Stephen Frears Quotations

I grew up with those MGM musicals, so I have an idea what I like from a musical. It helped to read a book about making musicals, however.

I teach film directing, inasmuch as you can. It's not really possible to teach film direction, but I sit there as a sort of testimony of experience and know-how, I suppose.

When I go and teach, it sort of opens me up in some way. And when you're open, you're more receptive.

Truth is quite constricting, in a way. You endlessly see at the start of a film 'This is a true story'.

I've tried to draw a line between my films and identify the themes that keep returning, but I can't. I wish sometimes I could identify the type of films I do, but so far I have not. Whatever strikes me, is about as analytical as I can get.

It was very very English. It was like a sort licensed national dirty joke.

These were women who did not make a habit of taking their clothes off in public before they began performing at the Windmill. I suppose we could view all of this as politically incorrect, but the truth is that what happened at the Windmill brought many people together as a means of escaping the tragedy that was surrounding them.

I've always found poverty a source of strength.

I want my films to get audiences. I am not interested in making them just for myself.

I like a lot of takes. I just go on until the actors get it right.

I have people around me. I have a semi-permanent crew. If I make a film, they just turn up. They don't even invite themselves. They don't ask if they can come - they just turn up!

I like making films about different cultures. I'm interested in things that I've never encountered before. I try to put myself in the audience's position.

I'm Jewish; I'm not religious at all, and I wouldn't pretend to know anything about Catholic politics.

I remember reading the script for 'Dangerous Liaisons' and thinking that I could quite happily spend the rest of my life watching this film; the story and the writing were so wonderful.

I never thought I was very good at developing material. I grew up at the BBC where they sent you scripts.

By putting a girl in there you immediately get a much more modern sensibility so you avoid making it a Victorian melodrama.

To be successful at anything, you need the right to fail, not just occasionally.

As a director, my job is to protect. I protect scripts, actors, cameramen, designers.

It never crossed my mind to make a film about Muhammad Ali or the Queen or any of them! They just come out of the blue.

There's the physical life and the voice, but at some point you abandon all of that, you know what the spirit of the person is and you let it descend and just get on with it.

The only way you can learn about making films is by making them, by putting your stamp on the thing.

I teach film directing, inasmuch as you can. Its not really possible to teach film direction, but I sit there as a sort of testimony of experience and know-how, I suppose.

Audiences arent fools - their judgement really is important. And the true heroes of films are the investors. They take the risk, after all.