I'm as much a victim of the romantic myth of 'getting away' as anyone else. My head tells me it's myth, but I don't want to believe it is.

Editing feels almost like sculpting or a form of continuing the writing process.

Every single art form is involved in film, in a way.

I think it's a terrible shame that politics has become show business.

I mean, certainly writing, painting, photography, dance, architecture, there is an aspect of almost every art form that is useful and that merges into film in some way.

I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.

But, I've made films in Japan, in Yugoslavia, all over Europe, all over the United States, Mexico, but not Hollywood.

I have one life. I am a certain age. I'm married to one person. I have a certain number of children. I won't have another life other than that, but I do have many lives through the films.

I mean, the truth of the matter is, I like the failures as much as I like the successes, it's only the world that doesn't like the failures.

Making films is much more difficult than people imagine, and so the experience of actually directing them is not one I've ever relished.

One wants to be able to experience being other people, remaking a reality, remaking a life, remaking a certain world.

Your mind controls your actions and that means when your mind gives you designed thoughts, your actions too are going to be designed actions!

Nothing is as deadly as the love of a powerful man.

You owe it to yourself, to refuse to surrender to obstacles that are meant to stop you from reaching far in your endeavours. Be determined that you will never be a captive of your environment.

Love covers all shortcomings and failures, overlooks one's mistakes and does not bring to mind one's past mistakes - My Last Letter, Chapter 1

Oh good gray head which all men knew!

I'm so dependent on reacting to the other actors on the set, and to the director. I'm very responsive. I react. And I treasure the energy that reaction gives.

Stop stewing and start doing!

It is impossible, in principle, to explain any pattern by invoking a single quantity.

And sing to those that hold the vital shears; And turn the adamantine spindle round, On which the fate of gods and men is wound.

I am not a moderate. I am a conservative. I'm a fix-it conservative.