Quotes by Mike Leigh

Mike Leigh

A lot of the reasons that I’m resistant to making films in the U.S. have nothing to do with not doing a film in Hollywood, but rather to do with what I’m committed to working on in the U.K. I feel very committed to the British film industry and infrastructure.

Film

Hollywood

Reason

As a general habit and general tendency, I prefer not to bog a piece down with a great number of transitory, contemporary references, because in the end, I’m concerned, not in an abstract way, but an actual way, with creating a world which has a universality to it – even though what goes on is made up of texture and detail, contemporary detail.

Abstract

Habit

World

Because of the way that I work with the actors and because a scene is not in this rigid and literal interpretation of something written, I can constantly change stuff, which means I can get a scene absolutely perfect, and then when we go to shoot it, the requirements of the shot mean it would be useful to extend the dialogue or take a line out or swap things around. So the camera doesn’t serve the action. The action serves the camera. That’s important. So it becomes more and more organic and integrated.

Important

Mean

Perfect

But actually I make films that I think are extremely sophisticated and cinematic.

Film

Sophisticated

Thinking

But films should be voyeuristic. What else is a film if you’re not snooping into somebody else’s lives?

Film

Should

Snooping

Film-makers should remain true to their principles and never compromise, there is a real revival in the British film industry but there is a danger that we will become colonial servants of Hollywood. We need to maintain our own integrity.

Integrity

Principles

Real

Films are made all over the world all the time and only a thin slice of that product is Hollywood.

Film

Hollywood

World

For me the journey of making a film is a journey of discovery as to what that film is. I mean what I do is what other artists do, painters, novelists, people that make music, poets, sculptors, you name it. It’s about starting out and working with the material and discovering through making, working with the material the artifact.

Artist

Journey

Mean

Given the choice of Hollywood or poking steel pins in my eyes, I’d prefer steel pins.

Choices

Eye

Hollywood

Given the events of even the 19th century, Zionism was inevitable. Given the events of the 20th century, Israel was inevitable.

Century

Events

Israel

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Able

Abstract

Acting

Action

Actors

Art

Artist

Awareness

Bed

Believe

Beverly Hills

Bored

British

Cameras

Care

Cases

Century

Character

Choices

Cinema

Class

Consciousness

Constant

Country

Couple

Creeps

Cry

Cutting

Destroying

Developing

Directors

Enough

Ensemble

Essence

Events

Eye

Feelings

Feels

Film

Forgotten

Funny

Generosity

Girl

Giving

Good Things

Guy

Habit

Happens

Hate

Healthy

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The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

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The Autobiography

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Quotes by Mike Leigh

Mike Leigh

A lot of the reasons that I’m resistant to making films in the U.S. have nothing to do with not doing a film in Hollywood, but rather to do with what I’m committed to working on in the U.K. I feel very committed to the British film industry and infrastructure.

But actually I make films that I think are extremely sophisticated and cinematic.

But films should be voyeuristic. What else is a film if you’re not snooping into somebody else’s lives?

Film-makers should remain true to their principles and never compromise, there is a real revival in the British film industry but there is a danger that we will become colonial servants of Hollywood. We need to maintain our own integrity.

Films are made all over the world all the time and only a thin slice of that product is Hollywood.

Given the choice of Hollywood or poking steel pins in my eyes, I’d prefer steel pins.

Given the events of even the 19th century, Zionism was inevitable. Given the events of the 20th century, Israel was inevitable.

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The Future Blueprint

The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

The Autobiography

The Behaviour Diary

The Dating Diary

The Relationship Therapist

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