Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 51/67

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Quotes by Director

"Pain can be alleviated by morphine but the pain of social ostracism cannot be taken away."

"Pain can be alleviated by morphine but the pain of social ostracism cannot be taken away."

Derek Jarman, British Director

38

"And I think all Nazis didn't see themselves as bad people. I've never met a racist yet who thought he was a racist. Or an anti-Semite who thought they were anti-Semitic."

"And I think all Nazis didn't see themselves as bad people. I've never met a racist yet who thought he was a racist. Or an anti-Semite who thought they were anti-Semitic."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

Thought, People

38

"My view... would be that we are entering upon a new and interim society which is neither capitalist nor socialist, but in which we can achieve central planning without loss of individual initiative, by the mere process of absorbing initiative in the function of planning."

"My view... would be that we are entering upon a new and interim society which is neither capitalist nor socialist, but in which we can achieve central planning without loss of individual initiative, by the mere process of absorbing initiative in the function of planning."

John Grierson, British Director

Society, Loss, Planning

38

"I have no interest in directing. I'd be a bad director."

"I have no interest in directing. I'd be a bad director."

Michael Ritchie, American Director

38

"When I'm watching somebody act, it's a behavior editorial function - I look at someone act, and I might say, 'I don't believe him when he says that.' I don't know why I don't believe him, probably because the people that I've met, they don't act like that when they say stuff like that and mean it."

"When I'm watching somebody act, it's a behavior editorial function - I look at someone act, and I might say, 'I don't believe him when he says that.' I don't know why I don't believe him, probably because the people that I've met, they don't act like that when they say stuff like that and mean it."

David Fincher, American Director

People, Act, Behavior

38

"I failed to make the chess team because of my height."

"I failed to make the chess team because of my height."

Woody Allen, American Director

38

"I believe that the best cameraman is one who recognizes the source, the story, as the basis of his work."

"I believe that the best cameraman is one who recognizes the source, the story, as the basis of his work."

James Wong Howe, Chinese Director

38

"Ambition can be a disease, and it feeds on itself."

"Ambition can be a disease, and it feeds on itself."

Rebecca Miller, American Director

Ambition, Disease

38

"You know, you meet some people, and do a lot of interviews, and you come across a Buck O'Neill and you know you are going to know him for the rest of your life. The same thing happened with Curt Flood."

"You know, you meet some people, and do a lot of interviews, and you come across a Buck O'Neill and you know you are going to know him for the rest of your life. The same thing happened with Curt Flood."

Ken Burns, American Director

Life, People, Rest

38

"We're not as materialistic and income-tax conscious as we think. At the moment our superstitions are tucked away, but come out sometimes in strange ways sex crimes, black masses."

"We're not as materialistic and income-tax conscious as we think. At the moment our superstitions are tucked away, but come out sometimes in strange ways sex crimes, black masses."

Terence Fisher, British Director

38

"Obviously, I try to make the films work for an audience. That's the main point of making a film, and in retrospect, one can see that certain films, let's say Leaving Las Vegas, demonstrated its own success."

"Obviously, I try to make the films work for an audience. That's the main point of making a film, and in retrospect, one can see that certain films, let's say Leaving Las Vegas, demonstrated its own success."

Mike Figgis, English Director

Success, Work, Film

38

"The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself."

"The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself."

Taylor Hackford, American Director

Music, Attention, Job, Sense

38

"I became quite successful very young, and it was mainly because I was so enthusiastic and I just worked so hard at it."

"I became quite successful very young, and it was mainly because I was so enthusiastic and I just worked so hard at it."

Francis Ford Coppola, American Director

Success, Successful

38

"Balance is the enemy of art."

"Balance is the enemy of art."

Richard Eyre, British Director

Art, Balance, Enemy

38

"There are a lot of laughs in this movie, but it's not just about the laughs. It's really about the story, about a guy who finds his soul and realizes what's truly important."

"There are a lot of laughs in this movie, but it's not just about the laughs. It's really about the story, about a guy who finds his soul and realizes what's truly important."

Peter Farrelly, American Director

38

"I'm just observing the world. I was born into it, like you were, and then I found out there were some really disturbing aspects to being alive, like the fact that you weren't going to be alive forever - that bothered me."

"I'm just observing the world. I was born into it, like you were, and then I found out there were some really disturbing aspects to being alive, like the fact that you weren't going to be alive forever - that bothered me."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

Being, Fact, World

38

"I don't know when the Return of the Living Dead are happening. That's been on the Internet for years."

"I don't know when the Return of the Living Dead are happening. That's been on the Internet for years."

Tobe Hooper, American Director

Internet, Living, Years

38

"Some artists shrink from self-awareness, fearing that it will destroy their unique gifts and even their desire to create. The truth of the matter is quite opposite."

"Some artists shrink from self-awareness, fearing that it will destroy their unique gifts and even their desire to create. The truth of the matter is quite opposite."

James Broughton, American Director

Truth, Artists, Desire, Gifts

38

"I so desperately hate to end these movies that the first thing I do when I'm done is write another one. Then I don't feel sad about having to leave and everybody going away."

"I so desperately hate to end these movies that the first thing I do when I'm done is write another one. Then I don't feel sad about having to leave and everybody going away."

John Hughes, American Director

Movies, End, First, Hate

38

"I never had any desire to become a well-known actress."

"I never had any desire to become a well-known actress."

Rebecca Miller, American Director

38

"Well, I was born and raised in the Midwest, in Indiana specifically, and my childhood was full of weekend movies, you know, the Saturday and Sunday popcorn movies."

"Well, I was born and raised in the Midwest, in Indiana specifically, and my childhood was full of weekend movies, you know, the Saturday and Sunday popcorn movies."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

Movies, Childhood, Weekend

38

"I don't think movies can ever be too intense, but people have to understand why you're showing them the things you are showing them."

"I don't think movies can ever be too intense, but people have to understand why you're showing them the things you are showing them."

Edward Zwick, American Director

38

"I had flops, I had success."

"I had flops, I had success."

Agnes Varda, French Director

38

"I interviewed survivors, I went to Poland, saw the cities and spent time with the people and spoke to the Jews who had come back to Poland after the war and talked about why they had come back."

"I interviewed survivors, I went to Poland, saw the cities and spent time with the people and spoke to the Jews who had come back to Poland after the war and talked about why they had come back."

Steven Spielberg, American Director

Time, War, People, Cities

38

"Good directing is about getting the performance to be just what's right for the movie."

"Good directing is about getting the performance to be just what's right for the movie."

Roland Joffe, English Director

Performance, Right

38

"What I'm trying to do is to at least raise a flag to the blinding light of technology."

"What I'm trying to do is to at least raise a flag to the blinding light of technology."

Godfrey Reggio, American Director

Technology, Light, Trying

38

"The one thing about program television that's absolutely incompatible with any concept of art is that all decisions have to be made by program directors, whereas art is autonomous. It may be dependent, but it knows no superiors."

"The one thing about program television that's absolutely incompatible with any concept of art is that all decisions have to be made by program directors, whereas art is autonomous. It may be dependent, but it knows no superiors."

Alexander Kluge, German Director

Art, Decisions, May, Television

38

"I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon."

"I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

Movies, Art, Film, Thinking

38

"I think I've done pretty well. I've had about 46, or 47 nominations from my movies, and my films have won about 12 awards, so I don't have any complaints."

"I think I've done pretty well. I've had about 46, or 47 nominations from my movies, and my films have won about 12 awards, so I don't have any complaints."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

Movies, Awards, Complaints, Pretty

38

"Hollywood films have become a cesspool of formula and it's up to us to try to change it... I feel like a preacher! But it's really true. I feel personally responsible for the future of American cinema. Me personally."

"Hollywood films have become a cesspool of formula and it's up to us to try to change it... I feel like a preacher! But it's really true. I feel personally responsible for the future of American cinema. Me personally."

Alexander Payne, American Director

Change, Cinema, Formula

38

"First cuts are a bitch for a director, because it's been so many months and you put your trust in your editor and you're going to see your film assembled for the first time. You look at it and go, This is terrible. I hate it."

"First cuts are a bitch for a director, because it's been so many months and you put your trust in your editor and you're going to see your film assembled for the first time. You look at it and go, This is terrible. I hate it."

Richard Donner, American Director

Trust, Time, Film, First

38

"I've always wanted to do a Crichton book. I really love his writing."

"I've always wanted to do a Crichton book. I really love his writing."

Richard Donner, American Director

38

"I'm first and foremost interested in the story, the characters."

"I'm first and foremost interested in the story, the characters."

David Lean, British Director

38

"Sometimes I would like the opportunity to do character-driven comedy and that's really what I was trying to do in Meet The Parents. I think in a way this is a more old fashioned type of comedy."

"Sometimes I would like the opportunity to do character-driven comedy and that's really what I was trying to do in Meet The Parents. I think in a way this is a more old fashioned type of comedy."

Jay Roach, American Director

Opportunity, Character, Comedy, Old

38

"I position everything else in my life around making movies."

"I position everything else in my life around making movies."

Richard King, American Director

38

"When I joined Granada - which, you don't want to start crying about these things, but Granada was a very, very hot place to be, it was my good fortune to be there at that time - the BBC was firmly asleep."

"When I joined Granada - which, you don't want to start crying about these things, but Granada was a very, very hot place to be, it was my good fortune to be there at that time - the BBC was firmly asleep."

Michael Apted, British Director

Time, Fortune, Want

38

"The title came rather early in one of Ringo's more tired and emotional moments."

"The title came rather early in one of Ringo's more tired and emotional moments."

Richard Lester, English Director

38

"My personal view is that such total planning by the state is an absolute good and not simply a relative good... I do not myself think of the attitude I take as deriving from Marx - though this undoubtedly will be suggested - but from Fichte and Hegel."

"My personal view is that such total planning by the state is an absolute good and not simply a relative good... I do not myself think of the attitude I take as deriving from Marx - though this undoubtedly will be suggested - but from Fichte and Hegel."

John Grierson, British Director

Attitude, Planning, State, Will

38

"We also have a tendency to root for the fugitive. We're always on the side of the animal being chased."

"We also have a tendency to root for the fugitive. We're always on the side of the animal being chased."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

38

"Every time I do one I feel like I've never really quite learned anything. I always find that when I'm making a film, I find it a little bit like I'm doing it for the first time."

"Every time I do one I feel like I've never really quite learned anything. I always find that when I'm making a film, I find it a little bit like I'm doing it for the first time."

Adrian Lyne, English Director

Time, Film, First

38

"In a kind of a way there's a bit of that happening now so we have to be careful to preserve our culture."

"In a kind of a way there's a bit of that happening now so we have to be careful to preserve our culture."

Yahoo Serious, Australian Director

Cultural, Culture, Now

38

"I remember feeling that technology was like trying to draw with your foot. In a ski boot. It was the most indirect way to work imaginable, but the potential had us all excited. I started in stop motion."

"I remember feeling that technology was like trying to draw with your foot. In a ski boot. It was the most indirect way to work imaginable, but the potential had us all excited. I started in stop motion."

Chris Wedge, American Director

Technology, Work, Feeling, Potential

38

"My major aim in writing is to set out flags and issue wake-up calls."

"My major aim in writing is to set out flags and issue wake-up calls."

James Broughton, American Director

Justice, Flags, Writing

38

"I do like directing other people's material."

"I do like directing other people's material."

Brian De Palma, American Director

38

"When a scene is being shot, it is very difficult to know what one wants it to say, and even if one does know, there is always a difference between what one has in mind and the result on film."

"When a scene is being shot, it is very difficult to know what one wants it to say, and even if one does know, there is always a difference between what one has in mind and the result on film."

Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian Director

Being, Difference, Film, Mind

38

"I don't get a sense of American pride. I just get a sense that everyone is here, battling the same thing - that around the world everybody's after the same thing, just some minor piece of happiness each day."

"I don't get a sense of American pride. I just get a sense that everyone is here, battling the same thing - that around the world everybody's after the same thing, just some minor piece of happiness each day."

Paul Thomas Anderson, American Director

Happiness, Day, Pride

38

"A lot of performing instincts are involved in the business of direction, but so is analysis and having a sense of literature."

"A lot of performing instincts are involved in the business of direction, but so is analysis and having a sense of literature."

Trevor Nunn, English Director

Business, Direction, Literature, Sense

38

"Movies will end up being this esoteric art form, where only singular people will put films out in a small group of theaters."

"Movies will end up being this esoteric art form, where only singular people will put films out in a small group of theaters."

M. Night Shyamalan, American Director

Art, Movies, People, Being

38

"I'm the first to admit that I can't be as good as Tolkien, and a movie can never be as good as Tolkien."

"I'm the first to admit that I can't be as good as Tolkien, and a movie can never be as good as Tolkien."

Ralph Bakshi, American Director

38

"I've always done 20 things at once. It's my way of staying alive, not to keep one dish cooking, but several dishes going. And I'm pretty organized."

"I've always done 20 things at once. It's my way of staying alive, not to keep one dish cooking, but several dishes going. And I'm pretty organized."

Patrice Leconte, French Director

Multitasking, Cooking, Pretty

38

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