Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 56/67

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Quotes by Director

"I was surprised to see the meeting was of Communists and the whole meeting was along Communist lines."

"I was surprised to see the meeting was of Communists and the whole meeting was along Communist lines."

Edward Dmytryk, American Director

Politics, Meeting

36

"And it really began with Einstein. We attended his lectures. Now the theory of relativity remained - and still remains - only a theory. It has not been proven. But it suggested a completely different picture of the physical world."

"And it really began with Einstein. We attended his lectures. Now the theory of relativity remained - and still remains - only a theory. It has not been proven. But it suggested a completely different picture of the physical world."

Douglas Sirk, German Director

Now, Relativity, Theory, World

36

"If you put yourself in a group of people you cannot work with it's obviously going to be a disaster."

"If you put yourself in a group of people you cannot work with it's obviously going to be a disaster."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

Work, People, Disaster

36

"War scenes are less difficult than love scenes."

"War scenes are less difficult than love scenes."

Jean-Jacques Annaud, French Director

36

"When war comes, two things happen - profits go way, way up and all perishables go way, way down. There becomes a market for them."

"When war comes, two things happen - profits go way, way up and all perishables go way, way down. There becomes a market for them."

Steven Spielberg, American Director

36

"And to Shakespeare I owe my vision of the world as a theater, wherein all humans are acting out their parts."

"And to Shakespeare I owe my vision of the world as a theater, wherein all humans are acting out their parts."

James Broughton, American Director

Vision, Acting, Shakespeare, Theater

36

"I always believe it's better to have 30 imaginations working on a project, rather than one imagination telling the other 29 what to do."

"I always believe it's better to have 30 imaginations working on a project, rather than one imagination telling the other 29 what to do."

Trevor Nunn, English Director

Imagination, Project

36

"You know, OJ was a really nice guy, and he knew his lines. He was nice to everybody on the set. He got to be a better actor, I thought, with every movie."

"You know, OJ was a really nice guy, and he knew his lines. He was nice to everybody on the set. He got to be a better actor, I thought, with every movie."

David Zucker, American Director

35

"People say I pay too much attention to the look of a movie but for God's sake, I'm not producing a Radio 4 Play for Today, I'm making a movie that people are going to look at."

"People say I pay too much attention to the look of a movie but for God's sake, I'm not producing a Radio 4 Play for Today, I'm making a movie that people are going to look at."

Ridley Scott, British Director

God, People, Attention, Play

35

"A lot of comedians, when they have a bad gig, will blame everything but themselves. They'll blame the crowd, or the room was wrong, it had a weird vibe, or the promoter promoted a weird atmosphere."

"A lot of comedians, when they have a bad gig, will blame everything but themselves. They'll blame the crowd, or the room was wrong, it had a weird vibe, or the promoter promoted a weird atmosphere."

Allan Carr, British Director

Blame, Comedians, Will, Wrong

35

"Why watch someone kissing when people really close their eyes when they kiss?"

"Why watch someone kissing when people really close their eyes when they kiss?"

John Hughes, American Director

Love, Kiss, People, Eyes, Kissing

35

"The only thing we don't do together is get in front of an actor and show any indecision at all about what we think. We don't always agree, so we meet privately, then one or the other will approach the actor."

"The only thing we don't do together is get in front of an actor and show any indecision at all about what we think. We don't always agree, so we meet privately, then one or the other will approach the actor."

Bobby Farrelly, American Director

Actor, Indecision, Will

35

"I have a healthy view of what one can do with art."

"I have a healthy view of what one can do with art."

Neil LaBute, American Director

35

"We made it known that we were trying to show the reality of France. People think of Paris as the city of love or the city of light, but where you got love you got hate, where you got light you got darkness."

"We made it known that we were trying to show the reality of France. People think of Paris as the city of love or the city of light, but where you got love you got hate, where you got light you got darkness."

Mathieu Kassovitz, French Director

Love, People, Darkness, France

35

"I think the job of movie reviewing can be really tough. If a film has layers that need to be thought about, it's easy to get missed the first time around."

"I think the job of movie reviewing can be really tough. If a film has layers that need to be thought about, it's easy to get missed the first time around."

Roland Joffe, English Director

Time, Thought, Film, First

35

"I began to feel that, in a sense, we were all prisoners of our own history."

"I began to feel that, in a sense, we were all prisoners of our own history."

Roland Joffe, English Director

35

"I think over there in Montreal they're a bit hardcore with the old homos. They're not that keen on them."

"I think over there in Montreal they're a bit hardcore with the old homos. They're not that keen on them."

Allan Carr, British Director

35

"Its not really about the movie business, it's about staying in the picture."

"Its not really about the movie business, it's about staying in the picture."

Robert Evans, American Director

35

"I had very strong feelings, so the chance to make a film that deals in an imaginative way with stuff you care tremendously about is a real high. It's a really amazing thing to be able to do."

"I had very strong feelings, so the chance to make a film that deals in an imaginative way with stuff you care tremendously about is a real high. It's a really amazing thing to be able to do."

Jonathan Demme, American Director

Emotional, Feelings, Care, Chance, Deals

35

"Much of Indian science seems intuitive and not bound by the rigid thinking of classical scientists."

"Much of Indian science seems intuitive and not bound by the rigid thinking of classical scientists."

Roland Joffe, English Director

Science, Scientists, Thinking

35

"Your great country is wonderful at stealing pieces of history and using it for its own purposes, so there didn't seem to be anything particularly unusual about it but the English were incredibly exercised about it."

"Your great country is wonderful at stealing pieces of history and using it for its own purposes, so there didn't seem to be anything particularly unusual about it but the English were incredibly exercised about it."

Michael Apted, British Director

History, Country, English

35

"I don't think you can ever be ahead of your time with cynicism about that subject. No, I don't think it was ahead of its time. I think it was very much a product of its time."

"I don't think you can ever be ahead of your time with cynicism about that subject. No, I don't think it was ahead of its time. I think it was very much a product of its time."

Joe Dante, American Director

35

"I think I got spoiled and that writing a short story and getting it published, or writing a novel and getting it published, you pretty much get to do the first, second and third draft yourself without a whole lot of interference."

"I think I got spoiled and that writing a short story and getting it published, or writing a novel and getting it published, you pretty much get to do the first, second and third draft yourself without a whole lot of interference."

John Sayles, American Director

Media, Draft, First, Pretty, Writing

35

"I knew that if it ever got down to a choice between the Party and our traditional democratic structure I would fight the Party and our traditional democratic structure I would fight the Party to the bitter end."

"I knew that if it ever got down to a choice between the Party and our traditional democratic structure I would fight the Party and our traditional democratic structure I would fight the Party to the bitter end."

Edward Dmytryk, American Director

Choice, End, Fight, Party

35

"I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose."

"I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose."

Woody Allen, American Director

35

"I never felt comfortable with myself, because I was never part of the majority. I always felt awkward and shy and on the outside of the momentum of my friends' lives."

"I never felt comfortable with myself, because I was never part of the majority. I always felt awkward and shy and on the outside of the momentum of my friends' lives."

Steven Spielberg, American Director

Friendship, Friends, Majority

35

"I think violence in a cinematic context can be, if handled in a certain way, very seductive."

"I think violence in a cinematic context can be, if handled in a certain way, very seductive."

Kathryn Bigelow, American Director

Movies, Violence

35

"My argument has always been that this is not an anti-Bush film, it's a pro-democracy film. And if Bush comes out on the wrong side of democracy, that's his problem."

"My argument has always been that this is not an anti-Bush film, it's a pro-democracy film. And if Bush comes out on the wrong side of democracy, that's his problem."

John Sayles, American Director

Argument, Democracy, Film, Wrong

35

"There's a sadness to the human condition that I think music is good for. It gives a counterpoint to the visual beauty, and adds depth to pictures that they wouldn't have if the music wasn't there."

"There's a sadness to the human condition that I think music is good for. It gives a counterpoint to the visual beauty, and adds depth to pictures that they wouldn't have if the music wasn't there."

Mike Figgis, English Director

Music, Beauty, Sadness

35

"I don't really know a lot of famous people. I've met a lot of famous people. If I ran into Tom Hanks today, I would have to remind him who I was and he would then remember me. But he wouldn't come up to me and say, "Hi Dave!""

"I don't really know a lot of famous people. I've met a lot of famous people. If I ran into Tom Hanks today, I would have to remind him who I was and he would then remember me. But he wouldn't come up to me and say, "Hi Dave!""

David Zucker, American Director

People, Famous, Today

35

"That's a little homage in a way to that and also to create that sort of creepy atmosphere that Hitchcock did. Vertigo was one of his great movies that was shot right here in The City and it's about a woman and the psychological twists and so forth."

"That's a little homage in a way to that and also to create that sort of creepy atmosphere that Hitchcock did. Vertigo was one of his great movies that was shot right here in The City and it's about a woman and the psychological twists and so forth."

Philip Kaufman, American Director

Movies, Right, Vertigo, Woman

35

"I had a toy theater and a magic lantern, and when I was eight I built a stage for theatricals in the attic."

"I had a toy theater and a magic lantern, and when I was eight I built a stage for theatricals in the attic."

James Broughton, American Director

Economy, Magic, Theater

35

"I don't know if I'd want to do that anymore, because you always get bigger laughs on college campuses. So, when the film plays in front of a city audience, you've probably cut too loosely."

"I don't know if I'd want to do that anymore, because you always get bigger laughs on college campuses. So, when the film plays in front of a city audience, you've probably cut too loosely."

David Zucker, American Director

College, Film, Want

35

"Tim Burton is underrated. I loved Big Fish, loved that movie, think it's the best movie of the year, hands down. Really impressed with that."

"Tim Burton is underrated. I loved Big Fish, loved that movie, think it's the best movie of the year, hands down. Really impressed with that."

David Zucker, American Director

35

"In a sense I've made the same film over and over again. In all of them I've asked, 'Who are we as Americans?"

"In a sense I've made the same film over and over again. In all of them I've asked, 'Who are we as Americans?"

Ken Burns, American Director

Identity, Americans, Film, Sense

35

"Time puts things in proper perspective."

"Time puts things in proper perspective."

Cameron Crowe, American Director

Time, Perspective

35

"Nervousness was never something I would ever associate with the Beatles ever. A Hard Day's Night was relatively unscathed by marijuana, but even then they were quite relaxed about it."

"Nervousness was never something I would ever associate with the Beatles ever. A Hard Day's Night was relatively unscathed by marijuana, but even then they were quite relaxed about it."

Richard Lester, English Director

Music, Day, Nervousness, Night

35

"First I would probably place men at the bottom of the food chain. On a grander scale, I would say they're reacting to change. Feminism has got to be part of that."

"First I would probably place men at the bottom of the food chain. On a grander scale, I would say they're reacting to change. Feminism has got to be part of that."

Neil LaBute, American Director

Food, Men, Change, Feminism

35

"When a documentary filmmaker, working in the style that I do, suggests that there has been a shooting ratio of 40 hours to every one hour of finished film, that doesn't mean that the other 39 are bad."

"When a documentary filmmaker, working in the style that I do, suggests that there has been a shooting ratio of 40 hours to every one hour of finished film, that doesn't mean that the other 39 are bad."

Ken Burns, American Director

35

"Television is like the invention of indoor plumbing. It didn't change people's habits. It just kept them inside the house."

"Television is like the invention of indoor plumbing. It didn't change people's habits. It just kept them inside the house."

Alfred Hitchcock, English Director

Change, People, Habits, Invention

35

"All great work is preparing yourself for the accident to happen."

"All great work is preparing yourself for the accident to happen."

Sidney Lumet, American Director

35

"Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable."

"Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable."

Werner Herzog, German Director

Power, Truth, Bizarre, Facts

35

"I'm not pessimistic about people in general, but only about the way they live."

"I'm not pessimistic about people in general, but only about the way they live."

Claude Chabrol, French Director

35

"Film is not an easy occupation. There's a lot of occupations that are difficult and film is one of them."

"Film is not an easy occupation. There's a lot of occupations that are difficult and film is one of them."

George Lucas, American Director

Film, Occupation, Occupations

35

"If you can't fully believe in your ideas, it very quickly communicates to a group of actors who need something to hold onto. They need to believe that whatever criticism, whatever comment is received, is meant."

"If you can't fully believe in your ideas, it very quickly communicates to a group of actors who need something to hold onto. They need to believe that whatever criticism, whatever comment is received, is meant."

Trevor Nunn, English Director

Creativity, Ideas, Actors, Criticism

35

"Reservoir Dogs is a small film, and part of its charm was that it was a small film. I'd probably make it for $3 million now so I'd have more breathing room."

"Reservoir Dogs is a small film, and part of its charm was that it was a small film. I'd probably make it for $3 million now so I'd have more breathing room."

Quentin Tarantino, American Director

Film, Charm, Dogs, Now

35

"We took Beowulf, the epic poem in Old English, and put it right together with John Gardner's contemporary retelling. If you bring it into today, we really feel that it has something very fresh to say now."

"We took Beowulf, the epic poem in Old English, and put it right together with John Gardner's contemporary retelling. If you bring it into today, we really feel that it has something very fresh to say now."

Julie Taymor, American Director

Writing, English, Now, Old, Right

35

"First I went to the Sorbonne to do my licence en lettres, but I also started to study law."

"First I went to the Sorbonne to do my licence en lettres, but I also started to study law."

Claude Chabrol, French Director

Education, First, Law, Study

35

"The stories from 1975 on are not finished and there is no resolve. I could spend 50 hours on the last 25 years of jazz and still not do it justice."

"The stories from 1975 on are not finished and there is no resolve. I could spend 50 hours on the last 25 years of jazz and still not do it justice."

Ken Burns, American Director

Lifestyle, Jazz, Justice, Years

35

"I think what some people are doing with effects is starting to get silly. It's overused."

"I think what some people are doing with effects is starting to get silly. It's overused."

Richard Donner, American Director

35

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