(On whether he operates camera in his movies): The criterion is when I want to see what's going on through the lens. Usually, it comes down to performance more than technique...I've also worked with the same camera crews, even down to the assistants, on the last four films. [1999]. So, we've developed a family in camera. A family that picks right up where they left off every few years. I see the world from the perspective of a 5'8" person, not someone who is 6'4". so naturally, I'm going to choose certain lens heights over and again...Sometimes nature makes choices for you. "A 65-ft.-wide screen and 500 people reacting to the movie, there is nothing like that experience." [on the cinematic experience] "Could I have worked under a system where there were Draconian controls on my creativity, meaning budget, time, script choices, etc.? Definitely not. I would have fared poorly under the old studio system that guys like Howard Hawks did so well in. I cannot just make a film and walk away from it. I need that creative intimacy, and quite frankly, the control to execute my visions, on all my projects." "I think it's easy for directors to stay fresh more than actors, especially once an actor becomes a star. It's hard for Russell Crowe to walk down a street or take a subway. I can fly coach."