Sidney Lumet

“All great work is preparing yourself for the accident to happen.”

“For an actor, the most important thing is to be truthful. For a director, the most important thing is to create a world where the actor can be truthful.”

“In a good movie, the sound could go off and the audience would still have a perfectly clear idea of what was going on.”

“The theme of the movie is always in the last shot.”

“I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm going to do it.”

“Rehearsal is the work, not the performance.”

“I have no interest in making a movie that doesn't have a moral center.”

“All of my movies are about justice. That's the one theme that runs through all of them.”

“The camera is a wonderful instrument, but it's a liar.”

“What is a movie? It's a story. And what's the best way to tell a story? Visually.”

“I'm not interested in being a star. I'm interested in being a good director.”

“While the goal of all movies is to entertain, the kind of film in which I believe goes one step further. It compels the spectator to examine one facet of his own conscience.”

“Style is the director's handwriting. It's the way he sees the world, the way he tells you the story.”

“I don't make movies to make money. I make movies to tell stories.”

“You don't make a movie by yourself; you certainly don't make a good movie by yourself. It's a team effort.”