I don't want all of American cinema to be big cartoons that are just made to be digested by the entire world.

Somewhat dramatic things happen, and you don't even always notice them — that's what life is.

I still have energy and some degree of youth, which is what a filmmaker needs.

That's how I like to do it with actors, have them really go for it and I'll tell them when it's too much. It's always easier to bring it back then to push it further.

If you're not making epic, archetypal films on some level, I think you're wasting a great potential of cinema.

A lot of people get stuck, like, "Oh, if it's made by a studio, it can't be independent." Often they link it to the source of financing, or how it's distributed, but I don't really know how you can. A filmmaker will take his money from anywhere. It doesn't matter.

The actors are the greatest executors of tone in a film. They're the most important cinematic component.