I’ve never been certain whether the moral of the Icarus story should only be, as is generally accepted, ‘don’t try to fly too high,’ or whether it might also be thought of as ‘forget the wax and feathers, and do a better job on the wings.
A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction.
I do not always know what I want, but I do know what I don't want.
Nothing is as dangerous as a sure thing.
The destruction of this planet would have no significance on a cosmic scale.
The director's job is to know what emotional statement he wants a character to convey in his scene or his line, and to exercise taste and judgment in helping the actor give his best possible performance.