejah Thoris: There are no seas on the planet.
John Carter: You said planet...
[Dejah points with a stick at the solar system she drew on the ground]
Dejah Thoris: Sun. Then Rasoom.
John Carter: Mercury.
[Dejah points to the second planet]
Dejah Thoris: Then Cosoom.
John Carter: Venus.
[Carter then points to the third planet]
John Carter: Then Earth. Us.
Dejah Thoris: That is Jasoom.
[she points to the next planet]
Dejah Thoris: You are on Barsoom, John Carter.
John Carter: Mars. I'm on Mars.
[Carter looking shocked, gets up look at the sky and sees two moons]
John Carter: Good God, I'm on Mars.
Dejah Thoris: So your home is Jasoom? And you came on one of your sailing ships across millions of karads of empty space?
John Carter: No. Not like that.
Dejah Thoris: Go on. Shock me. How?
[Carter points at the Thern medallion that Tars Tarkas is wearing]
John Carter: That, brought me here.
Dejah Thoris: Oh. Well, that explains everything then.
John Carter: It does?
Dejah Thoris: Yes. You are a Thern. And you simply wish to return to your rightful place, isn't that it?
John Carter: Yes.
Dejah Thoris: Then let's sort this out right now. Come along!
[Dejah turns and begins to walk away and Carter follows her]
[Dejah takes Carter into the Thark temple, which is forbidden to non-Tharks]
Sola: Where are you going?
Dejah Thoris: To your temple.
Sola: No! No, you cannot enter here! It is forbidden! You are not Thark!
[Dejah and Carter enter so she follows them]
Sola: Dotar Sojat, it is forbidden. It is forbidden!
[Dejah points the light of her fire to the engraving on the temple's wall]
Dejah Thoris: Well, you speak for the Goddess. What does she say?
John Carter: You called me a Thern. Is that what she is?
Sola: No! She is Issus. Therns are holy messengers of the goddess. In the time of oceans they walked among us, guiding us. We must not offend. Let us go!
[referring the carvings in the temple of the Tharks]
John Carter: There's some kind of writing up there.
[suddenly Carter grabs Dejah and jumps up towards the carvings on the temple wall]
John Carter: Can you read it?
Dejah Thoris: It's old scripture. I-I...
John Carter: What's it mean?
Dejah Thoris: Don't rush me.
[interpreting the carvings on the temple wall]
Dejah Thoris: "To those who seek the solace of eternity, may journey down the river through the sacred Gates of Iss and find everlasting peace in the bosom of Issus".
John Carter: The Gates of Iss.
Dejah Thoris: What if I could take you there?
John Carter: What if I didn't trust you?
Dejah Thoris: Then we'd be even. I can take you to the gates, to the answers that you seek. A way back to Jasoom.
John Carter: Earth.
Dejah Thoris: Earth. It's the least I can do to repay you for getting us out of here. Assuming that you can.
John Carter: Deal.
[he holds his hand out in front of her, Dejah looks confused]
John Carter: Go on. Just shake it. It's a sign of trust.
[Dejah takes his thumb and gives him a light shake]
John Carter: Good enough. Now all I need to do is get this medallion off Tars Tarkas.
Sola: Dotar Sojat?
[we see that Sarkoja has discovered them and is holding a weapon against Sola's head]
Sola: I told you. It is forbidden.
[after discovering Carter, Dejah and Sola in the temple of Tharks, Sarkoja takes them to Tars Tarkas]
Tars Tarkas: What in the name of Issus is going on?
Sarkoja: Issus has been profaned. We found this one and the red wench plotting in the temple.
Tars Tarkas: In the temple? How did they get...?
Sarkoja: Sola led them there.
John Carter: Sola tried to stop us. I meant no disrespect to your Goddess, Tars. I'm just trying to get home.
Sarkoja: Your right arms were planning to rob you of the medallion and use it to commit greater blasphemy down the river Iss.
Tal Hajus: They must all die in the arena.
[Tarkas furious, grabs hold of Carter]
Tars Tarkas: How could you do this? I spared your life! I made you Dotar Sojat, yet my feelings mean nothing to you.
[Tarkas points to Sola]
Tars Tarkas: You knew, you knew she had no room for another mark. Now, Sola will die because of you.
John Carter: She's your daughter, isn't she?
Tars Tarkas: Who told you that?
John Carter: Call it a father's intuition.
Tars Tarkas: A Thark has no parent with the horde.
John Carter: But how do you know?
Tars Tarkas: Her mother kept her egg and Sola is the last flicker of her ancient greatness.
John Carter: You can't just stand here and let her be killed.
[Tarkas seemingly furious with Carter for breaking into their temple carries him to the tent]
Tars Tarkas: My right arms offend me. I will cut them off!
Dejah Thoris: No!
[Tarkas suddenly places his hand against Carter's mouth to quieten him]
Tars Tarkas: You must hurry. I mean to release you. I make one condition, you take Sola with you down the river Iss.
[Tarkas takes the medallion and gives it to Carter]
Sola: My Jeddak!
Tars Tarkas: I'd rather you died in the arms of a Goddess then as food for wild bants in the arena. Where you go, she goes.
John Carter: What's gonna happen to you, Tars?
Tars Tarkas: Only the Tharks, his head in one hand and he may yet concur.
[Tal Hajus and Sarkoja are waiting outside the tent for Tarkas to kill Carter, Sola and Dejah]
Tal Hajus: Is it done, my Jeddak?
[Tal Hajus opens the tent and sees that they are all gone]
Tal Hajus: Tars Tarkas betrays us.
[as they travel through the barren Barsoom landscape]
John Carter: What happened to this place?
Dejah Thoris: Zodanga happened.
[as they hide from a flying ship, Carter watches it in amazement]
John Carter: Sailing on light.
Dejah Thoris: Still playing the madman?
John Carter: Or the liar.
Sab Than: Why pursue this wedding any longer? I've already won.
Matai Shang: Not yet. You must name past the horizon, Sab Than. To truly demoralize a nation requires a public spectacle on the grandest scale. Instating this wedding will ensure your rule goes unchallanged.
Sab Than: If you insist.
Matai Shang: If you cannot see the wisdom in that then we will find another who can.
[as they follow Dejah who is supposed to be taking them to the river Iss]
Sola: Dotar Sojat. Carter! I do not think she leads us to the Iss.
John Carter: Alright then, Sola. Just play along.
[Carter rides his lizard-horse creature closer to Dejah and suddenly grabs her rains]
John Carter: What do you think I'd do once I saw your city and not some river?
Dejah Thoris: What do you mean?
Sola: Cloras Anthorea, they should be at our backs by now. You lead us toward Helium!
Dejah Thoris: Once we reach there, you would see for yourself the virtue of our cause.
John Carter: Everyone thinks their cause is virtuous, professor.
[suddenly he grabs her stuff and throws her off her lizard-horse creature and he and Sola take off leaving her behind]
Dejah Thoris: What are you doing? No! John Carter! You can't!
[as they pretend to leave her]
Sola: I like this plan better.
John Carter: Just wait. She'll come around.
[as Carter pretends to leave Dejah behind]
Dejah Thoris: You mad fool! You're not from Earth! There are no Gates of Iss! I only told you what you wanted to hear so you'd get us out! Stop! I can't! I cannot marry him!
[Carter stops and looks back at her]
John Carter: Can't marry who?
Dejah Thoris: The Zodanga Jeddak you fought. Sab Than. He offered a truce to my father in exchange for my hand.
John Carter: Your father?
Dejah Thoris: Tardos Mors.
Sola: The Jeddak of Helium. She is a princess.
John Carter: A princess of Mars. How about that? A princess who didn't wanna get married, so she ran away.
Dejah Thoris: No.
John Carter: Is that all there is to this story?
[he turns to leave her again]
Dejah Thoris: No! I didn't run away! I escaped!
John Carter: From what? His breath? So marry the guy and save your people.
Dejah Thoris: A life of oppression, that's not living!
[as she runs to follow them Dejah falls, Carter suddenly turns back and offers to help her up]
Dejah Thoris: If you had the means to save others, would you not take any action possible to make it so?
John Carter: No good will come out of me fightin' your war.
Dejah Thoris: I would lay down my life for Helium. Yes, I ran away. I was...afraid, weak. Maybe I should have married, but I so feared that it would somehow be the end of Barsoom. I tell you truly, John Carter of Earth, there are no Gates of Iss. They are not real.
John Carter: I'm sorry, princess. But this...
[he shows her the medallion that brought him to Barsoom]
John Carter: This is real. And so is my cave of gold.
[he offers his hand to Dejah to help her up which she reluctantly takes]
[referring to Carter, Dejah and Sola]
Voice of Thern #1: They have reached The Iss.
Matai Shang: It took them longer than I thought.
Voice of Thern #2: If they should reach the gates...
Voice of Thern #1: They can breach the sanctuary. And her knowledge of the ninth ray is already...
Matai Shang: As advanced as it will ever be. Patience, brothers. It is under my control. I'm already there.
[Matai Shang teleports himself to a rock formation overlooking the river]
[when they arrive at the river of Iss]
Sola: The Iss. Here pilgrims must leave behind all they have, all they know, never to return. May the Goddess find me worthy.
[as Carter is about to take a drink of the water from The Iss, he notices Sola trying to embark on the journey to the Gates of Iss alone, he leaps across the river towards her to stop her]
John Carter: Wait! What do you think you're doing?
Sola: It is my way, Dotar Sojat, not yours. I must honor my Jeddak and redeem my unworthiness.
John Carter: You wanna honor your father? Then stay alive and help me!
Sola: My father?
John Carter: Sola.
Sola: Why would you say that?
John Carter: That's what drives your compassions, the blood of your father, Tars Tarkas. And of all the Tharks, you're the only one worthy of him. And your duty to your father demands that you see me through. Just help me find the Gates, then you can decide what honor requires.
Sola: Just through the Gates then.
[as the trio arrive the Gates of Iss which looks like a giant umbrella-like rock formation]
John Carter: Professor.
Dejah Thoris: Impossible! I've never seen this kind of structure before
John Carter: I wanna get a better look.
[suddenly Carter grabs Dejah and leaps to the top of the rock formation]
Dejah Thoris: Carter, your feet!
[the medallion Carter carries lights up blue and as they look down they notice the center of the rock begins to lower and a set of stairs emerges, the stairs lead into a cave where the walls form blue webbed material]
Dejah Thoris: This is not the work of Gods. These are machines. Your
medallion[Carter gives her the medallion and Dejah places it on the glowing spider carving on the cave ground]
John Carter: The spider.
[nine blue glowing rays suddenly appear out of the spider symbol]
Dejah Thoris: Nine. Nine rays. Nine! The ninth ray real! It can be harnessed, do you see? This entire structure runs on ninth ray isolates. The Iss is such power, and somehow Zodanga has it. The Therns, they must be real. And you, you are John Carter of Earth?
John Carter: Yes, ma'am.
Dejah Thoris: And the ships that sail on the sea, you've seen them?
[Carter nods his head]
Dejah Thoris: That must be a beautiful sight.
John Carter: It truly is.
[as Carter steps on the blue ray light suddenly the set of symbols connects and the solar system appears on the ground]
Dejah Thoris: It's our solar system!
[Carter steps on the symbol of Earth and a set of symbols connects the planet to Barsoom]
John Carter: What's it saying?
Dejah Thoris: I'm not sure.
John Carter: Okay. What do you think it says?
Dejah Thoris: It appears to be...a kind of technical diagram. Here is Barsoom, there is Jarsoom. This bit here, it's like our symbol for a transcription. A copy, sent along these lines here, between the worlds. Like...
John Carter: A telegram. You're saying I was telegraphed here. I'm a copy of myself.
Dejah Thoris: Possibly. Making these words here, the command for travel.
[referring to the symbols they've just discovered]
Dejah Thoris: I don't like guessing. I need more information, I need charts, codesses.
[Carter looks at Dejah with suspicion]
John Carter: Right. And where might we find those?
Dejah Thoris: In the Hall of Science.
John Carter: And where's that?
Dejah Thoris: Helium.
[Carter becomes angry, thinking that Dejah is still trying to convince him to go to Helium]
John Carter: Then quick! Let's just head on turn on back to Helium.
John Carter: What do you take me for?
Dejah Thoris: I take you for a man who's lost!
John Carter: I won't be lost if you just tell me how to work this thing!
Dejah Thoris: I will! But everything I need to understand the medallion is in Helium. I'm trying to get you back to your cave of gold. Isn't that what you want?
John Carter: Yes.
Dejah Thoris: No, I don't believe you. We may have been born worlds apart, but I know you, John Carter. From the moment you caught me in the sky, I knew. I felt the heart of a man willing to lay down his life for others. A man willing to fight for a cause, here, on Barsoom.
[suddenly Carter kisses Dejah, but he has a flashback of his wife and daughter and pulls away from Dejah]
Dejah Thoris: Don't you see? Carter, I fled to find another way. You are the other way.
[suddenly they hear Sola calling out to Carter, as they leave the cave they see a tribe of Tharks, led by Matai Shang, shooting at Sola]
[as they watch Carter, Dejah and Sola try to escape the Tharks attacking them]
Matai Shang: Pursue them to the Helium Plane, then overtake them and capture the red woman alive.
Tal Hajus: The one who jumps?
Matai Shang: Let's see what he's capable of.
[as they are pursued by the Thark tribe, Carter touches Dejah's hand and has flashback to coming home after the war to find his home burned with his wife and his daughter inside]
Sola: Dotar Sojat!
Dejah Thoris: What are you doing?
John Carter: Sola, get her out of here.
[he jumps off the lizard-horse creature]
John Carter: Carter! I was too late once. I won't be again.
[Sola grabs Dejah and flees off with her lizard-horse creature]
Dejah Thoris: No! No! No! No!
[Carter tries to force Woola to flee with the women, but Woola remains, as the Thark tribe reach him, Carter leaps in the air and onto the warriors, with each slash of his sword he flashbacks to burying his wife and daughter and placing his wife's wedding ring on his hand, then the Tharks begin to overwhelm him and Carter disappears under a pile of Thark warriors]
[after Tardos Mors ship arrives, Tardos greets his daughter with joy and Dejah runs back to save Carter from under the pile of Thark warriors, Carter is alive but unconscious]
Dejah Thoris: Oh, thank Issus!
Tardos Mors: Who is he?
Dejah Thoris: His name is John Carter. He saved my life. He's from Jarsoom.
Tardos Mors: Jarsoom?
[suddenly Sab Than appears out of Tardos' ship]
Sab Than: Zodanga's closer, he'll have my personal physician.
[Dejah goes to attack Sab Than]
Dejah Thoris: He shot me out of the sky!
[Tardos grabs hold of Dejah to stop her attacking Sab Than]
Tardos Mors: My daughter, listen to me! Listen to me! Sab has admitted to everything. Now, he came to me, alone, without an escort. I could have had him prisoned, I could have had him killed, yet it was clear he only cared about your safety.
Sab Than: I feared you'd be tortured by the Tharks and condemned to die in their arena. I could not live with that on my conscience. I do have one, princess.
Dejah Thoris: Really? I thought you had it removed along with your...
Tardos Mors: Dejah!
Sab Than: She does not trust me, Jeddak. And why should she? There's never been trust between Zodanga and Helium. Therefore, princess, I offer you this small, but sincere token of my good will.
[he takes out his sword, kneels in front of Dejah and offers her his sword]
Sab Than: My life.
[Dejah takes his sword and suddenly moves to strike Sab Than, but instead places the sword against his throat]
Sab Than: You hold the power, princess. The power of life, over me and over all Barsoom. With our two cities united, anything is possible. All you have to do is marry me.
[Carter awakens in a guarded cell in Zodanga]
John Carter: Is this Helium?
[suddenly Kantos Kan walks in the room]
Kantos Kan: No. Zodanga. Where the men are as limited as the menu, and the women are as hard as the beds.
Zodangan Guard: What's your business here?
[referring to Carter]
Kantos Kan: He is my business. The Jarsoom needs to be taken to more secure accommodation.
Zodangan Guard: We've received no such orders.
Kantos Kan: Well, you're receiving them now! Straight from the laughing lips of Sab Than himself.
[Kantos walks towards Carter]
Kantos Kan: I hear that you are incredibly dangerous.
[he whispers to Carter]
Kantos Kan: Take me hostage.
John Carter: What?
Kantos Kan: Take me hostage.
John Carter: Are you alright?
[as Carter appears confused by his request Kantos grabs his own sword, holds it to his neck, and grabs Carter's arm to make it seem like the latter has taken him hostage]
Kantos Kan: The white imbecile! He takes my sword!
[they break out of cell]
[as they get away from the Zodangan guards]
John Carter: Right. Your turn.
Kantos Kan: My turn?
John Carter: Who are you?
Kantos Kan: My name is Kantos Khan. I sever Princess Dejah.
John Carter: Dejah?
Kantos Kan: Uhuh. And from what she tells me, you can get us over...there.
[he points to Sab Than's palace]
John Carter: She said I could make that?
Kantos Kan: We could always surrender.
[as they hear the Zodangan guards approaching them]
Kantos Kan: Is that what you do on Jarsoom? Huh?
[as the guards reach them, Carter quickly grabs hold of Kantos and leaps into the air and just goes just far enough to grab a stone ledge and tumble into Dejah's bridal suite]
[after Carter and Kantos land in Dejah's bridal suit]
Dejah Thoris: You are expected to bow in my presence, Captain Carter.
[Carter looks at Dejah, in her bridal gown and the servant women attending her; Kantos whispers to Carter]
Kantos Kan: Bow.
[Carter bows]
Dejah Thoris: Suppose that will do.
Kantos Kan: I fetched him, as you commanded.
Dejah Thoris: Thank you, Kantos.
[turning to the servant women]
Dejah Thoris: I wish to speak to Captain Carter alone.
[to Kantos]
Dejah Thoris: Keep watch outside.
[as they are alone in Dejah's bridal suite]
John Carter: You look beautiful.
Dejah Thoris: It's traditional Zodangan, worn by the grooms mother I'm told. It's a little vulgar for my taste, but my opinions are about to become irrelevant.
John Carter: You can't seriously be considering this.
Dejah Thoris: What other choice do I have?
John Carter: Don't marry him.
Dejah Thoris: Give me a reason not to. Will you stay and fight for Helium? Will you stay? And for Helium?
[Carter looks away from her and glances at his wedding ring]
John Carter: Dejah.
[seeing that Carter will still not agree, she turns away from him]
Dejah Thoris: We have a saying on Barsoom, 'A warrior may change his metal, but not his heart.'
[she turns to face him again with his medallion in her hand]
Dejah Thoris: You were right, I could decipher the command. It's a set of sounds, a simple phrase. Repeat after me.
[she takes Carter's hand]
Dejah Thoris: Ak Ohum Oktay.
[they hear Sab Than and his men outside the room]
Dejah Thoris: Say it now. Ak Ohum Oktay.
John Carter: Ak Ohum Oktay.
Dejah Thoris: Weez.
John Carter: Weez.
Dejah Thoris: Jarsoom.
[Carter looks at her]
Dejah Thoris: Jarsoom.
[Carter hesitates and we hear Sab Than's men try to bust down the door]
Dejah Thoris: Say it! Say it! Say it!
[just as Carter is about to say 'Jarsoom', Sab Than and his men burst into the room]
Sab Than: Dejah, you alone?
[Dejah turns and sees that she's alone, thinking Carter must have teleported back to Earth]
Dejah Thoris: Yes. I am alone.
[she turns back to Sab Than]
Dejah Thoris: Well, my Jeddak. The moons will soon be rising, let us not delay the proceedings any further.
Sab Than: Yes. Yes, of course.
[as they leave the room we see Carter hiding above in an alcove, he goes into the hallway and sees the older servant woman who attended Dejah transform into Matai Shang]
[after Matai Shang has captured Carter, they ride through the city in a lizard-horse drawn carriage]
John Carter: Who are you?
Matai Shang: American.
John Carter: Who are you, sir?
Matai Shang: Sir? Definitely the South. The Carolinas? Virginia? It's Virginia, isn't it? Lovely place.
John Carter: You know it?
Matai Shang: Not as well as I should, but I will.
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Total
Quotes: 83
