A film is one small voice among other large ones. The film is a tiny part of the discourse. You do what you can but under no illusions of what a film can do.

A movie isn't a political movement, a party or even an article. It's just a film. At best it can add its voice to public outrage.

Maybe if we tell the truth about the past, we can tell the truth about the present.

The duty of a film director is to focus more on the soul of the spectator.

About Thatcher's death: Let's privatise her funeral. Put it out on competetive tender and accept the cheapest bid. That's what she would have wanted.

The most depressing thing is the political slogan: there is no alternative. But there is.

One lesson to learn is that the press and the broadcasters are not neutral. And it seems we have to learn it each time there is a dispute: they are actually committed to one side.

Shaping it is something I would expect to do together with a writer, because that's a director's job.

You'll get unsociable people whatever the nationality, colour, race or creed. I guess the British abroad have probably got the worst record of anyone.

A world without music is only filled with sounds in the air

Any definition of a successful life must include service to others.

I compare Stephen Sondheim with humor, because humor is unanalyzable. You can't analyze humor. You just have to get through it.

Collect as precious pearls the words of the wise and virtuous.

One of the major problems is what we do to the soil, the air, the water and everything, we take in our food.

I don't want to just spend my life ridiculing something that I find ridiculous, although there is an element of satire in my work.

When I ran for governor, was I ambitious? Yes. Anyone, male or female, who goes through the trials of a campaign must be ambitious.

I am more a teenager than anyone else I know. One minute I feel really adult and the next minute I say, 'Let's play hide-and-seek.'

Any bull market covers a multitude of sins, so there may be all sorts of problems with the current system that we won't see until the bear market comes.

The proud are ever most provoked by pride.