I made 'Empire of the Sun' in Shanghai in the 1980s and want to come back one day to make a movie in China.

You know, I don't really do that much looking inside me when I'm working on a project. Whatever I am becomes what that film is. But I change; you change.

I'm always in favor of Israel responding strongly when it's threatened. At the same time, a response to a response doesn't really solve anything. It just creates a perpetual-motion machine.

Whether in success or in failure, I'm proud of every single movie I've ever directed.

For one thing, I don't think that anybody in any war thinks of themselves as a hero.

I think that is the secret of great acting. You have to bring your imagination to the party. You've got to have a great imagination.

In high school, I got smacked and kicked around. Two bloody noses. It was horrible.