I have the confidence that I can take anybody and have them give a good performance, because I don't think there's anything to acting except expressing, being able to converse. So if I can just convince somebody not to clean themselves up, and not to be someone that they're not, and just be what they are in given circumstances, that's all that acting is to me, and I don't think it's very difficult.
John CassavetesIโm very worried about the depiction of women on the screen. Itโs gotten worse than ever and itโs related to their being either high- or low-class concubines, and the only question is when or where they will go to bed, with whom, and how many. Thereโs nothing to do with the dreams of women, or of woman as the dream, nothing to do with the quirky part of her, the wonder of her.
John CassavetesPeople who are making films today are too concerned with mechanics - technical things instead of feeling.
John CassavetesAn artist can accomplish anything provided he doesn't accept facts or defeat for more than a few minutes.
John CassavetesIโve never seen an exploding helicopter. Iโve never seen anybody go and blow somebodyโs head off. So why should I make films about them? But I have seen people destroy themselves in the smallest way, Iโve seen people withdraw, Iโve seen people hide behind political ideas, behind dope, behind the sexual revolution, behind fascism, behind hypocrisy, and Iโve myself done all these things. So I can understand them. What we are saying is so gentle. Itโs gentleness. We have problems, terrible problems, but our problems are human problems.
John Cassavetes