I never look back and think too much about my films. I've done some work I've been proud of over the years but which of them is my favourite I really don't know. I could say the last one. I've had little jumps in my career like Unforgiven possibly.

If you've done what you intended and if nobody tampered with it, then it's yours. And if people don't like it, then they just don't agree with you on that subject matter, and that's life.

I've never been on a movie where they play five-dollar Friday. I must not be very observant.

We were dealing with films that had very prominent roles for women and I felt I was actually contributing something. Many people had wondered why I would want to do a film where the best part was a woman's part. But I wasn't afraid to be the lesser intelligence in a film.

You take the work seriously, you don't take yourself seriously. You keep that straight and you'll do well the rest of your life.

I don't really get into a big intellectual analysis of why I am going to do a certain script or not.

There's a rebel lying deep in my soul.