Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 48/67

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Quotes by Director

"You can dress it up, but it comes down to the fact that a movie is only as good as its script."

"You can dress it up, but it comes down to the fact that a movie is only as good as its script."

Curtis Hanson, American Director

39

"I always say the next one is my favorite."

"I always say the next one is my favorite."

Walter Hill, American Director

39

"Each film is different. Time Code was very quick - a matter of months. Miss Julie has been on my shelf as a script for some seven or eight years. But then the shooting process was very quick - 16 days."

"Each film is different. Time Code was very quick - a matter of months. Miss Julie has been on my shelf as a script for some seven or eight years. But then the shooting process was very quick - 16 days."

Mike Figgis, English Director

Time, Film, Months, Quick

39

"It was 1978 when Superman came out, and I kept thinking, Why don't they do something about it? They've done all these crappy attempts at comic book film adaptations. What can we do different? Why don't we just re-release this thing?"

"It was 1978 when Superman came out, and I kept thinking, Why don't they do something about it? They've done all these crappy attempts at comic book film adaptations. What can we do different? Why don't we just re-release this thing?"

Richard Donner, American Director

39

"I feel as though I have lived many lives, experienced the heights and depths of each and like the waves of the ocean, never known rest. Throughout the years, I have looked always for the unusual, for the wonderful, for the mysteries at the heart of life."

"I feel as though I have lived many lives, experienced the heights and depths of each and like the waves of the ocean, never known rest. Throughout the years, I have looked always for the unusual, for the wonderful, for the mysteries at the heart of life."

Leni Riefenstahl, German Director

Life, Heart, Ocean, Rest

39

"Don't just stand there, idiot. Call a doctor, and then help me find a nose."

"Don't just stand there, idiot. Call a doctor, and then help me find a nose."

Blake Edwards, American Director

39

"I'm a fan of music from all over the world."

"I'm a fan of music from all over the world."

Michael Winterbottom, British Director

39

"Eventually, the tribe developed so much confidence in me that they invited me to be their chieftain."

"Eventually, the tribe developed so much confidence in me that they invited me to be their chieftain."

Roland Joffe, English Director

39

"I think it's the tragedy of our time that we're not aware of the affect of the manner in which we've adopted tools. Those tools have become who we are."

"I think it's the tragedy of our time that we're not aware of the affect of the manner in which we've adopted tools. Those tools have become who we are."

Godfrey Reggio, American Director

Time, Tools, Tragedy

39

"I was an anorexic, beer drinking, class cutting, doodling, shoplifting, skater chick that was into nature, art class, and the beach."

"I was an anorexic, beer drinking, class cutting, doodling, shoplifting, skater chick that was into nature, art class, and the beach."

Rebecca Miller, American Director

Nature, Art, Beach, Beer

39

"When people approach me about my films it is usually to tell me how much they hate them."

"When people approach me about my films it is usually to tell me how much they hate them."

Michael Winterbottom, British Director

39

"America is the only country capable of producing national movies: its culture has become a global culture."

"America is the only country capable of producing national movies: its culture has become a global culture."

Jean-Jacques Annaud, French Director

American, America, Country, Culture

39

"A film director has to get a shot, no matter what he does. We're desperate people."

"A film director has to get a shot, no matter what he does. We're desperate people."

Elia Kazan, American Director

39

"Early experiences convinced me that animals can and do have quite distinct personalities."

"Early experiences convinced me that animals can and do have quite distinct personalities."

Chuck Jones, American Director

39

"I knew the exuberance of playing before an admiring audience and hearing my secret voice."

"I knew the exuberance of playing before an admiring audience and hearing my secret voice."

Elia Kazan, American Director

Art, Hearing, Voice

39

"I remember teachers who really singled me out for their discouragement."

"I remember teachers who really singled me out for their discouragement."

Francis Ford Coppola, American Director

Education, Discouragement, Teachers

39

"Other than the fact that I like a country house, I can't think of anything I'd want to spend my money on."

"Other than the fact that I like a country house, I can't think of anything I'd want to spend my money on."

Guy Ritchie, British Director

Money, Country, Fact, Want

39

"I like to write in a shroud of secrecy because I have to keep finding ways to scare myself."

"I like to write in a shroud of secrecy because I have to keep finding ways to scare myself."

M. Night Shyamalan, American Director

Creativity, Secrecy

39

"Kevin, as the whole cast is, just wonderful people and great people, and people who are attracted to this kind of material and accepting the idea of going to Newfoundland and knowing the kind of lack of amenities."

"Kevin, as the whole cast is, just wonderful people and great people, and people who are attracted to this kind of material and accepting the idea of going to Newfoundland and knowing the kind of lack of amenities."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

39

"I really believe action will always be there and will never disappear."

"I really believe action will always be there and will never disappear."

Jan de Bont, Dutch Director

39

"But, number one, I think traditional noir doesn't work in contemporary storytelling because we don't live in that world anymore."

"But, number one, I think traditional noir doesn't work in contemporary storytelling because we don't live in that world anymore."

Brian De Palma, American Director

39

"I do love DVD and I've always taken them seriously. You know, on the Austin things, we really put a ton of work into them because there's so much design involved. And in this one, we thought a lot about it and what could go in."

"I do love DVD and I've always taken them seriously. You know, on the Austin things, we really put a ton of work into them because there's so much design involved. And in this one, we thought a lot about it and what could go in."

Jay Roach, American Director

Love, Design, Work, Thought

39

"Previously the same Polish audiences would have been pressured into seeing cinema made for adults, films made by us about those spheres of life that were significant for us and which should be significant for our society."

"Previously the same Polish audiences would have been pressured into seeing cinema made for adults, films made by us about those spheres of life that were significant for us and which should be significant for our society."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

Life, Society, Audiences, Cinema

39

"Cocteau is someone who has made such a profound impression on me that there's no doubt he's influenced every one of my films."

"Cocteau is someone who has made such a profound impression on me that there's no doubt he's influenced every one of my films."

Jacques Rivette, French Director

Impression, Doubt

39

"Kinsey was trying to study sex scientifically, get rid of the overlay of culture and religion."

"Kinsey was trying to study sex scientifically, get rid of the overlay of culture and religion."

Bill Condon, American Director

Religion, Sex, Culture, Study

39

"I still can't quite believe it. Although there was something about the fact that it was a first-time writer, a first-time producer, and a first-time director all at the same time."

"I still can't quite believe it. Although there was something about the fact that it was a first-time writer, a first-time producer, and a first-time director all at the same time."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Time, Fact, First, Writer

39

"The point at which we worked with some of these actors, they weren't really stars yet. Nicolas Cage was not a big star when we did Raising Arizona. A lot of these people were also virtually unknown, too, when we worked with them first."

"The point at which we worked with some of these actors, they weren't really stars yet. Nicolas Cage was not a big star when we did Raising Arizona. A lot of these people were also virtually unknown, too, when we worked with them first."

Joel Coen, American Director

People, Actors, First, Stars

39

"When you make a film, you like to run it with an audience. They tell you you're narrow-minded or subjective, or that seems too long, or that doesn't work."

"When you make a film, you like to run it with an audience. They tell you you're narrow-minded or subjective, or that seems too long, or that doesn't work."

Richard Donner, American Director

39

"When I became the chair of the British Film Institute, I didn't understand how much of my time would be taken up with trying to make a case for the British Film Institute: what it's for, why it exists, why it needs its money."

"When I became the chair of the British Film Institute, I didn't understand how much of my time would be taken up with trying to make a case for the British Film Institute: what it's for, why it exists, why it needs its money."

Anthony Minghella, British Director

Money, Time, Film, Needs

39

"I don't make films to win prizes. I make films to make films."

"I don't make films to win prizes. I make films to make films."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

39

"Political conflicts distort and disturb a people's sense of distinction between matters of importance and matters of urgency. What is vital is disguised by what is merely a matter of well being."

"Political conflicts distort and disturb a people's sense of distinction between matters of importance and matters of urgency. What is vital is disguised by what is merely a matter of well being."

John Grierson, British Director

People, Being, Importance, Sense

39

"If you go on stage with the wrong attitude, or something in your performance is off, you can lose an audience in the first minute. That first minute is crucial."

"If you go on stage with the wrong attitude, or something in your performance is off, you can lose an audience in the first minute. That first minute is crucial."

Allan Carr, British Director

Attitude, Performance, First, Wrong

39

"We like Batman - we understand him, we suffer with him. On the other hand, we want to be Superman. But they're conflicting philosophies. Let's bring them together in one movie and see how we, as an audience, wrestle with our inner demons."

"We like Batman - we understand him, we suffer with him. On the other hand, we want to be Superman. But they're conflicting philosophies. Let's bring them together in one movie and see how we, as an audience, wrestle with our inner demons."

Wolfgang Petersen, German Director

39

"I remembered the 500 people that lived on a reserve outside my little town, behind a big fence."

"I remembered the 500 people that lived on a reserve outside my little town, behind a big fence."

Phillip Noyce, Australian Director

39

"No, but it's not because I'm getting older that I'm trying to accelerate. But something very curious is happening: The older I get, the more ideas I'm getting."

"No, but it's not because I'm getting older that I'm trying to accelerate. But something very curious is happening: The older I get, the more ideas I'm getting."

Patrice Leconte, French Director

Creativity, Ideas, Trying

39

"When you do a writing job for a studio, one of the things you want to do is satisfy the expectations of your employer. That's a little bit different than when you sit down and write something to satisfy yourself, because then you're the employer."

"When you do a writing job for a studio, one of the things you want to do is satisfy the expectations of your employer. That's a little bit different than when you sit down and write something to satisfy yourself, because then you're the employer."

Joel Coen, American Director

Expectation, Expectations, Job, Want, Writing

39

"After all, crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor."

"After all, crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor."

John Huston, American Director

39

"I'd love to do historical pictures more, but I don't know if I can."

"I'd love to do historical pictures more, but I don't know if I can."

Oliver Stone, American Director

39

"I subscribe to William Faulkner's' view that history is not just about what we were before but who we are now."

"I subscribe to William Faulkner's' view that history is not just about what we were before but who we are now."

Ken Burns, American Director

39

"My career seems to be a career of non-specific subjects which are all over the place."

"My career seems to be a career of non-specific subjects which are all over the place."

Ridley Scott, British Director

39

"I mix Indian instruments with Western instruments all the time."

"I mix Indian instruments with Western instruments all the time."

Satyajit Ray, Indian Director

39

"This technology will obviously become more prevalent. Who knows what will result? One thing is certain, computer technology will revolutionize the way we tell stories as much as movie film has."

"This technology will obviously become more prevalent. Who knows what will result? One thing is certain, computer technology will revolutionize the way we tell stories as much as movie film has."

Chris Wedge, American Director

Technology, Computer, Film, Result

39

"In the Thirties, when I was in New York, I did the first surrealistic ballet in a show of mine."

"In the Thirties, when I was in New York, I did the first surrealistic ballet in a show of mine."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

Art, Ballet, First

39

"I have the right to interpretation as a dramatist. I research. It's my responsibility to find the research. It's my responsibility to digest it and do the best that I can with it. But at a certain point that responsibility will become an interpretation."

"I have the right to interpretation as a dramatist. I research. It's my responsibility to find the research. It's my responsibility to digest it and do the best that I can with it. But at a certain point that responsibility will become an interpretation."

Oliver Stone, American Director

Research, Responsibility, Right, Will

39

"There were scenes that just for length purposes, and knowing that the attention span of kids is not great, don't make it much longer than about 90 minutes."

"There were scenes that just for length purposes, and knowing that the attention span of kids is not great, don't make it much longer than about 90 minutes."

John Badham, British Director

Attention, Kids

39

"We grew up in a very creative environment and were exposed to the arts at a very young age, so it's not a surprise that all of us are in some form of the arts."

"We grew up in a very creative environment and were exposed to the arts at a very young age, so it's not a surprise that all of us are in some form of the arts."

Spike Lee, American Director

Age, Environment

39

"I think the other misconceptions when the film came out, he was very upset that it was so widely released and so widely seen. And neither one of us - well, I think I had hopes it would be, 'cause I really did think it was something special."

"I think the other misconceptions when the film came out, he was very upset that it was so widely released and so widely seen. And neither one of us - well, I think I had hopes it would be, 'cause I really did think it was something special."

Terry Zwigoff, American Director

39

"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once."

"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once."

Woody Allen, American Director

39

"My key interest in choosing scripts is character-driven stories, because there are so many stories that sacrifice character for plot."

"My key interest in choosing scripts is character-driven stories, because there are so many stories that sacrifice character for plot."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

Sacrifice, Character, Interest, Key

39

"Woody Allen has done some excellent serious movies, too, like Crimes And Misdemeanors. Very overlooked movie, I think, and really his best. And currently I like Big Fish!"

"Woody Allen has done some excellent serious movies, too, like Crimes And Misdemeanors. Very overlooked movie, I think, and really his best. And currently I like Big Fish!"

David Zucker, American Director

39

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