Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 27/67

top of page

Quotes by Director

"I have always believed that there is a need for life-affirming films."

"I have always believed that there is a need for life-affirming films."

Anthony Minghella, British Director

47

"For over ten years I always had, but I don't speak English."

"For over ten years I always had, but I don't speak English."

Zhang Yimou, Chinese Director

Movies, English, Years

47

"Well, we're in show business, and I have been making a living in this business a long time and inevitably it means taking what it is that you've done and hopefully you're showing it to a lot of people who like it."

"Well, we're in show business, and I have been making a living in this business a long time and inevitably it means taking what it is that you've done and hopefully you're showing it to a lot of people who like it."

Walter Hill, American Director

Business, Time, People, Living

47

"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

47

"Everything one does in life, even love, occurs in an express train racing toward death. To smoke opium is to get out of the train while it is still moving. It is to concern oneself with something other than life or death."

"Everything one does in life, even love, occurs in an express train racing toward death. To smoke opium is to get out of the train while it is still moving. It is to concern oneself with something other than life or death."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

Love, Death, Life, Concern

47

"I had worked so hard for so long that I developed a speech impediment. It happens when I get tired."

"I had worked so hard for so long that I developed a speech impediment. It happens when I get tired."

Tobe Hooper, American Director

Hard Work, Speech

47

"Comedy. I think that's something I'd really like to do."

"Comedy. I think that's something I'd really like to do."

David R. Ellis, American Director

47

"Anyway, he and I worked on the script together, and I must say he was a joy to work with. Very enthusiastic."

"Anyway, he and I worked on the script together, and I must say he was a joy to work with. Very enthusiastic."

Arthur Hiller, Canadian Director

47

"You've never seen death? Look in the mirror every day and you will see it like bees working in a glass hive."

"You've never seen death? Look in the mirror every day and you will see it like bees working in a glass hive."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

Death, Bees, Day, Will

47

"The physical life of the scene is determined by whether the set squeezes people together or whether the set has an escape place in it."

"The physical life of the scene is determined by whether the set squeezes people together or whether the set has an escape place in it."

Elia Kazan, American Director

47

"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

47

"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

47

"It's not color, it's like pouring 40 tablespoons of sugar water over a roast."

"It's not color, it's like pouring 40 tablespoons of sugar water over a roast."

John Huston, American Director

47

"But, when Scripture makes a clear distinction between the act of creation and the process of preservation, we cannot accept the idea of a progressive creation process."

"But, when Scripture makes a clear distinction between the act of creation and the process of preservation, we cannot accept the idea of a progressive creation process."

Walter Lang, American Director

Creativity, Idea, Act, Creation, Scripture

47

"In fact, the individual outlook becomes less and less valuable and more and more harmful unless it is transmitted into the corporate outlook."

"In fact, the individual outlook becomes less and less valuable and more and more harmful unless it is transmitted into the corporate outlook."

John Grierson, British Director

Society, Corporate, Fact

47

"I like to rehearse with the actors scenes that are not in the script and will not be in the film because what we're really doing is trying to establish their character, and good acting to me is about reacting."

"I like to rehearse with the actors scenes that are not in the script and will not be in the film because what we're really doing is trying to establish their character, and good acting to me is about reacting."

Jim Jarmusch, American Director

Character, Acting, Actors, Film

47

"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

47

"Truth is more peculiar than fiction. Life is really a startling place."

"Truth is more peculiar than fiction. Life is really a startling place."

Mira Nair, Indian Director

Life, Truth, Fiction

47

"I had a number of very strong personalities in my family. My father was a concert flutist, the solo flute for Toscanini."

"I had a number of very strong personalities in my family. My father was a concert flutist, the solo flute for Toscanini."

Francis Ford Coppola, American Director

47

"I'm not in front of the camera, they are. I encourage them; I build up as much of their confidence and ego as possible. They've got to take control; I can't act it out."

"I'm not in front of the camera, they are. I encourage them; I build up as much of their confidence and ego as possible. They've got to take control; I can't act it out."

Taylor Hackford, American Director

Control, Act, Confidence, Ego

47

"I tried to stick to my game plan, which was always being aware of what my A story was - the love story between a father and his son, and that son and his daughter."

"I tried to stick to my game plan, which was always being aware of what my A story was - the love story between a father and his son, and that son and his daughter."

Ted Demme, American Director

Love, Father, Son, Daughter

47

"If people hate me they hate me."

"If people hate me they hate me."

Uwe Boll, German Director

47

"You ought to love what you're doing because, especially in a movie, over time you really will start to hate it."

"You ought to love what you're doing because, especially in a movie, over time you really will start to hate it."

Francis Ford Coppola, American Director

Love, Time, Hate, Will

47

"Television is like the American toaster, you push the button and the same thing pops up everytime."

"Television is like the American toaster, you push the button and the same thing pops up everytime."

Alfred Hitchcock, English Director

Media, American, Television

47

"However, that old mode of Polish filmmaking virtually disappeared."

"However, that old mode of Polish filmmaking virtually disappeared."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

47

"We collaborate on everything. I'm involved in the writing and pre-production. There's a whole bunch of people who keep in touch at every step about everything."

"We collaborate on everything. I'm involved in the writing and pre-production. There's a whole bunch of people who keep in touch at every step about everything."

Jay Roach, American Director

People, Writing

47

"Craig Nelson who is an actor and is in a show called Coach in the United States. We began to do some improvisational stuff and we used to get laughs and things."

"Craig Nelson who is an actor and is in a show called Coach in the United States. We began to do some improvisational stuff and we used to get laughs and things."

Barry Levinson, American Director

Actor, Coach, States, United

47

"Even in the former Soviet Union, they have good copies of my movies."

"Even in the former Soviet Union, they have good copies of my movies."

Dario Argento, Italian Director

47

"The oblique paradox of propaganda is that the lie in the throat becomes, by repetition, the truth in the heart."

"The oblique paradox of propaganda is that the lie in the throat becomes, by repetition, the truth in the heart."

John Grierson, British Director

Truth, Lie, Heart, Paradox

47

"Obviously all of us have thought about Vietnam, particularly in my generation in Australia that were part of conscription and fought there. Our friends came back, forever changed. So there were a lot of questions."

"Obviously all of us have thought about Vietnam, particularly in my generation in Australia that were part of conscription and fought there. Our friends came back, forever changed. So there were a lot of questions."

Phillip Noyce, Australian Director

Friendship, Thought, Friends, Questions, Vietnam

47

"A filmmaker has almost the same freedom as a novelist has when he buys himself some paper."

"A filmmaker has almost the same freedom as a novelist has when he buys himself some paper."

Stanley Kubrick, American Director

47

"We hope to do the Spanish Tragedy based on the play by Thomas Kyd."

"We hope to do the Spanish Tragedy based on the play by Thomas Kyd."

Alex Cox, British Director

Hope, Play, Tragedy

47

"Afghan society is very complex, and Afghanistan has a very complex culture. Part of the reason it has remained unknown is because of this complexity."

"Afghan society is very complex, and Afghanistan has a very complex culture. Part of the reason it has remained unknown is because of this complexity."

Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iranian Director

Society, Afghanistan, Complexity, Culture

47

"It's great that I get accused of not being politically correct. People need to take themselves less seriously. This world is so screwed up as it is, we've all got to relax a bit more."

"It's great that I get accused of not being politically correct. People need to take themselves less seriously. This world is so screwed up as it is, we've all got to relax a bit more."

Michael Bay, American Director

People, Being, Relax, World

47

"In advertising, I was frustrated by having to deal with the client. It was the only time I really worked in a proper office, and I didn't like it-simple as that."

"In advertising, I was frustrated by having to deal with the client. It was the only time I really worked in a proper office, and I didn't like it-simple as that."

Terry Gilliam, American Director

Time, Advertising, Office

47

"When you shoot a musical, you're shooting to lipsynch tracks, so we had to figure out our choreography and work out what we wanted to do with each number before we did it."

"When you shoot a musical, you're shooting to lipsynch tracks, so we had to figure out our choreography and work out what we wanted to do with each number before we did it."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

47

"I prefer to watch people."

"I prefer to watch people."

Michael Winterbottom, British Director

47

"An actor entering through the door, you've got nothing. But if he enters through the window, you've got a situation."

"An actor entering through the door, you've got nothing. But if he enters through the window, you've got a situation."

Billy Wilder, American Director

47

"Oh yeah - I watched Knife in the Water, saw the shot, and repeated it. But even if I hadn't seen that film, inevitably the camera would've ended up on top of that mast, I mean if you think of it there are only so many dynamic shots on a boat."

"Oh yeah - I watched Knife in the Water, saw the shot, and repeated it. But even if I hadn't seen that film, inevitably the camera would've ended up on top of that mast, I mean if you think of it there are only so many dynamic shots on a boat."

Phillip Noyce, Australian Director

47

"I thought that subtitles are boring because they're there generally to serve us with information to make you understand what people are saying in a different language."

"I thought that subtitles are boring because they're there generally to serve us with information to make you understand what people are saying in a different language."

Tony Scott, British Director

Thought, People, Information, Language

47

"I love the look of planes and the idea of how a plane flies. The more I learn about it the better I feel; while I still may not like it, I have a sense of what is really happening."

"I love the look of planes and the idea of how a plane flies. The more I learn about it the better I feel; while I still may not like it, I have a sense of what is really happening."

Martin Scorsese, American Director

Love, Idea, Flies, May

47

"I would do it today because the thing that appealed to me was not necessarily the mechanics of the robot, but it was his personality and how funny and charming he was."

"I would do it today because the thing that appealed to me was not necessarily the mechanics of the robot, but it was his personality and how funny and charming he was."

John Badham, British Director

Fun, Funny, Personality, Today

47

"I'm not Ang Lee who knows so much about western market and the taste of western audiences."

"I'm not Ang Lee who knows so much about western market and the taste of western audiences."

Zhang Yimou, Chinese Director

Movies, Audiences, Taste

47

"I love studying Ancient History and seeing how empires rise and fall, sowing the seeds of their own destruction."

"I love studying Ancient History and seeing how empires rise and fall, sowing the seeds of their own destruction."

Martin Scorsese, American Director

History, Love, Destruction

47

"I will come out with my interpretation. If I'm wrong, fine. It will become part of the debris of history, part of the give and take."

"I will come out with my interpretation. If I'm wrong, fine. It will become part of the debris of history, part of the give and take."

Oliver Stone, American Director

History, Will, Wrong

47

"My plan is to have a theatre in some small town or something and I'll be manager. Ill be the crazy old movie guy."

"My plan is to have a theatre in some small town or something and I'll be manager. Ill be the crazy old movie guy."

Quentin Tarantino, American Director

Management, Manager, Old, Theatre

47

"Adversity is a stimulus."

"Adversity is a stimulus."

James Broughton, American Director

47

"Every single art form is involved in film, in a way."

"Every single art form is involved in film, in a way."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

47

"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

47

"There was a darkness, a melancholy, that people had trouble accepting. Maybe now, it would work better."

"There was a darkness, a melancholy, that people had trouble accepting. Maybe now, it would work better."

Alain Resnais, French Director

Work, People, Darkness, Melancholy

47

bottom of page