Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 23/67

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Quotes by Director

"The director is the only person who knows what the film is about."

"The director is the only person who knows what the film is about."

Satyajit Ray, Indian Director

14

"More than anything, there are more images in evil. Evil is based far more on the visual, whereas good has no good images at all."

"More than anything, there are more images in evil. Evil is based far more on the visual, whereas good has no good images at all."

Lars von Trier, Danish Director

14

"Yes, obviously, there's this degree of wanting people to accept other people faiths and philosophies."

"Yes, obviously, there's this degree of wanting people to accept other people faiths and philosophies."

Ridley Scott, British Director

14

"However, ironically, I was baptized Presbyterian, and went to a Quaker school for twelve years."

"However, ironically, I was baptized Presbyterian, and went to a Quaker school for twelve years."

Brian De Palma, American Director

14

"I've continued to always keep in mind having a healthy does of that in Hollywood, now that I am part of the system and obviously have to follow the way the system works - you still have to have that crazy determination."

"I've continued to always keep in mind having a healthy does of that in Hollywood, now that I am part of the system and obviously have to follow the way the system works - you still have to have that crazy determination."

Renny Harlin, Finnish Director

Determination, Hollywood, Mind, Now

14

"So when I read this story, it unlocked a volcano of unanswered questions, because the questions had never been asked. It was an opportunity to come to terms with the lot of repressed history - and history of repression."

"So when I read this story, it unlocked a volcano of unanswered questions, because the questions had never been asked. It was an opportunity to come to terms with the lot of repressed history - and history of repression."

Phillip Noyce, Australian Director

History, Opportunity, Questions, Repression

14

"A woman is subject matter enough."

"A woman is subject matter enough."

Claude Chabrol, French Director

14

"Well, there's no question that a good script is an absolutely essential, maybe the essential thing for a movie."

"Well, there's no question that a good script is an absolutely essential, maybe the essential thing for a movie."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

14

"I think it's a change that I did not intend at the time but it is clear that, from The Flower of My Secret on, there is a change in my films. A lot of the journalists have very generously attributed this to my growing maturity."

"I think it's a change that I did not intend at the time but it is clear that, from The Flower of My Secret on, there is a change in my films. A lot of the journalists have very generously attributed this to my growing maturity."

Pedro Almodovar, Spanish Director

Change, Time, Maturity

14

"Something about Texas I'm not proud of is that our state murdered 37 people last year alone."

"Something about Texas I'm not proud of is that our state murdered 37 people last year alone."

Richard Linklater, American Director

14

"When a work appears to be ahead of its time, it is only the time that is behind the work."

"When a work appears to be ahead of its time, it is only the time that is behind the work."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

14

"I wanted to get back to my style of 20 years ago after a long period of exploring horror and fantasy themes."

"I wanted to get back to my style of 20 years ago after a long period of exploring horror and fantasy themes."

Dario Argento, Italian Director

Style, Fantasy, Horror, Years

14

"My mom took me to see Carnal Knowledge and The Wild Bunch and all these kind of movies when I was a kid."

"My mom took me to see Carnal Knowledge and The Wild Bunch and all these kind of movies when I was a kid."

Quentin Tarantino, American Director

Family, Mom, Movies, Knowledge

14

"I'm going to do an adaptation of the Italian film, Bread and Tulips. I really like that film."

"I'm going to do an adaptation of the Italian film, Bread and Tulips. I really like that film."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

14

"Most Australians live in the cities on the east coast, where contact between black and white occurred as much as 200 years earlier than on the west coast - and where 95 percent of Australians are able to live 95 percent of their lives without ever seeing an Aboriginal face."

"Most Australians live in the cities on the east coast, where contact between black and white occurred as much as 200 years earlier than on the west coast - and where 95 percent of Australians are able to live 95 percent of their lives without ever seeing an Aboriginal face."

Phillip Noyce, Australian Director

History, Cities, Years

14

"Fortunately, somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our freedom, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether."

"Fortunately, somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our freedom, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether."

Luis Bunuel, Mexican Director

Imagination, People, Chance, Fact

14

"It's only at this age that I can say the word 'art' without flinching."

"It's only at this age that I can say the word 'art' without flinching."

Mira Nair, Indian Director

14

"The world was like a huge red carpet out ahead of me to be walked on. And it stretched on and on, no end."

"The world was like a huge red carpet out ahead of me to be walked on. And it stretched on and on, no end."

Elia Kazan, American Director

Creativity, End, World

14

"Some men are all right in their place if they only knew the right places."

"Some men are all right in their place if they only knew the right places."

Raoul Walsh, American Director

14

"Dying is one of the few things that can be done as easily lying down."

"Dying is one of the few things that can be done as easily lying down."

Woody Allen, American Director

14

"If you write a movie for Roger Corman, it's going to get made. You saw it almost the next day."

"If you write a movie for Roger Corman, it's going to get made. You saw it almost the next day."

John Sayles, American Director

14

"All of us have our individual curses, something that we are uncomfortable with and something that we have to deal with, like me making horror films, perhaps."

"All of us have our individual curses, something that we are uncomfortable with and something that we have to deal with, like me making horror films, perhaps."

Wes Craven, American Director

14

"I'd really been interested in opera when I was about 16, and I really like staging them."

"I'd really been interested in opera when I was about 16, and I really like staging them."

Bruce Beresford, Australian Director

14

"No, I worked a lot for European television, doing documentaries in Brazil."

"No, I worked a lot for European television, doing documentaries in Brazil."

Walter Salles, Brazilian Director

Career, Brazil, Television

14

"John Cleese was with a group called Cambridge Circus, who had come to New York, and we became friends. Years later that produced a certain team effort."

"John Cleese was with a group called Cambridge Circus, who had come to New York, and we became friends. Years later that produced a certain team effort."

Terry Gilliam, American Director

Friendship, Effort, Friends, Years

14

"I have gotten to a point in my life where I don't want to have dinner with someone I don't like."

"I have gotten to a point in my life where I don't want to have dinner with someone I don't like."

John Frankenheimer, American Director

14

"The first Decline I did was out of sheer love and appreciation for the music. In 1977, it was more about bands, because punk was a new form of music. It was groundbreaking and political."

"The first Decline I did was out of sheer love and appreciation for the music. In 1977, it was more about bands, because punk was a new form of music. It was groundbreaking and political."

Penelope Spheeris, American Director

Love, Music, Appreciation, First

14

"I've always wanted to work with Warren Beatty."

"I've always wanted to work with Warren Beatty."

Quentin Tarantino, American Director

14

"There are so many effects and so many things that are done digitally now that it's so hard for the director to really control the process, because there are more and more experts that come in."

"There are so many effects and so many things that are done digitally now that it's so hard for the director to really control the process, because there are more and more experts that come in."

John Frankenheimer, American Director

Control, Experts, Now

14

"Heroism in a bad cause."

"Heroism in a bad cause."

Karel Reisz, Czechoslovakian Director

14

"But Madonna has a small amount of talent when it comes to movies."

"But Madonna has a small amount of talent when it comes to movies."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

14

"We expected that people were just waiting for the collapse of the Soviet Union, or at least for its retreat, and they were going to be full of initiative in all areas of life - in culture, in economy and in politics."

"We expected that people were just waiting for the collapse of the Soviet Union, or at least for its retreat, and they were going to be full of initiative in all areas of life - in culture, in economy and in politics."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

Life, Politics, People, Culture

14

"Miller didn't write Death of a Salesman. He released it. It was there inside him, waiting to be turned loose. That's the measure of its merit."

"Miller didn't write Death of a Salesman. He released it. It was there inside him, waiting to be turned loose. That's the measure of its merit."

Elia Kazan, American Director

Death, Measure, Merit, Waiting

14

"The psychiatrists examine you and ask you about your life and work, and then they decide whether your film can be shown or not. It's a horrible experience."

"The psychiatrists examine you and ask you about your life and work, and then they decide whether your film can be shown or not. It's a horrible experience."

Dario Argento, Italian Director

Life, Experience, Work, Film

14

"I wanted to make these people real, not like they were in a painting. Like these are people who don't know they're in a period movie. Those concerns are incredibly immediate."

"I wanted to make these people real, not like they were in a painting. Like these are people who don't know they're in a period movie. Those concerns are incredibly immediate."

Neil LaBute, American Director

People, Painting

14

"I blame it on Walt Disney, where animals are given human qualities. People don't understand that a wild animal is not something that is nice to pat. It can seriously harm you."

"I blame it on Walt Disney, where animals are given human qualities. People don't understand that a wild animal is not something that is nice to pat. It can seriously harm you."

James Cameron, American Director

People, Animals, Blame, Disney

14

"Never in the history of cinema has a medium entertained an audience. It's what you do with the medium."

"Never in the history of cinema has a medium entertained an audience. It's what you do with the medium."

John Lasseter, American Director

History, Cinema

14

"We can't worry about competition. Besides, you aren't competing with anyone but yourself. They have nothing to do with whether you make a good movie or not."

"We can't worry about competition. Besides, you aren't competing with anyone but yourself. They have nothing to do with whether you make a good movie or not."

Chris Wedge, American Director

Competition, Nothing, Worry

14

"But my humble opinion is, I'm not quite sure where I stand on the legalization of drugs - though, if tequila is legal, pot should probably be legal."

"But my humble opinion is, I'm not quite sure where I stand on the legalization of drugs - though, if tequila is legal, pot should probably be legal."

Ted Demme, American Director

Legal, Drugs, Opinion

14

"Just don't take any class where you have to read BEOWULF."

"Just don't take any class where you have to read BEOWULF."

Woody Allen, American Director

Humor, School, Reading, Frustration

14

"My cameraman and I devised a method, which we started using from my second film, which applies mainly to day scenes shot in the studio, where we used bounced light instead of direct light. We agreed with this thing of four or five shadows following the actors is dreadful."

"My cameraman and I devised a method, which we started using from my second film, which applies mainly to day scenes shot in the studio, where we used bounced light instead of direct light. We agreed with this thing of four or five shadows following the actors is dreadful."

Satyajit Ray, Indian Director

Actor, Actors, Day, Film, Light

14

"Everybody has talent, it's just a matter of moving around until you've discovered what it is."

"Everybody has talent, it's just a matter of moving around until you've discovered what it is."

George Lucas, American Director

14

"Then I realized my early work did have something special that audiences adored apart from what I humbly thought about them. They occupy a distinguished niche in Italian film history and probably always will."

"Then I realized my early work did have something special that audiences adored apart from what I humbly thought about them. They occupy a distinguished niche in Italian film history and probably always will."

Dario Argento, Italian Director

History, Work, Thought, Audiences

14

"All people know the same truth. Our lives consist of how we choose to distort it."

"All people know the same truth. Our lives consist of how we choose to distort it."

Woody Allen, American Director

Philosophy, Truth, Perception, Life, Reality

14

"Showing up is eighty percent of life."

"Showing up is eighty percent of life."

Woody Allen, American Director

Commitment, Action, Life, Truth

14

"Matter of fact, the style that people use today, I invented in a way."

"Matter of fact, the style that people use today, I invented in a way."

John Milius, American Director

People, Fact, Style, Today

14

"Well, visual language is another boring discussion about the nature of film."

"Well, visual language is another boring discussion about the nature of film."

Alan Rudolph, American Director

Nature, Film, Language

14

"What are you gonna do, talk the alien to death?"

"What are you gonna do, talk the alien to death?"

James Cameron, American Director

14

"When I worked on 2001 - which was my first feature film - I was deeply and permanently affected by the notion that a movie could be like a first-person experience."

"When I worked on 2001 - which was my first feature film - I was deeply and permanently affected by the notion that a movie could be like a first-person experience."

Douglas Trumbull, American Director

Experience, Film, First

14

"What I think happens today is that a lot of filmmakers look at other films that are retro pieces, like L.A. Confidential, and say, oh, that's period. We didn't want to do the stereotypical stuff."

"What I think happens today is that a lot of filmmakers look at other films that are retro pieces, like L.A. Confidential, and say, oh, that's period. We didn't want to do the stereotypical stuff."

Ted Demme, American Director

Movies, Today, Want

14

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