Brad Pitt credited as playing...
Mills
- David Mills: Wait, I thought all you did was kill innocent people.
- John Doe: Innocent? Is that supposed to be funny? An obese man... a disgusting man who could barely stand up; a man who if you saw him on the street, you'd point him out to your friends so that they could join you in mocking him; a man, who if you saw him while you were eating, you wouldn't be able to finish your meal. After him, I picked the lawyer and I know you both must have been secretly thanking me for that one. This is a man who dedicated his life to making money by lying with every breath that he could muster to keeping murderers and rapists on the streets!
- David Mills: Murderers?
- John Doe: A woman...
- David Mills: Murderers, John, like yourself?
- John Doe: [interrupts] A woman... so ugly on the inside she couldn't bear to go on living if she couldn't be beautiful on the outside. A drug dealer, a drug dealing pederast, actually! And let's not forget the disease-spreading whore! Only in a world this shitty could you even try to say these were innocent people and keep a straight face. But that's the point. We see a deadly sin on every street corner, in every home, and we tolerate it. We tolerate it because it's common, it's trivial. We tolerate it morning, noon, and night. Well, not anymore. I'm setting the example. What I've done is going to be puzzled over and studied and followed... forever.
- William Somerset: This guy's methodical, exacting, and worst of all, patient.
- David Mills: He's a nut-bag! Just because the fucker's got a library card doesn't make him Yoda!
- David Mills: I've been trying to figure something in my head, and maybe you can help me out, yeah? When a person is insane, as you clearly are, do you know that you're insane? Maybe you're just sitting around, reading "Guns and Ammo", masturbating in your own feces, do you just stop and go, "Wow! It is amazing how fucking crazy I really am!"? Yeah. Do you guys do that?
- William Somerset: I just don't think I can continue to live in a place that embraces and nurtures apathy as if it was virtue.
- David Mills: You're no different. You're no better.
- William Somerset: I didn't say I was different or better. I'm not. Hell, I sympathize; I sympathize completely. Apathy is the solution. I mean, it's easier to lose yourself in drugs than it is to cope with life. It's easier to steal what you want than it is to earn it. It's easier to beat a child than it is to raise it. Hell, love costs: it takes effort and work.
- [William Somerset looks at an object in the road]
- David Mills: What do you got?
- William Somerset: Dead dog.
- John Doe: I didn't do that.
- David Mills: I don't think you're quitting because you believe these things you say. I don't. I think you want to believe them, because you're quitting. And you want me to agree with you, and you want me to say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're right. It's all fucked up. It's a fucking mess. We should all go live in a fucking log cabin." But I won't. I won't say that. I don't agree with you. I do not. I can't.
- David Mills: C'mon, he's insane. Look. Right now he's probably dancing around in his grandma's panties, yeah, rubbing himself in peanut butter.
- David Mills: Yeah, a landlord's dream: a paralyzed tenant with no tongue.
- William Somerset: Who pays the rent on time.
- John Doe: Realize detective, the only reason that I'm here right now is that I wanted to be.
- David Mills: No, no, we would have got you eventually.
- John Doe: Oh really? So, what were you doing? Biding your time? Toying with me? Allowing five innocent people to die until you felt like springing your trap? Tell me, what was the indisputable evidence you were going to use on me right before I walked up to you and put my hands in the air?
- David Mills: Has he tried to speak or communicate in any way?
- Dr. Beardsley: Even if his brain were not mush, which it is, he chewed off his own tongue long ago.
- William Somerset: Uh... Doc, is there absolutely no chance that he might survive?
- Dr. Beardsley: Detective, he'd die of shock right now if you were to shine a flashlight in his eyes. He's experienced about as much pain and suffering as anyone I've encountered, give or take... and he still has hell to look forward to. Good night.
- Photographer: I got your picture, man, I got your picture!
- David Mills: Oh yeah? Detective Mills, M-I-L-L-S, fuck off!
- William Somerset: We'll just talk to him.
- David Mills: Uh huh. Yeah. Excuse me, sir. Are you, by any chance, a serial killer? Okay.
- William Somerset: You do the talking. Put that silver tongue of yours to work.
- David Mills: Have you been talking to my wife?
- [picks up the phone]
- David Mills: Hello?
- John Doe: I admire you. I don't know how you found me, but imagine my surprise. I respect you law enforcement agents more everyday.
- David Mills: Well, I appreciate that... John. I tell you...
- John Doe: No, no, you listen, all right? I'll be readjusting my schedule in light of today's little... setback. I just had to call and express my admiration. Sorry I had to hurt... one of you, but I really didn't have a choice, did I?
- David Mills: Hmm.
- John Doe: You will accept my apology, won't you? I feel like saying more, but I don't want to ruin the surprise.
- [hangs up]
- William Somerset: [to Tracy] Anyone who spends a significant amount of time with me finds me disagreeable. Just ask your husband.
- David Mills: Very true. Very, very true.
- David Mills: [Banging a book in frustration] Fuckin' Dante... poetry-writing faggot! Piece of shit, motherfucker!
- David Mills: Do you like what you do for a living? These things you see?
- Man in Massage Parlour Booth: No, I don't. But that's life.