I want films to haunt an audience, to give them something to remember and be able to talk about.

I have not been a follower of how many millions my films made or did not make.

After 'The Empire Strikes Back,' I got to make big films that I didn't care about, 'Never Say Never Again' and 'RoboCop 2,' and then I got too old.

There's nothing more interesting than the landscape of the human face.

Film is a window to the real world but a lie that makes you believe the unbelievable.

I love my early movies, but naturalism is an artist's early style. Now I want to deal with feelings, dreams, an acceptance of irrationality.

It's a matter of pride to me to get the film done fast, to get it done well. I understand the need for compromise. There is no such thing as a perfect shot, a perfect film. The purpose of film is not to make a monument to oneself.