"Back we go to these questions--friendship, character, ethics."

60.  INT  CAR

As Tom sits into the back, next to Bluepoint.  Frankie
slides in after him.

                   Bluepoint
  How'd you get the fat lip?

The car starts moving.

                   Tom
  Old war wound.  Acts up around morons.

                   Bluepoint
  Very smart.  What were you doing at the club?
  Talking things over with Leo?

                   Tom
  Don't think so hard, Bluepoint, you might sprain
  something.

                   Bluepoint
  You're so goddamn smart.  Except you ain't.  I
  get you, smart guy, I know what you are.
  Straight as a corkscrew.  Mr. Inside-Outsky.
  Like a goddamn bolshevik, picking up your orders
  from Yegg Central.  You think you're so goddamn
  smart.

He sneers:

  You joined up with Caspar.  You bumped Bernie
  Bernheim.  Down is up.  Black is white.  Well I
  think you're half-smart.  I think you were
  straight with your frail and queer with Johnny
  Caspar.  And I think you'd sooner join the
  Ladies' League then gun a guy down.

His eyes narrow at Tom.

  . . . Then I hear that these two geniuses never
  even saw this rub-out take place.

Defensively:

                   Tic-Tac
  The boss just said have him do it, he didn't say
  nothing about--

                   Bluepoint
  Shutup, or maybe you still got too many teeth.

Tic-Tac sulks.  Bluepoint turns and gazes out the window of
the car.

  . . . Everyone's so goddamn smart.  Well, we'll
  go to Miller's Crossing.  And we'll see who's
  smart.

Recently saw Miller's Crossing again after several years and it's definitely wearing well for me. I don't think I ever paid much attention to John Turturro before seeing his resourceful turn as Bernie .

Very refreshing that Tom (Gabriel Byrne), the protagonist in what is apparently a tough-guy movie, never throws a decent punch and is on the wrong end of an assault at regular intervals.