Director

How do I respond to criticism? Critically. I listen to all criticism critically.

I don't think it's a director's job to peek behind the curtain too much.

Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.

There's a lot for screenwriters to steal from songwriters, in terms of getting to the point.

I don't get a sense of American pride. I just get a sense that everyone is here, battling the same thing - that around the world everybody's after the same thing, just some minor piece of happiness each day.

I don't want to be the angry guy.

No matter how many times you do it, you don't get used to the sadness - for me at least - of coming to the end of a film.

I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never let the audience get ahead of you for a second. So if the film's abrasive and wrongfoots people then, y'know, that's great. But I hope it involves an audience.

No, really. Just do it. You have some kind of weird reasons that are okay.

I had the standard movie geek childhood, because for as long as I can remember, all I wanted to do was make movies.

I don't miss scenes at all the way that I used to miss them when I was younger making a film. It's actually quite fun to get rid of them now.

I'll rebel against powers and principalities, all the time. Always, I will.

Acting is the hardest job in the entire world. By far. Harder than ditch digging.

I'm not really a Sundance baby, but they helped me so much I feel I have to acknowledge it.

As I have got older and become a father, there's less and less time for films.

I didn't have any desire I might have had 10 years ago to shoot every single word that I wrote.

So with 'There Will Be Blood,' I didn't even really feel like I was adapting a book. I was just desperate to find stuff to write.

Well I'd really love to work with Robert De Niro, because he's still the most talented actor out there.

I remember being taught in school that you would underline things that you liked. I remember just underlining everything as a kid, thinking, 'This has all gotta be important!' I would just underline the whole thing!

It's a gamble you take, the risk of alienating an audience. But there's a theory - sometimes it's better to confuse them for five minutes than let them get ahead of you for 10 seconds.