Happiness is happiness. [On his film, Apocalypse Now, at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival] "My movie is not about Vietnam... my movie is Vietnam." "What the studios want now is "risk-free" films but with any sort of art you have to take risks. Not taking risks in art is like not having sex and then expecting there to be children." "I just feel that at a certain point you have to go back to the beginning again. The best thing for me at this point in my life is to become a student again and make movies with the eyes I had when I was enthusiastic about it in the first place." "In a sense, I think a movie is really a little like a question and when you make it, that's when you get the answer." "All of a sudden, there are great Japanese films, or great Italian films, or great Australian films. It's usually because there are a number of people that cross- pollinated each other." "Anything you build on a large scale or with intense passion invites chaos." "I bring to my life a certain amount of mess." "I probably have genius. But no talent." "Lots of people have criticized my movies, but nobody has ever identified the real problem: I'm a sloppy filmmaker." "Wall Streets got interested in film and communications, and these are the people who brought you the Big Mac. In the past twelve years, I can't think of one classic they've made." (1996) "Basically, both the Mafia and America feel they are benevolent organizations. And both the Mafia and America have their hands stained with blood from what it is necessary to do to protect their power and interests."