Steven Spielberg

Steven: I`ve learned that we can do just about anything under the sun with computers. So the question becomes, should we? Or, should we remind ourselves, as filmmakers, to be careful and remember that there is nothing more important than how a story is told? If storytelling becomes a byproduct of the digital revolution, then the medium itself is corrupted. On the other hand, if digital tools are simply a way to enhance a conventional story, then in that case, they can make telling that story easier. It`s easier and more practical to show 20,000 soldiers in the Crimean War using computers, obviously. So, that`s fine. But now, we have technology that can replace actors, or an entire performance in an already existing movie. We could cut out Humphrey Bogart and replace him with Vin Diesel, if somebody wanted. Who would want to? Well, there might be people who would. That`s why we have to be careful. Movies reflect our cultural heritage from the period in time in which they were made. Therefore, altering them can destroy that historical perspective. That`s disrespectful of history, which is a big issue for me. The situation is like walking a tightrope - we have to move forward, but we have to be careful.

Steven: After a scary movie about the world almost ending, we can walk into the sunlight and say, "Wow, everything`s still here. I`m OK!" We like to tease ourselves. Human beings have a need to get close to the edge and, when filmmakers or writers can take them to the edge, it feels like a dream where you`re falling, but you wake up just before you hit the ground.

Steven: I think every film I make that puts characters in jeopardy is me purging my own fears, sadly only to re-engage with them shortly after the release of the picture. I`ll never make enough films to purge them all.

Steven: I never felt comfortable with myself, because I was never part of the majority. I always felt awkward and shy and on the outside of the momentum of my friends' lives.

Steven: Every time I go to a movie, it's magic, no matter what the movie's about.

Steven: All of us every single year, we're a different person. I don't think we're the same person all our lives.

Steven: A lot of the films I've made probably could have worked just as well 50 years ago, and that's just because I have a lot of old-fashion values.

Steven: I wanted to do another movie that could make us laugh and cry and feel good about the world. I wanted to do something else that could make us smile. This is a time when we need to smile more and Hollywood movies are supposed to do that for people in difficult times.

Steven Spielberg: (After winning the Best Director Oscar) Am I allowed to say I really wanted this?

(on making "Indiana Jones 4") Steven: Well, for me, making the latest installment of Indiana Jones was like getting back on the bicycle I hadn't ridden in 18 years. And I was able to keep my balance without training wheels. I was sort of amazed that all of us got our Indy legs back in the first couple of days of shooting, and that was the good news. It was a real reunion, with the sweetest memories we shared from 1980 through 1989, when we made three Indiana Jones features.

(on the ending to "Schindler's List") Steven: In all great drama there's redemption. Without redemption there is no hope. And the one thing I'm never going to give up on is hope. A lot of people said at the time, "Why didn't the film end brutally for all 1,200 Schindler Juden? Why were they saved? Why put on a 'Spielbergian' happy ending?" In fact, the story came right out of history. I could have chosen a much darker Holocaust story where nobody survives the furnaces, but I wanted some kind of redemption. That's the person I am and I can't survive without that in my life.

Steven: I always like to think of the audience when I am directing. Because I am the audience.

Steven: I don't drink coffee. I've never had a cup of coffee in my entire life. That's something you probably don't know about me. I've hated the taste since I was a kid.

Steven: I dream for a living.

Steven: Before I go off and direct a movie I always look at 4 films. They tend to be: The Seven Samurai, Lawrence of Arabia, It's A Wonderful Life, and The Searchers.

Steven: What I'm saying is that I believe in showmanship.

Steven: The older I get, the more I look at movies as a moving miracle.

Steven: I have made almost as many films in England as I have in America. I will come back to England again and again.

Steven: I would love to see the British film industry get back on its feet again.