Miller's Crossing begins with a glass being filled with ice and a man talking in the background. The man, Johnny Caspar, explains that every time he lays a bet with a certain person, the odds go bad for him. Caspar is upset because his bookie, Bernie, is selling tips on the way he bets, which makes his bets worth less. Caspar finishes his complaint by saying, "Friendship. Character. Ethics." Another man, Leo, tells Caspar that what he's saying is "as clear as mud," to which Caspar replies, "It's getting so a businessman, can't expect no return from a fixed fight. If you can't trust a fix, what can you trust?"

Caspar continues to explain that ethics are the only thing that separates people from animals, and Bernie selling him out is unethical. He then says that even though many other people know about the...