No, United Artists was a very extraordinary organization, because once they had agreed on the director, they believed in letting him have his way. They trusted me, and that doesn't often happen.

I've never felt that using something with tongue in cheek has been a bad thing.

There are certain actors who are very good at improvising, like Dustin Hoffman and Glenda Jackson.

Making a film is like going down a mine-once you've started you bid a metaphoricalgoodbye to the daylight and the outside world for the duration.

I'll never forget the first screening at the Berlin Film Festival. As soon as the film ended there was an outbreak of booing, which made us look at each other with some surprise.

Oh, the relationship with actors and managers and agents and things is a terrible problem sometimes.

Hollywood is an extraordinary kind of temporary place.