I think that my films are westerns only in their exterior aspects. Within them are some of my truths, which happily, I see, belong to lots of parts of the world. Not just America.

From Ennio [Morricone] I ask for themes that clothe my characters easily. He's never read a script of mine to compose the music, because many times he's composed the music before the script is ever written.

I had never thought of making a western even as I was making it.

When you manage to express something with a look and the music instead of saying it with words or having the character speak, I think it's a more complete work.

My life, my reading, everything about me revolves around the cinema. So for me, cinema is life, and vice-versa.

I really do believe that the Jesuit system is better for a country.

I must be honest and say that I was under the fascination of films. I was fascinated by all films, even the words of them. If I was to do a more-precise analysis of the situation, I have to admit that I was more entertained by the bad films than the good ones. Because when something is beautiful, it is there; it is finished; it is done. It doesn't have to be touched or be worked upon.