There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain which is like socialist neo-realism. That's always been there. I've never been part of that, really; I've been much closer to fantasy. John Boorman More Quotes by John Boorman More Quotes From John Boorman You can't get an actor to do something that is beyond his range, so you have to be aware of the range of the actor and, if necessary, alter the part to suit the actor. John Boorman range suits actors All the great legends are Templates for human behavior. I would define a myth as a story that has survived. John Boorman legends behavior stories I look at the story, I look at the idea and just try to think of it in terms of that whole body of myth and see where the characters fit in and what they ought to be doing-all those archetypes are there to play with. John Boorman play character thinking I think most films are too predictable. They follow familiar patterns. I suppose audiences like to know where they stand but I like films that take me by surprise, take unexpected turns and twists. John Boorman unexpected surprise thinking What is passion? It is surely the becoming of a person. Are we not, for most of our lives, marking time? Most of our being is at rest, unlived. In passion, the body and the spirit seek expression outside of self. Passion is all that is other from self. Sex is only interesting when it releases passion. The more extreme and the more expressed that passion is, the more unbearable does life seem without it. It reminds us that if passion dies or is denied, we are partly dead and that soon, come what may, we will be wholly so. John Boorman passion self sex The more extreme and the more expressed that passion is, the more unbearable does life seem without it. It reminds us that if passion dies or is denied, we are partly dead. John Boorman unbearable passion doe All art is fundamentally subversive, because it upsets people's perceptions, their notions about society. Therefore, art is dangerous, but good art is always making us reassess our thoughts and feelings about how we relate to other people. There are always people who fear that and want to suppress that. John Boorman feelings people art In the '60s and '70s it was a great period for American films because studios were still run by individuals who worked off the seat of their pants and went along with things. At that time, they were very uncertain about what to make because of the influence of television. A lot of really terrific movies were made. But then the studios gradually became more corporate and were owned by corporations and run in that way and now they're very nervous. You see what they make - sequels, franchises and try not to take risks. John Boorman risk running trying What is passion? Passion is surely the becoming of a person. John Boorman passion becoming inspirational Movie-making is the process of turning money into light. All they have at the end of the day is images flickering on a wall. John Boorman wall the-end-of-the-day light Black and white is much closer to the condition of John Boorman black-and-white dream thinking All the interesting films are now being made by their subsidiaries for very low budgets. But the studios are not making money. They're making these big, very expensive pictures that take a lot of money but don't really pay for their costs. So they're having a very difficult time. I can see the system breaking down. I think the American studios are a reflection or a metaphor for American industry altogether, which is failing in the world. Its economic domination is being broken down and I think the same thing is happening to the studios. John Boorman reflection interesting thinking And you poor creatures--who conjured you out of the clay? Is God in show business, too? John Boorman clay poor god I'm trying to suggest a kind of Middle Earth, in Tolkien terms. It's a contiguous world; it's like ours but different. John Boorman different trying world I was in Japan, and my assistant director had worked with Kurosawa. I used quite of number of Kurosawa's crew. John Boorman japan numbers directors I only storyboard scenes that require special effects, where it is necessary to communicate through pictures. John Boorman scene special talking When actors are being defensive and defending their position, that is when you get less than good acting. John Boorman position actors acting There were two sides to David Lean: on the one side, he was kind of a rather stiff, disciplined Englishman. And then he had this kind of romantic side to him. I think being true to both sides of your nature is important. John Boorman two-sides romantic thinking There are always forces at work in a society, certainly in America, which are really forces of censorship -either religious bodies or zealots who are always putting pressure on things, whether it's books or art or film. And all art is fundamentally subversive, because it upsets people's perceptions, their notions about society. Therefore, art is dangerous, but good art is always making us reassess our thoughts and feelings about how we relate to other people. There are always people who fear that and want to suppress that. John Boorman religious book art It's so easy to manipulate an audience, but it's nearly always clear that you are being manipulated. I think even people that are not critically attuned are aware of cynical manipulation in film. John Boorman cynical people thinking
