Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 61/67

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Quotes by Director

"As the poet said, 'Only God can make a tree,' probably because it's so hard to figure out how to get the bark on."

"As the poet said, 'Only God can make a tree,' probably because it's so hard to figure out how to get the bark on."

Woody Allen, American Director

26

"I mean simply to say that I want my characters to suggest the background in themselves, even when it is not visible. I want them to be so powerfully realized that we cannot imagine them apart from their physical and social context even when we see them in empty space."

"I mean simply to say that I want my characters to suggest the background in themselves, even when it is not visible. I want them to be so powerfully realized that we cannot imagine them apart from their physical and social context even when we see them in empty space."

Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian Director

26

"All men are mortal. Socrates was mortal. Therefore, all men are Socrates."

"All men are mortal. Socrates was mortal. Therefore, all men are Socrates."

Woody Allen, American Director

Logic, Truth, Reason, Observation

26

"The script is very good because the things that happen in it are very believable to me. It doesn't presuppose that the world has changed very much. You don't have to think that you're in a different world."

"The script is very good because the things that happen in it are very believable to me. It doesn't presuppose that the world has changed very much. You don't have to think that you're in a different world."

Roger Spottiswoode, Canadian Director

26

"I love huge movies. Not sure I am the guy to make them, but you can rely on me being there watching them."

"I love huge movies. Not sure I am the guy to make them, but you can rely on me being there watching them."

Danny Boyle, English Director

Love, Movies, Being

26

"I have a feeling he felt Jon Voight had run away with the film, which he didn't, though he was brilliant in it, in a much less easy part. I just don't know what had got into him, but something had."

"I have a feeling he felt Jon Voight had run away with the film, which he didn't, though he was brilliant in it, in a much less easy part. I just don't know what had got into him, but something had."

John Schlesinger, British Director

Emotional, Feeling, Film

26

"When I was growing up my mother would say, 'Your dad may have to learn about being a father because he lost his own and that would have affected him'."

"When I was growing up my mother would say, 'Your dad may have to learn about being a father because he lost his own and that would have affected him'."

Tom Hooper, British Director

Family, Dad, Mother, Father, Being

26

"I would rather do what I did than crawl in front of a ritualistic Left and lie the way those other comrades did betray my own soul."

"I would rather do what I did than crawl in front of a ritualistic Left and lie the way those other comrades did betray my own soul."

Elia Kazan, American Director

26

"Actually, I loved Chucky. It's one of the strangest movies I've ever seen."

"Actually, I loved Chucky. It's one of the strangest movies I've ever seen."

Bill Condon, American Director

26

"There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?"

"There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?"

Woody Allen, American Director

Life, Death, Evening

26

"Working with a bunch of actors is like trying to tune each violin."

"Working with a bunch of actors is like trying to tune each violin."

Patrice Leconte, French Director

Actor, Actors, Trying

26

"My father's sister never married in order to raise me."

"My father's sister never married in order to raise me."

Marcel Carne, French Director

Family, Father, Sister, Order

26

"I am fascinated with times past."

"I am fascinated with times past."

Frank Darabont, American Director

26

"It didn't happen every time for every movie. Ruthless People was a good movie, but we didn't get a good release or marketing. They completely blew the opening."

"It didn't happen every time for every movie. Ruthless People was a good movie, but we didn't get a good release or marketing. They completely blew the opening."

David Zucker, American Director

Time, People, Marketing

26

"I don't know. I have incredible amounts of hope that things can change. It takes people who believe."

"I don't know. I have incredible amounts of hope that things can change. It takes people who believe."

Morgan Spurlock, American Director

Change, People, Hope

26

"The quality of life decreases with heightened security."

"The quality of life decreases with heightened security."

Rebecca Miller, American Director

Life, Quality, Security

26

"Conventionally, one looks at history as something of the past. But after Einstein, who knows what is in the past and what is in the present?"

"Conventionally, one looks at history as something of the past. But after Einstein, who knows what is in the past and what is in the present?"

Roland Joffe, English Director

History, Past, Present

26

"Boy, I'd hate to shoot on tape or disc or whatever the hell they're talking about. I love film."

"Boy, I'd hate to shoot on tape or disc or whatever the hell they're talking about. I love film."

Frank Darabont, American Director

Love, Film, Hate, Hell

26

"Films can only be made by by-passing the will of those who appear in them, using not what they do, but what they are."

"Films can only be made by by-passing the will of those who appear in them, using not what they do, but what they are."

Robert Bresson, French Director

26

"I tend to arrive in the rehearsal process with very strongly developed ideas about what I want to do. But I don't like those ideas to be things that are not subject to change, or subject to development, or subject to challenge."

"I tend to arrive in the rehearsal process with very strongly developed ideas about what I want to do. But I don't like those ideas to be things that are not subject to change, or subject to development, or subject to challenge."

Trevor Nunn, English Director

Change, Development, Ideas, Challenge

26

"I think that's the key to being a director: to be able to get the shot and move on quickly."

"I think that's the key to being a director: to be able to get the shot and move on quickly."

Bobby Farrelly, American Director

26

"There's nothing I've done which I'm ashamed of or I thought was actually bad."

"There's nothing I've done which I'm ashamed of or I thought was actually bad."

Mike Figgis, English Director

Thought, Nothing

26

"If Bush, as I believe, has reliable information on the fact that Saddam Hussein is making weapons of mass destruction, I cannot not support the policies of his government."

"If Bush, as I believe, has reliable information on the fact that Saddam Hussein is making weapons of mass destruction, I cannot not support the policies of his government."

Steven Spielberg, American Director

Government, Destruction, Fact, Information

26

"And I liked this extreme character of de Sade."

"And I liked this extreme character of de Sade."

Philip Kaufman, American Director

Character, Extreme

26

"I want to see, that's all. This is my life. I want to see."

"I want to see, that's all. This is my life. I want to see."

Leni Riefenstahl, German Director

26

"I would be more frightened as a writer if people thought my movies were like science fiction."

"I would be more frightened as a writer if people thought my movies were like science fiction."

Neil LaBute, American Director

Movies, Science, Thought, People

26

"It's a dumb question, because I don't look at things as a black director, just as a director, so ask me as a director first and we can segue into the colour thing later."

"It's a dumb question, because I don't look at things as a black director, just as a director, so ask me as a director first and we can segue into the colour thing later."

Antoine Fuqua, American Director

Identity, Dumb, First, Question

26

"The perceived wisdom is that people do not go in large numbers to black-and-white movies anymore - which is a great shame, but I'd love to make a black-and-white movie one day."

"The perceived wisdom is that people do not go in large numbers to black-and-white movies anymore - which is a great shame, but I'd love to make a black-and-white movie one day."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Love, Movies, Wisdom, People

26

"While that wasn't first and foremost in my mind, you can't get into this without being struck, on one side, by how far we've come, and then the other side, by how little things have changed."

"While that wasn't first and foremost in my mind, you can't get into this without being struck, on one side, by how far we've come, and then the other side, by how little things have changed."

Bill Condon, American Director

Being, First, Mind

26

"Reality doesn't interest me."

"Reality doesn't interest me."

Leni Riefenstahl, German Director

Interest, Reality

26

"If you do two versions of a film, they should be identical. With the same frames and settings."

"If you do two versions of a film, they should be identical. With the same frames and settings."

Marcel Carne, French Director

26

"Every time, I try to make something different."

"Every time, I try to make something different."

Barbet Schroeder, French Director

26

"One of the reasons I love to jump back and forth between mediums is that film does allow me to be more literal. I can go to the real place. I can go to the Coliseum, and I don't have to fake it."

"One of the reasons I love to jump back and forth between mediums is that film does allow me to be more literal. I can go to the real place. I can go to the Coliseum, and I don't have to fake it."

Julie Taymor, American Director

26

"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

26

"And with Aaron, I'd have to find a reason not to work with him."

"And with Aaron, I'd have to find a reason not to work with him."

Neil LaBute, American Director

26

"That attitude toward women as objects may have worked for the late Sixties, but it doesn't do so now."

"That attitude toward women as objects may have worked for the late Sixties, but it doesn't do so now."

John Schlesinger, British Director

Attitude, Women, May, Now

26

"The truth is, I'm drawn to all kinds of things."

"The truth is, I'm drawn to all kinds of things."

Philip Kaufman, American Director

25

"Like anywhere, we had to make people understand that we were there with good intentions, and that we were there with respect. We started making contacts with the people in the neighborhood three months before shooting began, so that everyone involved was comfortable."

"Like anywhere, we had to make people understand that we were there with good intentions, and that we were there with respect. We started making contacts with the people in the neighborhood three months before shooting began, so that everyone involved was comfortable."

Mathieu Kassovitz, French Director

People, Intentions, Months, Respect

25

"I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick. Not wounded. Dead."

"I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick. Not wounded. Dead."

Woody Allen, American Director

Food, Oysters, Want, Will

25

"To find a script that works with provocative ideas is hard to find."

"To find a script that works with provocative ideas is hard to find."

John McTiernan, American Director

Creativity, Ideas, Provocative

25

"I think the more the actor lets you know what he thinks of the character, the less the audience cares - like a comedian who laughs at his own jokes."

"I think the more the actor lets you know what he thinks of the character, the less the audience cares - like a comedian who laughs at his own jokes."

Neil LaBute, American Director

Character, Actor, Jokes

25

"Without In The Company of Men, I could still be teaching, so who knows if this would've existed."

"Without In The Company of Men, I could still be teaching, so who knows if this would've existed."

Neil LaBute, American Director

Man, Men, Company, Teaching

25

"We deserved it. I mean, if you get a pummeling, you deserved it. But isn't it wonderful to remember a time that America was once so innocent that all we had to worry about was the next "Batman" movie?"

"We deserved it. I mean, if you get a pummeling, you deserved it. But isn't it wonderful to remember a time that America was once so innocent that all we had to worry about was the next "Batman" movie?"

Joel Schumacher, American Director

Time, America, Worry

25

"I think you're only free if you're working on very low or huge money."

"I think you're only free if you're working on very low or huge money."

George A. Romero, American Director

25

"Whatever you think of de Sade, he was a complex figure and we should not look for easy answers with him. He was, strangely perhaps, against the death penalty, and he was never put in prison for murders or anything like that."

"Whatever you think of de Sade, he was a complex figure and we should not look for easy answers with him. He was, strangely perhaps, against the death penalty, and he was never put in prison for murders or anything like that."

Philip Kaufman, American Director

Death, Answers, Prison

25

"But I still always felt the absence of a mother."

"But I still always felt the absence of a mother."

Marcel Carne, French Director

Family, Mother, Absence

25

"Americans in particular are myopic. They're not traveling as much. When you were a college student, the next thing you would do on graduation was to take a year off and travel. That's what I did. I went to Indonesia."

"Americans in particular are myopic. They're not traveling as much. When you were a college student, the next thing you would do on graduation was to take a year off and travel. That's what I did. I went to Indonesia."

Julie Taymor, American Director

Travel, Graduation, Americans, College

25

"His music was direct from his heart and brain in the purest form possible."

"His music was direct from his heart and brain in the purest form possible."

Joshua Logan, American Director

25

"To get an Oscar would be an incredible moment in my career, there is no doubt about that. But the 'Lord of the Rings' films are not made for Oscars, they are made for the audience."

"To get an Oscar would be an incredible moment in my career, there is no doubt about that. But the 'Lord of the Rings' films are not made for Oscars, they are made for the audience."

Peter Jackson, New Zealander Director

Career, Doubt, Newzealander

25

"Art is a sense of magic."

"Art is a sense of magic."

Stan Brakhage, American Director

Art, Magic, Sense

25

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