It is clear that the vehicle of the western was a very interesting vehicle for me to contraband some of my ideas.

Young people of this century, like my son, didn't live through all those things that went on during that period of time, from 1930 to 1950. They're missing that experience. To go from a bicycle to a vehicle that takes somebody to the moon - only we saw this kind of thing.

There are directors, and there are authors. I think I am more of an author than a director.

My films are often characterized by the lack of women present in them, except for this last one [Once Upon a Time in America].

I admit that some of my ideas may have turned out to be pessimistic in nature.

I'm terrified by young people who are doing what they think is film making. What they're really doing is taking that convulsed, fast rhythm of commercials. It's not film making.

When one goes to see Modern Times, for instance, one understands much more about socialism than listening to the man who was then head of the Socialist movement in Italy.