This is our fault. My fault as much as the next man's, because even if I was against the war, I didn't do enough to stop it.

There are very few guys like me. I make a lot of money. I didn't always.

When we're threatened, it's very easy to appeal to our basic natures.

I was in a cult for thirty-four years. Everyone else could see it. I don’t know why I couldn’t.

United States could be a great country. It needs to be a great country. It's our responsibility as citizens to make that happen, every single one of us.

I like taking genres and subverting them. I did that with In the Valley of Elah. I said, "Okay, this is just a murder mystery. Relax." And then, two thirds of the way through, I broke every convention of a murder mystery.

If you make a film and then two and a half, three years later, suddenly the country's changed and you look like you just happened to hit it. I actually like being contrarian. I would have preferred to come out three years ago when everyone was disagreeing with me. But hopefully it asks a lot of questions about our responsibility in sending young men and women to war, especially a war that's so complex, where there's no right answer, where they're forced with impossible decisions every day.