Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 53/67

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Quotes by Director

"When I drive through a field, I want to see green grass sometimes, and I don't want to see black and white."

"When I drive through a field, I want to see green grass sometimes, and I don't want to see black and white."

Sam Mendes, British Director

37

"Olivia Newton-John was our first choice to play Sandy, but she was nervous about acting, whether she would feel comfortable with us and could pull it off at all."

"Olivia Newton-John was our first choice to play Sandy, but she was nervous about acting, whether she would feel comfortable with us and could pull it off at all."

Randal Kleiser, American Director

Acting, Choice, First, Play

37

"I visited a scientist who had a helmet with magnetic fields controlled by computer sequences that could profoundly affect your mood and your perceptions."

"I visited a scientist who had a helmet with magnetic fields controlled by computer sequences that could profoundly affect your mood and your perceptions."

Douglas Trumbull, American Director

Computer, Perceptions

37

"Ford Fairlane was one of those movies that was so much fun to make that it was bound not to be a big hit."

"Ford Fairlane was one of those movies that was so much fun to make that it was bound not to be a big hit."

Renny Harlin, Finnish Director

37

"Each kid has a different level of expertise and some of them are very raw and inexperienced and some are incredibly mature and experienced. So you just have to go with what they are rather than have some abstract technique that you're going to try to apply to them."

"Each kid has a different level of expertise and some of them are very raw and inexperienced and some are incredibly mature and experienced. So you just have to go with what they are rather than have some abstract technique that you're going to try to apply to them."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

Education, Expertise

37

"Every milieu has something ridiculous about it - film-making, the music world, painting - because people who take themselves seriously become funny pretty quickly."

"Every milieu has something ridiculous about it - film-making, the music world, painting - because people who take themselves seriously become funny pretty quickly."

Rebecca Miller, American Director

Fun, Funny, Music, People, Film

37

"There is nothing quite so good as burial at sea. It is simple, tidy, and not very incriminating."

"There is nothing quite so good as burial at sea. It is simple, tidy, and not very incriminating."

Alfred Hitchcock, English Director

37

"I just feel I'm on a different page from the reviewers, so I've learned not to care about them too much."

"I just feel I'm on a different page from the reviewers, so I've learned not to care about them too much."

Bobby Farrelly, American Director

37

"In 'The King's Speech,' patriotism is utterly contained within a historical moment, the third of September, 1939, where the aggressor is clear, the fight is clear, it hasn't become complicated over time."

"In 'The King's Speech,' patriotism is utterly contained within a historical moment, the third of September, 1939, where the aggressor is clear, the fight is clear, it hasn't become complicated over time."

Tom Hooper, British Director

Patriotism, Time, Fight, Speech

37

"I wanted to make an Indian character who wasn't either a) the savage that must be eliminated, the force of nature that's blocking the way for industrial progress, or b) the noble innocent that knows all and is another cliche. I wanted him to be a complicated human being."

"I wanted to make an Indian character who wasn't either a) the savage that must be eliminated, the force of nature that's blocking the way for industrial progress, or b) the noble innocent that knows all and is another cliche. I wanted him to be a complicated human being."

Jim Jarmusch, American Director

Nature, Progress, Character, Being

37

"I guess there's a certain amount of poking fun at certain characters, but that's because there is something amusing about them or about the way they behave, so I guess you can say that that's poking fun at the character. But the character is your own invention, so who cares?"

"I guess there's a certain amount of poking fun at certain characters, but that's because there is something amusing about them or about the way they behave, so I guess you can say that that's poking fun at the character. But the character is your own invention, so who cares?"

Joel Coen, American Director

Character, Fun, Invention

37

"You know, essentially when you do a play you're reinterpreting a work of art that already exists. That's not what happens with a movie."

"You know, essentially when you do a play you're reinterpreting a work of art that already exists. That's not what happens with a movie."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

Art, Work, Play

37

"I was an outsider... but I was also sympathetic with people that were struggling to get up, because I struggled to get up."

"I was an outsider... but I was also sympathetic with people that were struggling to get up, because I struggled to get up."

Elia Kazan, American Director

37

"We talked about Tootsie, the idea in Tootsie is that a man becomes a better man for having been a woman."

"We talked about Tootsie, the idea in Tootsie is that a man becomes a better man for having been a woman."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

Creativity, Idea, Man, Woman

37

"Clint Eastwood. Here's a guy who's been involved in so many movies, lots of them masterpieces, and now he's a director. I just like everything I know about him. He's very decisive, he makes up his mind real quick."

"Clint Eastwood. Here's a guy who's been involved in so many movies, lots of them masterpieces, and now he's a director. I just like everything I know about him. He's very decisive, he makes up his mind real quick."

Bobby Farrelly, American Director

Movies, Mind, Now, Quick

37

"But it's just that the whole country is making generally lousy films these days and has been for quite a while. That's the big problem that we all have to think about."

"But it's just that the whole country is making generally lousy films these days and has been for quite a while. That's the big problem that we all have to think about."

Alexander Payne, American Director

Nation, Country

37

"Our producer Jon Davison thought it would be a good idea to put in additional TV scenes. So, they sent me a tape of these additional TV scenes, and I watched them, and I didn't think they were that great. I didn't think it was worth putting them in."

"Our producer Jon Davison thought it would be a good idea to put in additional TV scenes. So, they sent me a tape of these additional TV scenes, and I watched them, and I didn't think they were that great. I didn't think it was worth putting them in."

David Zucker, American Director

Thought, Idea, Worth

37

"This one, even though it called for San Francisco, I think they wanted to initially shoot part of the film up here, you know get the exteriors and then go back to L.A. We really fought to get it up here and I think Paramount was really pleased."

"This one, even though it called for San Francisco, I think they wanted to initially shoot part of the film up here, you know get the exteriors and then go back to L.A. We really fought to get it up here and I think Paramount was really pleased."

Philip Kaufman, American Director

37

"I'm not interested in seeing a film just made by a woman - not unless she is looking for new images."

"I'm not interested in seeing a film just made by a woman - not unless she is looking for new images."

Agnes Varda, French Director

37

"When you're doing a big movie, you're gone for 10 months to a year."

"When you're doing a big movie, you're gone for 10 months to a year."

Ridley Scott, British Director

37

"I let the audience use their imaginations. Can I help it if they misconstrue my suggestions?"

"I let the audience use their imaginations. Can I help it if they misconstrue my suggestions?"

Ernst Lubitsch, German Director

37

"When I made my first film, I didn't think of it as directing, so it wasn't like I set out to become a director."

"When I made my first film, I didn't think of it as directing, so it wasn't like I set out to become a director."

Kathryn Bigelow, American Director

37

"You just never know when movies are going to take off or not. The lucky thing about this was that it didn't cost a lot of money, and therefore there wasn't loads of pressure on me."

"You just never know when movies are going to take off or not. The lucky thing about this was that it didn't cost a lot of money, and therefore there wasn't loads of pressure on me."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Movies, Money, Pressure

37

"People used to think we just faked all that stuff... it was all written, rehearsed. The fact that it looks as cobbled together as it does is just that we weren't very good."

"People used to think we just faked all that stuff... it was all written, rehearsed. The fact that it looks as cobbled together as it does is just that we weren't very good."

Terry Gilliam, American Director

37

"On the contrary a film can promote the idea of change without any political message whatsoever but in its form and language can tell people that they can change their lives and contribute to progressive changes in the world."

"On the contrary a film can promote the idea of change without any political message whatsoever but in its form and language can tell people that they can change their lives and contribute to progressive changes in the world."

Wim Wenders, German Director

Change, People, Idea, Film

37

"It's good that they've seen it, but how can I be satisfied after working for two years making a film which I hope will make a difference, when the government sees the film and does nothing about it?"

"It's good that they've seen it, but how can I be satisfied after working for two years making a film which I hope will make a difference, when the government sees the film and does nothing about it?"

Mathieu Kassovitz, French Director

Government, Hope, Difference, Film

37

"You're doing it to make the character as specific as possible, so that it's a specific individual that you're talking about, not that whole class of people."

"You're doing it to make the character as specific as possible, so that it's a specific individual that you're talking about, not that whole class of people."

Joel Coen, American Director

People, Character, Class, Talking

37

"He wasn't, but producers are by definition annoying because they have a different agenda from you. They're trying to stop you spending money and you're trying to not spend money, but at the same time we're great artists."

"He wasn't, but producers are by definition annoying because they have a different agenda from you. They're trying to stop you spending money and you're trying to not spend money, but at the same time we're great artists."

Michael Apted, British Director

Money, Time, Artists, Trying

37

"Well, I started thinking about what you were saying about how your movies need to make a profit. Now, what is the one thing, if you put it in a movie, it'll be successful?"

"Well, I started thinking about what you were saying about how your movies need to make a profit. Now, what is the one thing, if you put it in a movie, it'll be successful?"

Ed Wood, American Director

Movies, Successful, Now, Profit

37

"We have an uncanny ability to make birds do what we want them to do. In Blood Simple there's a shot from the bumper of a car and it's going up this road and a huge flock of birds takes off at the perfect moment."

"We have an uncanny ability to make birds do what we want them to do. In Blood Simple there's a shot from the bumper of a car and it's going up this road and a huge flock of birds takes off at the perfect moment."

Joel Coen, American Director

Car, Ability, Birds, Blood

37

"But Gladiator is one of my favourite adventures because I really loved going into the world. I loved creating the world to the degree where you could almost smell it."

"But Gladiator is one of my favourite adventures because I really loved going into the world. I loved creating the world to the degree where you could almost smell it."

Ridley Scott, British Director

37

"It's not just the effect of technology on the environment, on religion, on the economic structure, on society, on politics, etc. It's that everything now exists in technology to the point where technology is the new and comprehensive host of nature of life."

"It's not just the effect of technology on the environment, on religion, on the economic structure, on society, on politics, etc. It's that everything now exists in technology to the point where technology is the new and comprehensive host of nature of life."

Godfrey Reggio, American Director

Life, Nature, Technology, Politics

37

"When I came to England at the very beginning of commercial television it was easy for me because I was only doing one or two shows a week at most. It was really a holiday."

"When I came to England at the very beginning of commercial television it was easy for me because I was only doing one or two shows a week at most. It was really a holiday."

Richard Lester, English Director

Beginning, England, Holiday, Television

37

"Our wisdom comes from our experience, and our experience comes from our foolishness."

"Our wisdom comes from our experience, and our experience comes from our foolishness."

Sacha Guitry, French Director

Wisdom, Experience, Foolishness

37

"Making the City Of Joy gave me the best political education of my life. It became a wrestling match between an Englishman who had gradually ceased to be a Marxist, and a culture that was becoming more Marxist by the day."

"Making the City Of Joy gave me the best political education of my life. It became a wrestling match between an Englishman who had gradually ceased to be a Marxist, and a culture that was becoming more Marxist by the day."

Roland Joffe, English Director

Education, Life, Culture, Day

37

"I'm getting a little bored by the juxtaposition of American and other cinema. I no longer think this division is as true as it might have been in the 1980s, or the early part of the 90s."

"I'm getting a little bored by the juxtaposition of American and other cinema. I no longer think this division is as true as it might have been in the 1980s, or the early part of the 90s."

Wim Wenders, German Director

Film, American, Cinema

37

"When you worked in a studio it was the studio system that you kind of missed because it was a big, big family. I mean MGM had 5,000 people working a day there. You miss it."

"When you worked in a studio it was the studio system that you kind of missed because it was a big, big family. I mean MGM had 5,000 people working a day there. You miss it."

George Sidney, American Director

Family, People, Day

37

"You know, I don't really do that much looking inside me when I'm working on a project. Whatever I am becomes what that film is. But I change; you change."

"You know, I don't really do that much looking inside me when I'm working on a project. Whatever I am becomes what that film is. But I change; you change."

Steven Spielberg, American Director

Change, Film, Project

37

"And I don't think I'm giving away any secrets here, but there are a lot of terrible scripts in this town."

"And I don't think I'm giving away any secrets here, but there are a lot of terrible scripts in this town."

Frank Darabont, American Director

Film, Giving, Secrets

37

"First, speaking for myself, I don't want to ever be in a position where I'm telling other directors how to make movies, because I don't think it's any of my business."

"First, speaking for myself, I don't want to ever be in a position where I'm telling other directors how to make movies, because I don't think it's any of my business."

John Frankenheimer, American Director

Business, Movies, First, Want

37

"Today the U.S. is farther from being nourished by poetry than it was a hundred years ago, when books of poems were best-sellers."

"Today the U.S. is farther from being nourished by poetry than it was a hundred years ago, when books of poems were best-sellers."

James Broughton, American Director

Poetry, Being, Books, Poems

37

"The world was like a huge red carpet out ahead of me to be walked on. And it stretched on and on, no end."

"The world was like a huge red carpet out ahead of me to be walked on. And it stretched on and on, no end."

Elia Kazan, American Director

Creativity, End, World

37

"Even if we don't know it or aren't aware of it, politics and philosophy are really what make our up lives."

"Even if we don't know it or aren't aware of it, politics and philosophy are really what make our up lives."

Roland Joffe, English Director

Politics, Philosophy

37

"There is incredible power in the arts to inspire and influence."

"There is incredible power in the arts to inspire and influence."

Julie Taymor, American Director

Power, Influence

37

"They're getting more and more experience on what to expect, and the Hellboy audience is such a faithful and fanatic audience as I am, and you have to really be very open about what you do."

"They're getting more and more experience on what to expect, and the Hellboy audience is such a faithful and fanatic audience as I am, and you have to really be very open about what you do."

Guillermo del Toro, Mexican Director

Experience, Open

37

"I was very careful to cast guys who were very good-looking and very fit and who had a certain sense of privilege about them, because with that sense of privilege comes contempt."

"I was very careful to cast guys who were very good-looking and very fit and who had a certain sense of privilege about them, because with that sense of privilege comes contempt."

Neil LaBute, American Director

Behavior, Contempt, Privilege, Sense

37

"Like a layer on a pearl, you can't specifically identify the irritant, the moment of the irritant, but at the end of the day, you know you have a pearl."

"Like a layer on a pearl, you can't specifically identify the irritant, the moment of the irritant, but at the end of the day, you know you have a pearl."

Ken Burns, American Director

Identity, Day, End

37

"Their films would probably be better if they'd seen a few more films, which runs counter to this idiotic theory that you run the risk of being influenced if you see too much."

"Their films would probably be better if they'd seen a few more films, which runs counter to this idiotic theory that you run the risk of being influenced if you see too much."

Jacques Rivette, French Director

Being, Risk, Theory

37

"First of all, just knowing people who grew up in the movie business at that time, no one had Mexican maids."

"First of all, just knowing people who grew up in the movie business at that time, no one had Mexican maids."

Bill Condon, American Director

Business, Time, People, First

37

"Nobody taught Picasso how to paint - he learned for himself. And nobody can teach you to be a producer. You can learn the mechanics, but you can't learn what's right about a script or a director or an actor. That comes from instinct and intuition. It comes from inside you."

"Nobody taught Picasso how to paint - he learned for himself. And nobody can teach you to be a producer. You can learn the mechanics, but you can't learn what's right about a script or a director or an actor. That comes from instinct and intuition. It comes from inside you."

Dino De Laurentiis, Italian Director

Actor, Instinct, Intuition, Right

37

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