All films are political, whether they mean to be or not. Star Wars is political. As soon as you have conflict, which is the key to most films, you have politics. It's just that some are more artful with the handling of politics than others.
Sydney PollackBut, I've made films in Japan, in Yugoslavia, all over Europe, all over the United States, Mexico, but not Hollywood.
Sydney PollackOK, I know this is going to disgust you, Michael, but a lot of people are in this business to make money.
Sydney PollackYou mustn't regret decisions that you make. Because the decisions are made out of your gut in a way and you have to stick with them.
Sydney PollackOnce I start to do a film, it has inferences. If a guy walks down a street and kicks a dog, you're saying something about that guy. A guy walks down the street and somebody's about to be run over and he shoves him out of his way and gets hit by the car himself, you're saying that guy's a hero. You can't avoid making certain statements.
Sydney Pollack