Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 31/67

top of page

Quotes by Director

"You know, when people want to get any information, research information, it will all exist on these Web sites."

"You know, when people want to get any information, research information, it will all exist on these Web sites."

Brian De Palma, American Director

People, Information, Research, Want

13

"I was tweaked by the idea of Superman immediately."

"I was tweaked by the idea of Superman immediately."

Richard Donner, American Director

Creativity, Idea

13

"Designing Woman was written for the screen."

"Designing Woman was written for the screen."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

13

"It is often more important to act than to understand... there are times... when two conflicting opinions, though one happens to be right, are more perilous than one opinion which is wrong."

"It is often more important to act than to understand... there are times... when two conflicting opinions, though one happens to be right, are more perilous than one opinion which is wrong."

John Grierson, British Director

Act, Opinion, Opinions, Right

13

"But my sense in talking to people when I travel is that the film business is not that dissimilar from a lot of other businesses."

"But my sense in talking to people when I travel is that the film business is not that dissimilar from a lot of other businesses."

Steven Soderbergh, American Director

Business, Travel, People, Film

13

"I'm open to comments. I'm open to objective points of view, because I've been very narrow and very subjective."

"I'm open to comments. I'm open to objective points of view, because I've been very narrow and very subjective."

Richard Donner, American Director

13

"'m a general, I do something. I go out and fight wars and win them."

"'m a general, I do something. I go out and fight wars and win them."

John Milius, American Director

13

"Actually, I began to think that maybe there is a god, after all. Or maybe it's a different one. The old one got fired."

"Actually, I began to think that maybe there is a god, after all. Or maybe it's a different one. The old one got fired."

Terry Gilliam, American Director

13

"When I was five. That's when I started to love film."

"When I was five. That's when I started to love film."

Dario Argento, Italian Director

13

"It makes it difficult to decide which to go see, since no film about say, some tragic genocide in Africa is going to get a bad review even if it's poorly made."

"It makes it difficult to decide which to go see, since no film about say, some tragic genocide in Africa is going to get a bad review even if it's poorly made."

Terry Zwigoff, American Director

13

"In real life, there are names that surprise us because they don't seem to suit the person at all."

"In real life, there are names that surprise us because they don't seem to suit the person at all."

Krzysztof Kieslowski, Polish Director

13

"I don't know about liberal bias, but people of a liberal mentality are probably attracted in greater numbers to the arts than people of a conservative mentality."

"I don't know about liberal bias, but people of a liberal mentality are probably attracted in greater numbers to the arts than people of a conservative mentality."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

People, Conservative, Liberal, Numbers

13

"No writer of a portion of the Bible was perfect. It was the direct and miraculous operation of the Holy Spirit that what they wrote is without mistake."

"No writer of a portion of the Bible was perfect. It was the direct and miraculous operation of the Holy Spirit that what they wrote is without mistake."

Walter Lang, American Director

Mistake, Bible, Spirit, Writer

13

"I might have a guitar or a piano on set to play something for the actors."

"I might have a guitar or a piano on set to play something for the actors."

Mike Figgis, English Director

Actor, Actors, Guitar, Play

13

"Film is one of the three universal languages, the other two: mathematics and music."

"Film is one of the three universal languages, the other two: mathematics and music."

Frank Capra, American Director

Music, Film, Mathematics

13

"The question is: Where would it get you if something that's a little bit ambiguous in the movie is made clear? It doesn't get you anywhere."

"The question is: Where would it get you if something that's a little bit ambiguous in the movie is made clear? It doesn't get you anywhere."

Joel Coen, American Director

13

"I was an actor... or, at least, I was trying to be an actor."

"I was an actor... or, at least, I was trying to be an actor."

Richard Donner, American Director

13

"I've always been most interested in the politics of everyday life: your relation to whatever you're doing, or what your ambitions are, where you live, where you find yourself in the social hierarchy."

"I've always been most interested in the politics of everyday life: your relation to whatever you're doing, or what your ambitions are, where you live, where you find yourself in the social hierarchy."

Richard Linklater, American Director

13

"There is no reason why challenging themes and engaging stories have to be mutually exclusive - in fact, each can fuel the other. As a filmmaker, I want to entertain people first and foremost. If out of that comes a greater awareness and understanding of a time or a circumstance, then the hope is that change can happen."

"There is no reason why challenging themes and engaging stories have to be mutually exclusive - in fact, each can fuel the other. As a filmmaker, I want to entertain people first and foremost. If out of that comes a greater awareness and understanding of a time or a circumstance, then the hope is that change can happen."

Edward Zwick, American Director

Change, Time, People, Hope

13

"When a film is created, it is created in a language, which is not only about words, but also the way that very language encodes our perception of the world, our understanding of it."

"When a film is created, it is created in a language, which is not only about words, but also the way that very language encodes our perception of the world, our understanding of it."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

Perception, Film, Language, Understanding

13

"That's how you get a performance - they put trust in you."

"That's how you get a performance - they put trust in you."

Richard Donner, American Director

Trust, Performance

13

"Film is shot in fragments, and the same moments can be shot again and again until the director is satisfied."

"Film is shot in fragments, and the same moments can be shot again and again until the director is satisfied."

Bruce Beresford, Australian Director

13

"I was very limited in what I could do with flying saucers, because they're just a metal disc. I had to try and put character in as if they were intelligently guided."

"I was very limited in what I could do with flying saucers, because they're just a metal disc. I had to try and put character in as if they were intelligently guided."

Ray Harryhausen, American Director

Character, Flying

13

"And I think you understand a little bit more why she falls for him. In a way, watching the French do anything is a little more fun because their gestures are different. And in that way, they make everything interesting."

"And I think you understand a little bit more why she falls for him. In a way, watching the French do anything is a little more fun because their gestures are different. And in that way, they make everything interesting."

Adrian Lyne, English Director

13

"Take the hardcore gamers. The characters are way more real in the world of hardcore gamers who have played the game for hundreds of hours. They have the movie in their heads, they've built it on their own. These guys are always very disappointed in the movies."

"Take the hardcore gamers. The characters are way more real in the world of hardcore gamers who have played the game for hundreds of hours. They have the movie in their heads, they've built it on their own. These guys are always very disappointed in the movies."

Uwe Boll, German Director

13

"I never really wanted to be an actor. And that was the beginning of it, I began to write things down and eventually became a writer on a television show."

"I never really wanted to be an actor. And that was the beginning of it, I began to write things down and eventually became a writer on a television show."

Barry Levinson, American Director

Actor, Beginning, Television, Writer

13

"I was quite pleased that Prince Philip didn't say anything like, I hate queers! He was quite well behaved."

"I was quite pleased that Prince Philip didn't say anything like, I hate queers! He was quite well behaved."

Allan Carr, British Director

13

"I do know that some Buddhists are able to attain peace of mind."

"I do know that some Buddhists are able to attain peace of mind."

Martin Scorsese, American Director

13

"A director in Hollywood in my time couldn't do what he wanted to do."

"A director in Hollywood in my time couldn't do what he wanted to do."

Douglas Sirk, German Director

Time, Hollywood

13

"All men are homosexual, some turn straight. It must be very odd to be a straight man because your sexuality is hopelessly defensive. It's like an ideal of racial purity."

"All men are homosexual, some turn straight. It must be very odd to be a straight man because your sexuality is hopelessly defensive. It's like an ideal of racial purity."

Derek Jarman, British Director

Man, Men, Purity, Sexuality

13

"That attitude toward women as objects may have worked for the late Sixties, but it doesn't do so now."

"That attitude toward women as objects may have worked for the late Sixties, but it doesn't do so now."

John Schlesinger, British Director

Attitude, Women, May, Now

13

"I hope they get something of interest out of it, but I'd rather they all hate it and I like it, instead of vice versa... I make films to please myself first, and if the audience likes them, all the better."

"I hope they get something of interest out of it, but I'd rather they all hate it and I like it, instead of vice versa... I make films to please myself first, and if the audience likes them, all the better."

Terry Zwigoff, American Director

Hope, First, Hate, Interest

13

"The reward of art is not fame or success but intoxication: that is why so many bad artists are unable to give it up."

"The reward of art is not fame or success but intoxication: that is why so many bad artists are unable to give it up."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

Success, Art, Artists, Fame

13

"But I notice that there is a lack of darkness in my movies and I don't know where that comes from."

"But I notice that there is a lack of darkness in my movies and I don't know where that comes from."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

Movies, Darkness

13

"I don't know the question, but sex is definitely the answer."

"I don't know the question, but sex is definitely the answer."

Woody Allen, American Director

Humor, Sex, Truth, Observation

13

"There are too many souls of wood not to love those wooden characters who do indeed have a soul."

"There are too many souls of wood not to love those wooden characters who do indeed have a soul."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

Love, Soul, Wood

13

"Well, Company of Wolves was about that literally, about fairy tales."

"Well, Company of Wolves was about that literally, about fairy tales."

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

Movies, Company

13

"I think it would be fun to write about movies again."

"I think it would be fun to write about movies again."

Bill Condon, American Director

13

"Quit now, you'll never make it. If you disregard this advice, you'll be halfway there."

"Quit now, you'll never make it. If you disregard this advice, you'll be halfway there."

David Zucker, American Director

13

"I see myself capable of arrogance and brutality... That's a fierce thing, to discover within yourself that which you despise the most in others."

"I see myself capable of arrogance and brutality... That's a fierce thing, to discover within yourself that which you despise the most in others."

George Stevens, American Director

Life, Arrogance

13

"We don't have any rules about how we depict violence, or how much violence is in a movie. It's a calibration on a case-by-case basis."

"We don't have any rules about how we depict violence, or how much violence is in a movie. It's a calibration on a case-by-case basis."

Joel Coen, American Director

Rules, Violence

12

"You know how you smoke out a sniper? You send a guy out in the open, and you see if he gets shot. They thought that one up at West Point."

"You know how you smoke out a sniper? You send a guy out in the open, and you see if he gets shot. They thought that one up at West Point."

Samuel Fuller, American Director

12

"We should all have the opportunity to express what we want to express."

"We should all have the opportunity to express what we want to express."

Richard King, American Director

Opportunity, Want

12

"Todd and I have a very complementary working style ."

"Todd and I have a very complementary working style ."

Sam Wood, American Director

12

"Kinsey would identify himself with Galileo in moments of feelings of persecution."

"Kinsey would identify himself with Galileo in moments of feelings of persecution."

Bill Condon, American Director

Emotional, Feelings, Moments, Persecution

12

"I think my biggest break though came probably on Patriot Games because it was the biggest, longest second unit up to that point. It was like five months of shooting and a huge crew."

"I think my biggest break though came probably on Patriot Games because it was the biggest, longest second unit up to that point. It was like five months of shooting and a huge crew."

David R. Ellis, American Director

Sports, Games, Months

12

"The freshest moments in my films have always been with unknown actors."

"The freshest moments in my films have always been with unknown actors."

John Singleton, American Director

Actor, Actors, Moments

12

"I draw what I feel, which is no more than doing my job."

"I draw what I feel, which is no more than doing my job."

Ralph Bakshi, American Director

12

"We went into this with the utmost respect for the source material, but we recognized the need for change."

"We went into this with the utmost respect for the source material, but we recognized the need for change."

Sam Wood, American Director

Change, Respect

12

"Those movies, Decline I and II and Suburbia, are dearly loved, but they never made any money. I didn't even have the rights for some of them."

"Those movies, Decline I and II and Suburbia, are dearly loved, but they never made any money. I didn't even have the rights for some of them."

Penelope Spheeris, American Director

Money, Movies, Rights

12

bottom of page