Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 21/67

top of page

Quotes by Director

"Film is a dramatised reality and it is the director's job to make it appear real... an audience should not be conscious of technique."

"Film is a dramatised reality and it is the director's job to make it appear real... an audience should not be conscious of technique."

David Lean, British Director

Film, Job, Reality

14

"With a genre like film noir, everyone has these assumptions and expectations. And once all of those things are in place, that's when you can really start to twist it about and mess around with it."

"With a genre like film noir, everyone has these assumptions and expectations. And once all of those things are in place, that's when you can really start to twist it about and mess around with it."

Larry Wachowski, American Director

Expectation, Expectations, Film

14

"The father's greatest folly is that he believes he can be a much more simple person than he is; he is not really able to deal with his own complexity as a human being."

"The father's greatest folly is that he believes he can be a much more simple person than he is; he is not really able to deal with his own complexity as a human being."

Atom Egoyan, Canadian Director

Family, Father, Being, Complexity, Folly

14

"In the first years after the systemic transition, our screens showed American entertainment that had not been available before, or had been available only sporadically."

"In the first years after the systemic transition, our screens showed American entertainment that had not been available before, or had been available only sporadically."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

Media, American, Entertainment, First, Years

14

"The more light hearted I write about that, the better the message gets through."

"The more light hearted I write about that, the better the message gets through."

Theo Van Gogh, Dutch Director

14

"A lot of the films I've made probably could have worked just as well 50 years ago, and that's just because I have a lot of old-fashion values."

"A lot of the films I've made probably could have worked just as well 50 years ago, and that's just because I have a lot of old-fashion values."

Steven Spielberg, American Director

Values, Old, Years

14

"It is extremely difficult to get movies that cost more than $40 million to be made these days."

"It is extremely difficult to get movies that cost more than $40 million to be made these days."

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

14

"Moral indignation in most cases is, 2% moral, 48% indignation, and 50% envy."

"Moral indignation in most cases is, 2% moral, 48% indignation, and 50% envy."

Vittorio De Sica, Italian Director

14

"Too many of Disney animators, and a lot try to emulate Disney, are trying to hit what they call quality levels. They're boring mannerisms."

"Too many of Disney animators, and a lot try to emulate Disney, are trying to hit what they call quality levels. They're boring mannerisms."

Ralph Bakshi, American Director

Quality, Disney, Trying

14

"No, United Artists was a very extraordinary organization, because once they had agreed on the director, they believed in letting him have his way. They trusted me, and that doesn't often happen."

"No, United Artists was a very extraordinary organization, because once they had agreed on the director, they believed in letting him have his way. They trusted me, and that doesn't often happen."

John Schlesinger, British Director

Media, Artists, United

14

"I was influenced by European movies, old Fellini, old Kurosawa - any sort of foreign film."

"I was influenced by European movies, old Fellini, old Kurosawa - any sort of foreign film."

Ted Demme, American Director

Movies, Film, Old

14

"Initially with The Butcher Boy, there was this kid growing up in this strange, weird environment that I remember from when I was a kid. And Patrick's vision was so complete there."

"Initially with The Butcher Boy, there was this kid growing up in this strange, weird environment that I remember from when I was a kid. And Patrick's vision was so complete there."

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

Vision, Environment, Growingup

14

"I love short trips to New York; to me it is the finest three-day town on earth."

"I love short trips to New York; to me it is the finest three-day town on earth."

James Cameron, American Director

14

"The artist is the medium between his fantasies and the rest of the world."

"The artist is the medium between his fantasies and the rest of the world."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

Media, Artist, Rest, World

14

"Ambition can be a disease, and it feeds on itself."

"Ambition can be a disease, and it feeds on itself."

Rebecca Miller, American Director

Ambition, Disease

14

"Decline III, I funded myself, from the studio money. That, and I sold a lot of drugs. Kidding. Don't print that."

"Decline III, I funded myself, from the studio money. That, and I sold a lot of drugs. Kidding. Don't print that."

Penelope Spheeris, American Director

14

"The other thing that I started doing for myself was, I went through my diary of ideas that I keep and made sure that the translation of the comic to the movie was good."

"The other thing that I started doing for myself was, I went through my diary of ideas that I keep and made sure that the translation of the comic to the movie was good."

Guillermo del Toro, Mexican Director

Creativity, Ideas

14

"I visited a scientist who had a helmet with magnetic fields controlled by computer sequences that could profoundly affect your mood and your perceptions."

"I visited a scientist who had a helmet with magnetic fields controlled by computer sequences that could profoundly affect your mood and your perceptions."

Douglas Trumbull, American Director

Computer, Perceptions

14

"The Moon and Mars were the two most likely candidates for life in the solar system; what exists beyond our solar system is mere guesswork."

"The Moon and Mars were the two most likely candidates for life in the solar system; what exists beyond our solar system is mere guesswork."

Walter Lang, American Director

14

"One thing I was thinking about the other day was you can't even conceive of the kinds of things you can do in movies today. The idea that you could draw, in a computer, dinosaurs and have them running around was totally impossible."

"One thing I was thinking about the other day was you can't even conceive of the kinds of things you can do in movies today. The idea that you could draw, in a computer, dinosaurs and have them running around was totally impossible."

John Badham, British Director

Movies, Idea, Computer, Day

14

"Life is a horizontal fall."

"Life is a horizontal fall."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

14

"It is not as though the process of production holds any mystery for me, I know exactly what it involves and I know the predominant concern in shooting one of those things is production values - or as they would say, seeing it all up there on screen."

"It is not as though the process of production holds any mystery for me, I know exactly what it involves and I know the predominant concern in shooting one of those things is production values - or as they would say, seeing it all up there on screen."

Atom Egoyan, Canadian Director

Values, Concern, Mystery, Production

14

"Most artists think they're frauds anyway."

"Most artists think they're frauds anyway."

John Milius, American Director

Perspective, Artists

14

"So I like to try to go back and develop pure visual storytelling. Because to me, it's one of the most exciting aspects of making movies and almost a lost art at this point."

"So I like to try to go back and develop pure visual storytelling. Because to me, it's one of the most exciting aspects of making movies and almost a lost art at this point."

Brian De Palma, American Director

14

"I made a decision back in 1978 that, in a trade off for money when I directed Halloween, I would have my name above the title in order to basically brand these movies my own."

John Carpenter, American Director

Money, Movies, Decision, Name

14

"Because I just loved to spend two years of my life in the company of Andy Kaufman and other characters."

"Because I just loved to spend two years of my life in the company of Andy Kaufman and other characters."

Milos Forman, Czechoslovakian Director

Life, Company, Years

14

"Balance is the enemy of art."

"Balance is the enemy of art."

Richard Eyre, British Director

Art, Balance, Enemy

14

"With this silent film, I wanted to hide what was going on in the clinic. I wanted to cover it up in the best cinematic way and in an entertaining manner."

"With this silent film, I wanted to hide what was going on in the clinic. I wanted to cover it up in the best cinematic way and in an entertaining manner."

Pedro Almodovar, Spanish Director

14

"It seems that almost every time a valuable natural resource is discovered in the world-whether it be diamonds, rubber, gold, oil, whatever-often what results is a tragedy for the country in which they are found. Making matters worse, the resulting riches from these resources rarely benefit the people of the country from which they come."

"It seems that almost every time a valuable natural resource is discovered in the world-whether it be diamonds, rubber, gold, oil, whatever-often what results is a tragedy for the country in which they are found. Making matters worse, the resulting riches from these resources rarely benefit the people of the country from which they come."

Edward Zwick, American Director

Time, People, Country, Gold

14

"After the war, there was no industry. We lost the war. We had our whole city destroyed. No money. No studio. No film. No camera. No equipment. We would shoot in the street. We had no actors. Nothing. But we wanted to do movies. And we did the best movies in the world."

"After the war, there was no industry. We lost the war. We had our whole city destroyed. No money. No studio. No film. No camera. No equipment. We would shoot in the street. We had no actors. Nothing. But we wanted to do movies. And we did the best movies in the world."

Dino De Laurentiis, Italian Director

Movies, Money, War, Actors

14

"A film is a petrified fountain of thought."

"A film is a petrified fountain of thought."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

14

"Waterworld was the best time of my life. It was physically demanding, but it was fun. I mean, you're in Hawaii for nine months shooting on the water every day."

"Waterworld was the best time of my life. It was physically demanding, but it was fun. I mean, you're in Hawaii for nine months shooting on the water every day."

David R. Ellis, American Director

Time, Life, Day, Fun

14

"When you know what an actor has, you can reach in and arouse it. If you don't know what he has, you don't know what the hell is going on."

"When you know what an actor has, you can reach in and arouse it. If you don't know what he has, you don't know what the hell is going on."

Elia Kazan, American Director

14

"I've been sort of traveling around the country for ten years talking about independent features."

"I've been sort of traveling around the country for ten years talking about independent features."

Brian De Palma, American Director

Nation, Country, Talking, Traveling, Years

14

"I remember in 1968 when we were in Cannes, in the festival, and we were supposed to be there 10 days, and the second day the festival collapsed because the French, you know, film-makers raised the red flag in the festival and ended the festival."

"I remember in 1968 when we were in Cannes, in the festival, and we were supposed to be there 10 days, and the second day the festival collapsed because the French, you know, film-makers raised the red flag in the festival and ended the festival."

Milos Forman, Czechoslovakian Director

Politics, Day, Film

14

"In the Thirties, when I was in New York, I did the first surrealistic ballet in a show of mine."

"In the Thirties, when I was in New York, I did the first surrealistic ballet in a show of mine."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

Art, Ballet, First

14

"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you."

"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you."

Billy Wilder, American Director

Fun, Funny, Truth, People

14

"For eight years I did effects for other movies until I got my movie made."

"For eight years I did effects for other movies until I got my movie made."

Guillermo del Toro, Mexican Director

14

"But the imposition of morality onto science, - where it does not belong - has become rampant in recent years."

"But the imposition of morality onto science, - where it does not belong - has become rampant in recent years."

Bill Condon, American Director

Science, Morality, Years

14

"I find that screen kissing wears very thin very quickly."

"I find that screen kissing wears very thin very quickly."

John Hughes, American Director

Graphic Content, Kissing

14

"Fox came to us with the concept for ICE AGE and they came to us with the first draft of the script. They also gave us a mandate to make it into a comedy from what was previously a rather dramatic action concept."

"Fox came to us with the concept for ICE AGE and they came to us with the first draft of the script. They also gave us a mandate to make it into a comedy from what was previously a rather dramatic action concept."

Chris Wedge, American Director

Age, Action, Comedy, Draft

14

"Any concept of one person being superior to another can lead to racism."

"Any concept of one person being superior to another can lead to racism."

Walter Lang, American Director

14

"My plan was to stay in Canada to make films."

"My plan was to stay in Canada to make films."

Ted Kotcheff, Canadian Director

14

"You can make movies for a select audience, but you have to market it to them.You can make movies for a select audience, but you have to market it to them."

"You can make movies for a select audience, but you have to market it to them.You can make movies for a select audience, but you have to market it to them."

David Fincher, American Director

14

"The ideals and principles for which Dr King fought have never been forgotten and are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago."

"The ideals and principles for which Dr King fought have never been forgotten and are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago."

George Lucas, American Director

Civil Rights, Ideals, Principles, Today, Years

14

"The author O. Henry taught me about the value of the unexpected. He once wrote about the noise of flowers and the smell of birds - the birds were chickens and the flowers dried sunflowers rattling against a wall."

"The author O. Henry taught me about the value of the unexpected. He once wrote about the noise of flowers and the smell of birds - the birds were chickens and the flowers dried sunflowers rattling against a wall."

Chuck Jones, American Director

Birds, Flowers, Value

14

"In America there's no rights for the artist, so whatever films I've made kind of belong to the studio."

"In America there's no rights for the artist, so whatever films I've made kind of belong to the studio."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

Ownership, America, Artist, Rights

14

"When you make a movie outside the system and it's successful critically or a moderate financial success, you usually have to go back into the system and make a big hit."

"When you make a movie outside the system and it's successful critically or a moderate financial success, you usually have to go back into the system and make a big hit."

Brian De Palma, American Director

Success, Successful, Financial

14

"For years after I resigned, I was still faithful to their way of thinking. But not in the American Communists."

"For years after I resigned, I was still faithful to their way of thinking. But not in the American Communists."

Elia Kazan, American Director

Politics, Thinking, Years

14

"Perhaps the most difficult thing is shooting scenes set 6,000 feet up in the mountains of Mexico."

"Perhaps the most difficult thing is shooting scenes set 6,000 feet up in the mountains of Mexico."

Bruce Beresford, Australian Director

Location, Feet, Mountains

14

bottom of page