There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain which is like socialist neo-realism. That's always been there. I've never been part of that, really; I've been much closer to fantasy.

And you poor creatures--who conjured you out of the clay? Is God in show business, too?

All the great legends are Templates for human behavior. I would define a myth as a story that has survived.

There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain which is like socialist neo-realism. That's always been there. I've never been part of that, really; I've been much closer to fantasy.

There are always forces at work in a society, which are really forces of censorship - either religious bodies or zealots who are always putting pressure on things, whether it's books or art or film.

When actors are being defensive and defending their position, that is when you get less than good acting.

The resistance to black-and-white is huge, in the way that you have to sell the film. It's difficult to distribute around the world.