I never said all actors are cattle; what I said was all actors should be treated like cattle.

Making a film means, first of all, to tell a story. That story can be an improbable one, but it should never be banal. It must be dramatic and human. What is drama, after all, but life with the dull bits cut out?

There is nothing so good as a burial at sea. It is simple, tidy, and not very incriminating.

If it's a good movie, the sound could go off and the audience would still have a perfectly clear idea of what was going on.

Never turn your back on a friend.

I am a typed director. If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach.

Conversation is the enemy of good wine and food.