All film directors, whether famous or obscure, regard themselves as misunderstood or underrated. Because of that, they all lie. They're obliged to overstate their own importance. Francois Truffaut More Quotes by Francois Truffaut More Quotes From Francois Truffaut Three films a day, three books a week and records of great music would be enough to make me happy to the day I die. Francois Truffaut records three book An actor is never so great as when he reminds you of an animal - falling like a cat, lying like a dog, moving like a fox. Francois Truffaut falling-in-love dog lying There are no good and bad movies, only good and bad directors Francois Truffaut auteur-theory good-and-bad directors I demand that a film express either the joy of making cinema or the agony of making cinema. I am not at all interested in anything in between. Francois Truffaut agony cinema joy When I begin a film, I want to make a great film. Halfway through, I just hope to finish the film. Francois Truffaut great-film film want But the cinephile is … a neurotic! (That’s not a pejorative term.) The Bronte sisters were neurotic, and it’s because they were neurotic that they read all those books and became writers. The famous French advertising slogan that says, “When you love life, you go to the movies,” it’s false! It’s exactly the opposite: when you don’t love life, or when life doesn’t give you satisfaction, you go to the movies. Francois Truffaut love-life opposites book In love, women are professionals, men are amateurs. Francois Truffaut funny-love women funny The most beautiful thing I have ever seen in a movie theatre is to go down to the front and turn around, and look at all the uplifted faces, the light from the screen reflected upon them. Francois Truffaut theatre light beautiful Taste is a result of a thousand distastes. Francois Truffaut results thousand taste The film of tomorrow will not be directed by civil servants of the camera, but by artists for whom shooting a film constitutes a wonderful and thrilling adventure. Francois Truffaut hippie adventure travel Film lovers are sick people. Francois Truffaut sick lovers people I have always preferred the reflection of the life to life itself. Francois Truffaut reflecting reflection Some day I'll make a film that critics will like. When I have money to waste. Francois Truffaut waste critics film The man who thinks he can do without the world is indeed mistaken; but the man who thinks the world cannot do without him is mistaken even worse. Francois Truffaut political men thinking When humor can be made to alternate with melancholy, one has a success, but when the same things are funny and melancholic at the same time, it's just wonderful. Francois Truffaut humor wonderful funny Life has more imagination than we do. Francois Truffaut imagination I love the way she projects two facets: a visible persona and a subterranean one. She keeps her thoughts to herself; she seems to suggest that her secret, inner life is at least as significant as the appearance she gives. Francois Truffaut secret giving two I am often asked at what point in my love affair with films I began to want to be a director or a critic. Truthfully, I don't know. All I know is that I wanted to get closer and closer to films. Francois Truffaut film want directors Is the cinema more important than life? Francois Truffaut cinema important Hitchcock loves to be misunderstood, because he has based his whole life around misunderstandings. Francois Truffaut hitchcock whole-life misunderstood
