Tolstoy was the most gifted writer who ever lived. It's like he stuck a pen in his heart and it didn't even go through his mind on its way to the page.

Every human being has hundreds of separate people living under his skin.

I only direct in self-defense.

Usually when a lot of men get together, it's called a war.

Sir, I have seen your film and it is vulgar! Madame, my film rises below vulgarity.

Everything we do in life is based on fear, especially love.

When I was a little boy, I thought when I grew up I would talk Yiddish. I thought little kids talked English, but when they became adults, they would talk Yiddish like the adults did. There would be no reason to talk English anymore, because we would have made it.