Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 64/67

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Quotes by Director

"I feel that life is divided into the horrible and the miserable. That's the two categories. The horrible are like, I don't know, terminal cases, you know, and blind people, crippled. I don't know how they get through life. It's amazing to me. And the miserable is everyone else. So you should be thankful that you're miserable, because that's very lucky, to be miserable."

"I feel that life is divided into the horrible and the miserable. That's the two categories. The horrible are like, I don't know, terminal cases, you know, and blind people, crippled. I don't know how they get through life. It's amazing to me. And the miserable is everyone else. So you should be thankful that you're miserable, because that's very lucky, to be miserable."

Woody Allen, American Director

Life, Gratitude, Happiness, Perspective

7

"What I have learned from my work up to now, is to try to be open, but also protect myself by not letting the good and the evil get too much importance."

"What I have learned from my work up to now, is to try to be open, but also protect myself by not letting the good and the evil get too much importance."

Jane Campion, New Zealander Director

Work, Evil, Importance, Now

7

"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

7

"We've had no problems with the actors, but we keep a really loose set."

"We've had no problems with the actors, but we keep a really loose set."

Peter Farrelly, American Director

Actor, Actors, Problems

7

"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

7

"I read cover to cover every jazz publication that I could and in the New York Times, every single day reading their jazz reviews even though I didn't put them in the films. I wanted to know what is going on."

"I read cover to cover every jazz publication that I could and in the New York Times, every single day reading their jazz reviews even though I didn't put them in the films. I wanted to know what is going on."

Ken Burns, American Director

Lifestyle, Day, Jazz, Reading

7

"One of my contemporaries, a colorless chap who worked much harder at his law studies, is now Prime Minister."

"One of my contemporaries, a colorless chap who worked much harder at his law studies, is now Prime Minister."

Alex Cox, British Director

7

"I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the road that I have the most passion on because then you can never really blame yourself for making the wrong choices. You can always say you're following your passion."

"I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the road that I have the most passion on because then you can never really blame yourself for making the wrong choices. You can always say you're following your passion."

Darren Aronofsky, American Director

Life, Blame, Choices, End

7

"Since we had little money and few documents, we had nothing."

"Since we had little money and few documents, we had nothing."

Alain Resnais, French Director

7

"I still think like a critic, and I still analyze films like a critic. However, it's not possible to write criticism if you're making films."

"I still think like a critic, and I still analyze films like a critic. However, it's not possible to write criticism if you're making films."

Paul Schrader, American Director

7

"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

7

"I am not a pessimist; to perceive evil where it exists is, in my opinion, a form of optimism."

"I am not a pessimist; to perceive evil where it exists is, in my opinion, a form of optimism."

Roberto Rossellini, Italian Director

Optimism, Evil, Opinion

7

"I'd made these experimental films but I thought the major chore of a filmmaker was to relate to actors."

"I'd made these experimental films but I thought the major chore of a filmmaker was to relate to actors."

Bill Forsyth, Scottish Director

Thought, Actors

7

"People tend to work in teams, in a collaborative way, in an informal network. If you create an environment like that, it's much more effective and much more efficient."

"People tend to work in teams, in a collaborative way, in an informal network. If you create an environment like that, it's much more effective and much more efficient."

Jim Mitchell, American Director

Work, People, Environment, Network

7

"I don't use composers. I research music the way I research the photographs or the facts in my scripts."

"I don't use composers. I research music the way I research the photographs or the facts in my scripts."

Ken Burns, American Director

Music, Composers, Facts, Research

7

"My films are always concerned with family, friendship, honor, and patriotism."

"My films are always concerned with family, friendship, honor, and patriotism."

John Woo, Chinese Director

Friendship, Patriotism, Family, Honor

7

"The danger is not so much in the economic structure of a society but in its intellectual structure."

"The danger is not so much in the economic structure of a society but in its intellectual structure."

Philip Kaufman, American Director

Society, Danger

7

"You see a lot of good ideas or well-written scripts that are bad ideas."

"You see a lot of good ideas or well-written scripts that are bad ideas."

John McTiernan, American Director

Creativity, Ideas

7

"The power of sound to put an audience in a certain psychological state is vastly undervalued. And the more you know about music and harmony, the more you can do with that."

"The power of sound to put an audience in a certain psychological state is vastly undervalued. And the more you know about music and harmony, the more you can do with that."

Mike Figgis, English Director

Music, Power, Harmony, Sound

7

"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

7

"But everyone gets burnt, don't they? Certain things are outside of your control. I suppose the only thing you can learn as a director is to not put yourself into situations where it can get outside of your control. And that's what happened."

"But everyone gets burnt, don't they? Certain things are outside of your control. I suppose the only thing you can learn as a director is to not put yourself into situations where it can get outside of your control. And that's what happened."

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

7

"Married people from my generation are like an endangered species!"

"Married people from my generation are like an endangered species!"

Patrice Leconte, French Director

7

"I am fond of depicting the lives of young folks for one thing, and if you have parts for girls or young men, you must absolutely have young people to fill them - that is generally acknowledged now."

"I am fond of depicting the lives of young folks for one thing, and if you have parts for girls or young men, you must absolutely have young people to fill them - that is generally acknowledged now."

D. W. Griffith, American Director

Man, Men, People, Girls, Now

7

"Whereas European films have traditionally been able to go into adult relationships. I think there's a huge audience in America for those kinds of films."

"Whereas European films have traditionally been able to go into adult relationships. I think there's a huge audience in America for those kinds of films."

Philip Kaufman, American Director

Movies, America, Relationships

7

"Shakespeare, who is probably the greatest writer and poet of the English language, lived in a time that was politically very conservative and it's reflected in his writings."

"Shakespeare, who is probably the greatest writer and poet of the English language, lived in a time that was politically very conservative and it's reflected in his writings."

Alex Cox, British Director

Time, Conservative, English, Language

7

"A lot of young filmmakers bring their movies to my dad because he always gives lots of good editing ideas and notes. He'd be a good film professor."

"A lot of young filmmakers bring their movies to my dad because he always gives lots of good editing ideas and notes. He'd be a good film professor."

Sofia Coppola, American Director

Family, Dad, Movies, Ideas, Film

7

"And when you see it the first time you put the film together, the roughest cut, is when you want to go home and open up your veins and get in a warm tub and just go away. And then it gradually, maybe, works its way back, somewhere toward that spot you were at before."

"And when you see it the first time you put the film together, the roughest cut, is when you want to go home and open up your veins and get in a warm tub and just go away. And then it gradually, maybe, works its way back, somewhere toward that spot you were at before."

Joel Coen, American Director

Home, Time, Film, First

6

"To me, thoughts are fun and art is fun. The strength of our society should not be idle entertainments but the joy of pursuing ideas."

"To me, thoughts are fun and art is fun. The strength of our society should not be idle entertainments but the joy of pursuing ideas."

Philip Kaufman, American Director

Strength, Art, Society, Ideas

6

"We may pretend that we're basically moral people who make mistakes, but the whole of history proves otherwise."

"We may pretend that we're basically moral people who make mistakes, but the whole of history proves otherwise."

Terry Hands, British Director

History, People, May, Mistakes

6

"I took a test in Existentialism. I left all the answers blank and got 100."

"I took a test in Existentialism. I left all the answers blank and got 100."

Woody Allen, American Director

Philosophy, Humor, Existentialism, Education

6

"Mystery has its own mysteries, and there are gods above gods. We have ours, they have theirs. That is what's known as infinity."

"Mystery has its own mysteries, and there are gods above gods. We have ours, they have theirs. That is what's known as infinity."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

God, Gods, Infinity, Mystery

6

"You can have a lot of unhappiness by not having money, but the reverse is no guarantee of happiness."

"You can have a lot of unhappiness by not having money, but the reverse is no guarantee of happiness."

Philip Kaufman, American Director

Happiness, Money, Unhappiness

6

"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

6

"I'd even say it's a realistic film because that's the way it happens in our heads; that was the idea."

"I'd even say it's a realistic film because that's the way it happens in our heads; that was the idea."

Alain Resnais, French Director

Creativity, Idea, Film

6

"There is no way I could have ever dared to make a documentary, much less have the money to make a documentary, if it was on 16mm. But, with the magic of digital."

"There is no way I could have ever dared to make a documentary, much less have the money to make a documentary, if it was on 16mm. But, with the magic of digital."

Lloyd Kaufman, American Director

6

"There's action only if there is danger."

"There's action only if there is danger."

Howard Hawks, American Director

6

"The simple answer is I'd just be a guy trying to feed my family, like everybody else. The complicated answer is, I think I'd be in some sort of military or government world of some sort."

"The simple answer is I'd just be a guy trying to feed my family, like everybody else. The complicated answer is, I think I'd be in some sort of military or government world of some sort."

Antoine Fuqua, American Director

Government, Family, Military, Trying

6

"With it adult political audiences abandoned cinemas. In their place appeared a void. That previous political audience migrated to the seats in front of their TV."

"With it adult political audiences abandoned cinemas. In their place appeared a void. That previous political audience migrated to the seats in front of their TV."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

Media, Audiences

6

"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

6

"The movies I like to make are very rich and full of passion. Some people see me as an action director, but action is not the only thing in my movies. I always like to show human nature - something deep inside the heart."

"The movies I like to make are very rich and full of passion. Some people see me as an action director, but action is not the only thing in my movies. I always like to show human nature - something deep inside the heart."

John Woo, Chinese Director

Movies, Nature, People, Heart

6

"To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be happy one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness."

"To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be happy one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness."

Woody Allen, American Director

Philosophy, Love, Suffering, Happiness, Emotion

6

"Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the mental state of the protagonist."

"Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the mental state of the protagonist."

Alex Cox, British Director

Time, Film, State, Style

6

"We need the best education system in the United States. The best system, not the most expensive."

"We need the best education system in the United States. The best system, not the most expensive."

Bruce Brown, American Director

Education, States, United

6

"I went to the Glasgow Youth Theatre and they just let me in. But I was so shy that I was there for about six weeks without actually introducing myself."

"I went to the Glasgow Youth Theatre and they just let me in. But I was so shy that I was there for about six weeks without actually introducing myself."

Bill Forsyth, Scottish Director

Career, Theatre, Youth

6

"I think we grew up thinking that the funniest things on TV were the old, serious movies. I always liked the Marx Brothers, but the thing that always made us laugh were movies like Zero Hour. That's what inspired us."

"I think we grew up thinking that the funniest things on TV were the old, serious movies. I always liked the Marx Brothers, but the thing that always made us laugh were movies like Zero Hour. That's what inspired us."

David Zucker, American Director

Movies, Brothers, Old, Thinking

6

"I am never driven. Every film I've made has been an assignment."

"I am never driven. Every film I've made has been an assignment."

Alain Resnais, French Director

6

"They studio were flabbergasted when they discovered how interested everybody was in 'those old people.' And now many upcoming projects feature older people; it's become a trend."

"They studio were flabbergasted when they discovered how interested everybody was in 'those old people.' And now many upcoming projects feature older people; it's become a trend."

Daniel Petrie, Canadian Director

People, Now, Old, Projects

6

"Everything is worth precisely as much as a belch, the difference being that a belch is more satisfying."

"Everything is worth precisely as much as a belch, the difference being that a belch is more satisfying."

Ingmar Bergman, Swedish Director

Being, Difference, Worth

6

"We really love all sports, but we don't think in the long term. The reason we did Kingpin was because there was a script we really liked and we saw the possibilities."

"We really love all sports, but we don't think in the long term. The reason we did Kingpin was because there was a script we really liked and we saw the possibilities."

Peter Farrelly, American Director

Love, Sports, Possibilities, Reason

6

"Those artists who say that somehow therapy or analysis will thwart their creativity are completely misinformed. It's absolutely the opposite: it opens closed doors."

"Those artists who say that somehow therapy or analysis will thwart their creativity are completely misinformed. It's absolutely the opposite: it opens closed doors."

Paul Schrader, American Director

Creativity, Artists, Therapy, Will

6

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