My mother was an actress. My father was an actor and a director. I am the son of filmmakers.

It's very difficult to be original.

I don't enter into particulars with [Ennio Morricone]. I give him the feeling and the suggestions of the characters.

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

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

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.

I work with intuition. With interpreters. I have my own method. I know exactly what I want from actors. Sometimes, I even recite the role to the actor if it's not clear.