"The idea that social restraints are all bad is based on a utopian and unrealistic vision of man."

"What is there in the human spirit that makes it so difficult for us to be happy?"

"I'm not interested in making films for critics. I'm interested in making films for audiences, and if they like them, that's all that matters."

"You can't make a film without being a bit of a dictator. You have to be able to say, 'This is what I want,' and everyone else has to follow."

"The thing about movies is that they're a reflection of life, but they're also a way of escaping from it."