Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 36/67

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Quotes by Director

"And anyway, it's only movies. to stop me I think they'll ahve to shoot me in the head."

"And anyway, it's only movies. to stop me I think they'll ahve to shoot me in the head."

Ridley Scott, British Director

36

"I never, ever want to apologize for a film. If it's bad I'll say it's my fault. And that's what I can say so far in all the films that I've done, that if you don't like it, it's entirely my fault."

"I never, ever want to apologize for a film. If it's bad I'll say it's my fault. And that's what I can say so far in all the films that I've done, that if you don't like it, it's entirely my fault."

Ken Burns, American Director

Mistake, Fault, Film, Want

36

"I have no problem being with people of different nationalities."

"I have no problem being with people of different nationalities."

Krzysztof Kieslowski, Polish Director

36

"The ideas dictate everything, you have to be true to that or you're dead."

"The ideas dictate everything, you have to be true to that or you're dead."

David Lynch, American Director

Creativity, Ideas

36

"There's a rule in Hollywood: stay away from water and stay away from snow, and I had both."

"There's a rule in Hollywood: stay away from water and stay away from snow, and I had both."

Roland Emmerich, German Director

Hollywood, Snow, Water

36

"It's very difficult to break into motion pictures, but it's oddly easier for directors today because of independent films and cable, who have inherited for the most part those films of substance that the studios are reluctant to finance."

"It's very difficult to break into motion pictures, but it's oddly easier for directors today because of independent films and cable, who have inherited for the most part those films of substance that the studios are reluctant to finance."

Mark Rydell, American Director

36

"I was obsessed with romance. When I was in high school, I saw 'Doctor Zhivago' every day from the day it opened until the day it left the theater."

"I was obsessed with romance. When I was in high school, I saw 'Doctor Zhivago' every day from the day it opened until the day it left the theater."

John Hughes, American Director

Romantic, Romance, Day, School, Theater

36

"Well first of all you have to make the character strong so that people can follow that. And then hopefully that character can integrate with the background of the social situation that people can recognize."

"Well first of all you have to make the character strong so that people can follow that. And then hopefully that character can integrate with the background of the social situation that people can recognize."

Oliver Stone, American Director

People, Character, First

36

"The present and the past coexist, but the past shouldn't be in flashback."

"The present and the past coexist, but the past shouldn't be in flashback."

Alain Resnais, French Director

36

"Maybe I have just a younger voice than many other directors."

"Maybe I have just a younger voice than many other directors."

Michael Bay, American Director

36

"We must not confuse distortion with innovation; distortion is useless change, art is beneficial change."

"We must not confuse distortion with innovation; distortion is useless change, art is beneficial change."

Chuck Jones, American Director

Art, Change, Innovation

36

"I decided to be a filmmaker when I was 12. I had utter clarity that this would be my life."

"I decided to be a filmmaker when I was 12. I had utter clarity that this would be my life."

Tom Hooper, British Director

36

"Fantastic! Right in the middle of that long stretch between Christmas and Spring Break, your coats are getting dirty, everything's dark, dingy - what a great time for a movie!"

"Fantastic! Right in the middle of that long stretch between Christmas and Spring Break, your coats are getting dirty, everything's dark, dingy - what a great time for a movie!"

John Hughes, American Director

Time, Christmas, Right, Spring

36

"I don't try to guess what a million people will like. It's hard enough to know what I like."

"I don't try to guess what a million people will like. It's hard enough to know what I like."

John Huston, American Director

36

"I did a pilot for Anything But Love in 1988 that didn't sell."

"I did a pilot for Anything But Love in 1988 that didn't sell."

Kathryn Bigelow, American Director

36

"I have ten commandments. The first nine are, thou shalt not bore. The tenth is, thou shalt have right of final cut."

"I have ten commandments. The first nine are, thou shalt not bore. The tenth is, thou shalt have right of final cut."

Billy Wilder, American Director

Creativity, First, Right

36

"So, through all that early professional career I would occasionally do a musical, a pantomime or a play with songs. The next stop would be a Shakespeare, or an Ibsen, or a play by a brand new writer who had never done anything in the theater before."

Trevor Nunn, English Director

Career, Play, Shakespeare, Songs

36

"Kinsey kick started a lot in shocking people with how much homosexual activity there is."

"Kinsey kick started a lot in shocking people with how much homosexual activity there is."

Bill Condon, American Director

36

"I like old people falling over, that's what makes me laugh."

"I like old people falling over, that's what makes me laugh."

Allan Carr, British Director

36

"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

36

"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

36

"If you start with character, you probably will end up with good drawings."

"If you start with character, you probably will end up with good drawings."

Chuck Jones, American Director

Character, End, Will

36

"I am passionately interested in understanding how my country works. And if you want to know about this thing called the United States of America you have to know about the Civil War."

"I am passionately interested in understanding how my country works. And if you want to know about this thing called the United States of America you have to know about the Civil War."

Ken Burns, American Director

War, America, Country, States

36

"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

36

"In this age of consumerism film criticism all over the world - in America first but also in Europe - has become something that caters for the movie industry instead of being a counterbalance."

"In this age of consumerism film criticism all over the world - in America first but also in Europe - has become something that caters for the movie industry instead of being a counterbalance."

Wim Wenders, German Director

Age, America, Being, Criticism

36

"I'm not impressed by someone's degree... I'm impressed by them making movies."

"I'm not impressed by someone's degree... I'm impressed by them making movies."

Richard King, American Director

36

"I have two young girls, 8 and 10. They really keep me young."

"I have two young girls, 8 and 10. They really keep me young."

Dino De Laurentiis, Italian Director

Parenting, Girls

36

"I never learned anything at all in school and didn't read a book for pleasure until I was 19 years old."

"I never learned anything at all in school and didn't read a book for pleasure until I was 19 years old."

Stanley Kubrick, American Director

Old, Pleasure, School, Years

36

"Richard Donner is one of the few directors in Hollywood that can make whatever movie he wants exactly the way he wants it. No one will stop him."

"Richard Donner is one of the few directors in Hollywood that can make whatever movie he wants exactly the way he wants it. No one will stop him."

Larry Wachowski, American Director

Hollywood, Will

36

"I didn't get the degree because in my last year, for my thesis film I made a feature called Permanent Vacation and they'd given me a scholarship, the Louis B Mayer fellowship and they made a mistake."

"I didn't get the degree because in my last year, for my thesis film I made a feature called Permanent Vacation and they'd given me a scholarship, the Louis B Mayer fellowship and they made a mistake."

Jim Jarmusch, American Director

Mistake, Film, Vacation

36

"I don't consider myself qualified to do a movie about international intrigue - I seldom leave the country."

"I don't consider myself qualified to do a movie about international intrigue - I seldom leave the country."

John Hughes, American Director

Nation, Country

36

"I was watching Monster's Ball, which is a fabulous movie. It's just a little gem: beautifully shot, and shot in a way I never would have done. It made me feel very old, really, because it wasn't eccentric for its own sake, it was just very original."

"I was watching Monster's Ball, which is a fabulous movie. It's just a little gem: beautifully shot, and shot in a way I never would have done. It made me feel very old, really, because it wasn't eccentric for its own sake, it was just very original."

Adrian Lyne, English Director

36

"I knew the moment it happened, it was a miracle. I could have been kissing her when she threw up. It would have scarred me for life. I may never have recovered."

"I knew the moment it happened, it was a miracle. I could have been kissing her when she threw up. It would have scarred me for life. I may never have recovered."

M. Night Shyamalan, American Director

Life, Kissing, May

36

"There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic."

"There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic."

Spike Lee, American Director

Character, Film, Law

36

"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

36

"Normal love isn't interesting. I assure you that it's incredibly boring."

"Normal love isn't interesting. I assure you that it's incredibly boring."

Roman Polanski, French Director

36

"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

36

"You know, there's a saying in art that in order to be universal you must be specific. So I think every artist feels that he is dealing with specific things but that it also has significance universally."

"You know, there's a saying in art that in order to be universal you must be specific. So I think every artist feels that he is dealing with specific things but that it also has significance universally."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

Art, Artist, Order, Saying

36

"Working on the themes I was interested in, through the context of a particular family, was a very economical way of dealing with a lot of the issues I was concerned with."

"Working on the themes I was interested in, through the context of a particular family, was a very economical way of dealing with a lot of the issues I was concerned with."

Atom Egoyan, Canadian Director

36

"You're an idealist, and I pity you as I would the village idiot."

"You're an idealist, and I pity you as I would the village idiot."

Stanley Kubrick, American Director

36

"But I don't think there has ever been anything written on the nature of violent man as deep and as thorough as Shakespeare's Titus. I think it puts all modern movies and modern exploitations of violence to shame."

"But I don't think there has ever been anything written on the nature of violent man as deep and as thorough as Shakespeare's Titus. I think it puts all modern movies and modern exploitations of violence to shame."

Julie Taymor, American Director

Movies, Nature, Deep, Man

36

"My father was an amateur filmmaker who shot 8mm color documentaries."

"My father was an amateur filmmaker who shot 8mm color documentaries."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

36

"Though I am still very vulnerable to audiences - and it happens all the time - where for some reason the energy doesn't connect and, since the film is very personal, obviously I am made to feel very vulnerable by that."

"Though I am still very vulnerable to audiences - and it happens all the time - where for some reason the energy doesn't connect and, since the film is very personal, obviously I am made to feel very vulnerable by that."

Atom Egoyan, Canadian Director

Time, Audiences, Energy, Film

36

"Actual violence has no attraction for me at all."

"Actual violence has no attraction for me at all."

Jane Campion, New Zealander Director

Pacifism, Violence, Newzealander

36

"I question the value of stars. I think they're overrated. They get too much money, too much praise."

"I question the value of stars. I think they're overrated. They get too much money, too much praise."

Elia Kazan, American Director

Money, Praise, Question, Stars

36

"I think it is very important that films make people look at what they've forgotten."

"I think it is very important that films make people look at what they've forgotten."

Spike Lee, American Director

36

"A lot of life is dealing with your curse, dealing with the cards you were given that aren't so nice. Does it make you into a monster, or can you temper it in some way, or accept it and go in some other direction?"

"A lot of life is dealing with your curse, dealing with the cards you were given that aren't so nice. Does it make you into a monster, or can you temper it in some way, or accept it and go in some other direction?"

Wes Craven, American Director

Life, Cards, Direction, Temper

36

"Music is a very integral part of the film, but it will not be as full of music as a Bollywood film."

"Music is a very integral part of the film, but it will not be as full of music as a Bollywood film."

Roland Joffe, English Director

Music, Film, Will

36

"Now a movie goes out to two, three thousand theaters and by Friday night at 10 o'clock they know if you are in or out. That desperate competition is, I think, horrendous. It's awful."

"Now a movie goes out to two, three thousand theaters and by Friday night at 10 o'clock they know if you are in or out. That desperate competition is, I think, horrendous. It's awful."

Mark Rydell, American Director

Competition, Night, Now

36

"You have to believe in God before you can say there are things that man was not meant to know. I don't think there's anything man wasn't meant to know. There are just some stupid things that people shouldn't do."

"You have to believe in God before you can say there are things that man was not meant to know. I don't think there's anything man wasn't meant to know. There are just some stupid things that people shouldn't do."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

God, People, Man

36

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