I have ten commandments. The first nine are, thou shalt not bore. The tenth is, thou shalt have right of final cut.

Film’s thought of as a director’s medium because the director creates the end product that appears on the screen. It’s that stupid auteur theory again, that the director is the author of the film. But what does the director shoot-the telephone book? Writers became much more important when sound came in, but they’ve had to put up a valiant fight to get the credit they deserve.

Money makes even bastards legitimate.

The forest of Compiegne. Look at it. Like a kind grandmother dozing in her rocking chair. Old trees practicing curtsies in the wind because they still think Louis XIV is king.

Shoot a few scenes out of focus. I want to win the foreign film award.

I hate that word. It's return--a return to the millions of people who've never forgiven me for deserting the screen.

My Aunt Minnie would always be punctual and never hold up production, but who would pay to see my Aunt Minnie?