"By the time a film of mine makes it into the theatres, I have a love-hate relationship with it. There is always something I could have done to make it better." "'French Connection' was really made in the editing room. One of the easiest sequences to do was the chase scene. It was relatively easy to do because everything was worked out minutely, carefully planned and checked in advance. Of course, there were some human errors and we did wreck a couple of cars before we were through." [After directing the "French Connection" (1971)] "Each picture I've done so far has been for different reasons. 'The Birthday Party,' for instance, was purely a labor of love. I wanted to do Pinter. Others were to advance my career, to get better assignments. I have no regard for an no knowledge of the value of money, and I'm not saying that's a virtue, just a fact. For me, the greatest thrill in the world, the only thrill, is getting 20 seconds on the screen that really gas you." "I consider myself just another member of the crew, the highest paid member of the crew." "Directing is the provenance of younger guys. When I broke into film I had no specific genius. I was just young. That's how I did it. The studios feel that movies are all about a youth movement, and they always have. That's why Orson Welles got to make Citizen Kane at 25. It's also why Billy Wilder at the end of his career, when he was smarter, wittier and more energetic than most directors half his age, couldn't even get a meeting."