I'd been trying to retire to the back of the camera for quite a few years. And then, in 1970, when I first started directing, I if I could pull this off, I can some day just move in back of the camera and stay there.

There's a lot of great movies that have won the Academy Award, and a lot of great movies that haven't. You just do the best you can.

I haven't killed anybody all day. Help me keep it that way.

It's not about you. It's about them.

You always want to quit while you are ahead. You don't want to be like a fighter who stays too long in the ring until you're not performing at your best.

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.

Aging can be fun if you lay back and enjoy it.