Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 26/66

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Quotes by Director

"I don't think good and evil are polarized."

"I don't think good and evil are polarized."

Sam Mendes, British Director

4

"Compassion is a two way street."

"Compassion is a two way street."

Frank Capra, American Director

4

"An audience is never wrong. An individual member of it may be an imbecile, but a thousand imbeciles together in the dark - that is critical genius."

"An audience is never wrong. An individual member of it may be an imbecile, but a thousand imbeciles together in the dark - that is critical genius."

Billy Wilder, American Director

Genius, May, Wrong

4

"Beauty is composed of an eternal, invariable element whose quantity is extremely difficult to determine, and a relative element which might be, either by turns or all at once, period, fashion, moral, passion."

"Beauty is composed of an eternal, invariable element whose quantity is extremely difficult to determine, and a relative element which might be, either by turns or all at once, period, fashion, moral, passion."

Jean-Luc Godard, French Director

Beauty, Fashion, Passion, Quantity

4

"I made over forty Westerns. I used to lie awake nights trying to think up new ways of getting on and off a horse."

"I made over forty Westerns. I used to lie awake nights trying to think up new ways of getting on and off a horse."

William Wyler, American Director

4

"Do you know what directors go through? It's just hell. Like, why do I work so hard - to think I'm only going to see this movie five times and then never see it again 'cause I'm so sick of it? What is it worth, honestly?"

"Do you know what directors go through? It's just hell. Like, why do I work so hard - to think I'm only going to see this movie five times and then never see it again 'cause I'm so sick of it? What is it worth, honestly?"

Michael Bay, American Director

Work, Hell, Worth

4

"Whatever the public blames you for, cultivate it; it is yourself."

"Whatever the public blames you for, cultivate it; it is yourself."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

4

"I try to get the best performance an actor can give."

"I try to get the best performance an actor can give."

Taylor Hackford, American Director

Performance, Actor

4

"What to do when inspiration doesn't come; be careful not to spook, get the wind up, force things into position. You must wait around until the idea comes."

"What to do when inspiration doesn't come; be careful not to spook, get the wind up, force things into position. You must wait around until the idea comes."

John Huston, American Director

Inspirational, Idea, Inspiration, Force, Wind

4

"My father's sister never married in order to raise me."

"My father's sister never married in order to raise me."

Marcel Carne, French Director

Family, Father, Sister, Order

4

"Their every instinct - and I have to say this is without exception - is to iron out the bumps, and It's always the bumps that are the most interesting stuff."

"Their every instinct - and I have to say this is without exception - is to iron out the bumps, and It's always the bumps that are the most interesting stuff."

Adrian Lyne, English Director

4

"We have to look forward and keep filming new films and not get stuck in the past."

"We have to look forward and keep filming new films and not get stuck in the past."

Nick Park, British Director

4

"I'm at Miramax now, where I've actually been treated like a Prince."

"I'm at Miramax now, where I've actually been treated like a Prince."

Ted Demme, American Director

4

"The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder."

"The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder."

Alfred Hitchcock, English Director

Media, Endurance, Film

4

"I'm getting a little bored by the juxtaposition of American and other cinema. I no longer think this division is as true as it might have been in the 1980s, or the early part of the 90s."

"I'm getting a little bored by the juxtaposition of American and other cinema. I no longer think this division is as true as it might have been in the 1980s, or the early part of the 90s."

Wim Wenders, German Director

Film, American, Cinema

4

"I do find myself at the moment, due to the success of School of Rock, to be on people's radar a little."

"I do find myself at the moment, due to the success of School of Rock, to be on people's radar a little."

Richard Linklater, American Director

Success, People, School

4

"I don't believe in the after life, although I am bringing a change of underwear."

"I don't believe in the after life, although I am bringing a change of underwear."

Woody Allen, American Director

4

"I got IRS records to finance what I wanted to do."

"I got IRS records to finance what I wanted to do."

Penelope Spheeris, American Director

4

"I was painting sets, working in editorial as an assistant, driving their trucks, lying that I knew how to drive a truck, and doing commercials and documentaries."

"I was painting sets, working in editorial as an assistant, driving their trucks, lying that I knew how to drive a truck, and doing commercials and documentaries."

Richard Donner, American Director

Driving, Lying, Painting

4

"So one of the most unique things on screen in American movies today is everyday behavior."

"So one of the most unique things on screen in American movies today is everyday behavior."

Alan Rudolph, American Director

Movies, Behavior, Today

4

"One of the first lessons you learn as an actor is to listen."

"One of the first lessons you learn as an actor is to listen."

John Frankenheimer, American Director

4

"One of the most amazing locations I've ever been is the top of the volcano in Tanzania, Africa. It's an actual volcano where you really have this lava every day."

"One of the most amazing locations I've ever been is the top of the volcano in Tanzania, Africa. It's an actual volcano where you really have this lava every day."

Jan de Bont, Dutch Director

4

"I am fascinated with times past."

"I am fascinated with times past."

Frank Darabont, American Director

4

"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

4

"A good opening and a good ending make for a good film provide they come close together."

"A good opening and a good ending make for a good film provide they come close together."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

Art, Ending, Film

4

"When we were trying to get the money for Driving Miss Daisy, everyone kept saying no one could direct it well enough to entertain an audience for 100 minutes essentially watching three people chatting in the kitchen."

"When we were trying to get the money for Driving Miss Daisy, everyone kept saying no one could direct it well enough to entertain an audience for 100 minutes essentially watching three people chatting in the kitchen."

Bruce Beresford, Australian Director

Money, People, Driving, Kitchen

4

"Every year or so, I try to do something; it keeps me refreshed as to what's going on in front of the lens, and I understand what the actor is going through."

"Every year or so, I try to do something; it keeps me refreshed as to what's going on in front of the lens, and I understand what the actor is going through."

Martin Scorsese, American Director

4

"You have to not listen to the nay sayers because there will be many and often they'll be much more qualified than you and cause you to sort of doubt yourself."

"You have to not listen to the nay sayers because there will be many and often they'll be much more qualified than you and cause you to sort of doubt yourself."

James Cameron, American Director

Cause, Doubt, Will

4

"I was born in 1942, so I was mainly aware of Howard Hughes' name on RKO Radio Pictures."

"I was born in 1942, so I was mainly aware of Howard Hughes' name on RKO Radio Pictures."

Martin Scorsese, American Director

4

"Many French directors, having now realised there was no more real criticism, that the standards of the past have gone, are very offended about the quality of film criticism."

"Many French directors, having now realised there was no more real criticism, that the standards of the past have gone, are very offended about the quality of film criticism."

Wim Wenders, German Director

Quality, Criticism, Film, Now

4

"Twilight is about getting older and relationships - not about a murder mystery. It's about love when you reach a certain age; nothing is in primary colors."

"Twilight is about getting older and relationships - not about a murder mystery. It's about love when you reach a certain age; nothing is in primary colors."

Robert Benton, American Director

Love, Age, Colors, Murder

4

"Buildings designed exclusively on scientific principles will depress their occupants and constrain their creativity."

"Buildings designed exclusively on scientific principles will depress their occupants and constrain their creativity."

Robert Evans, American Director

Creativity, Principles, Will

4

"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

4

"My biggest role as director on the film is keeping a sense of the overview - how to cast the movie and shoot it in such a way that it will cut together. And how to design the style and tone."

"My biggest role as director on the film is keeping a sense of the overview - how to cast the movie and shoot it in such a way that it will cut together. And how to design the style and tone."

Jay Roach, American Director

Design, Film, Sense, Style

4

"Well, the first thing is that I love monsters, I identify with monsters."

"Well, the first thing is that I love monsters, I identify with monsters."

Guillermo del Toro, Mexican Director

4

"But surrealism is present in most of my pictures."

"But surrealism is present in most of my pictures."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

Present, Surrealism

4

"You'd be surprised how many movie stars still care about the work."

"You'd be surprised how many movie stars still care about the work."

Taylor Hackford, American Director

Work, Care, Stars

4

"After The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, the audience would like to know where, when, and who arrests Hannibal Lecter for the first time. This is the story of Red Dragon."

"After The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, the audience would like to know where, when, and who arrests Hannibal Lecter for the first time. This is the story of Red Dragon."

Dino De Laurentiis, Italian Director

Time, First, Silence

4

"ABBA: The Movie; I got a lot of grief for working on that."

"ABBA: The Movie; I got a lot of grief for working on that."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

4

"I think we too often make choices based on the safety of cynicism, and what we're lead to is a life not fully lived. Cynicism is fear, and it's worse than fear - it's active disengagement."

"I think we too often make choices based on the safety of cynicism, and what we're lead to is a life not fully lived. Cynicism is fear, and it's worse than fear - it's active disengagement."

Ken Burns, American Director

Life, Fear, Choices, Cynicism

4

"I love rehearsing because in rehearsals there are no mistakes, nothing is wrong, some things apply or lead you to focus on the character and the things that don't apply are equally valuable because they lead you to towards what does."

"I love rehearsing because in rehearsals there are no mistakes, nothing is wrong, some things apply or lead you to focus on the character and the things that don't apply are equally valuable because they lead you to towards what does."

Jim Jarmusch, American Director

Love, Character, Focus, Mistakes

4

"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

4

"I like doing them and they're ridiculous and the actors can improvise a lot, and they don't have to be really realistic characters that hit a very specific tone as in a feature film. They're really fun, I want to make more of them definitely."

"I like doing them and they're ridiculous and the actors can improvise a lot, and they don't have to be really realistic characters that hit a very specific tone as in a feature film. They're really fun, I want to make more of them definitely."

Jim Jarmusch, American Director

Actor, Actors, Film, Fun, Want

4

"I think all great actors - and I don't classify myself as one of them, incidentally - but I think all great actors listen well and I've learned that from a lot of the very good actors with whom I've worked - to really listen to what people say."

"I think all great actors - and I don't classify myself as one of them, incidentally - but I think all great actors listen well and I've learned that from a lot of the very good actors with whom I've worked - to really listen to what people say."

John Frankenheimer, American Director

4

"You know, I don't really do that much looking inside me when I'm working on a project. Whatever I am becomes what that film is. But I change; you change."

"You know, I don't really do that much looking inside me when I'm working on a project. Whatever I am becomes what that film is. But I change; you change."

Steven Spielberg, American Director

Change, Film, Project

4

"The music of the most popular operas is so highly esteemed, it can stand endless revivals."

"The music of the most popular operas is so highly esteemed, it can stand endless revivals."

Bruce Beresford, Australian Director

4

"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

4

"I sought Ben Affleck because I needed an everyman for this role. Ben appeals to men and women. He gives you a sense of intelligence, the notion of a guy who can think on his feet."

"I sought Ben Affleck because I needed an everyman for this role. Ben appeals to men and women. He gives you a sense of intelligence, the notion of a guy who can think on his feet."

John Frankenheimer, American Director

Man, Men, Intelligence, Women, Feet

4

"I produce for a low price and I sell it on my own to 80 countries."

"I produce for a low price and I sell it on my own to 80 countries."

Uwe Boll, German Director

Nation, Countries

4

"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

4

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