Narratives Quotes

To be certain, neither I nor my film is anti-Semitic. The Passion is a movie meant to inspire, not offend. My intention in bringing it to the screen is to create a lasting work of art and engender serious thought among audiences of diverse faith backgrounds, or none, who have varying familiarity with this story. If the intense scrutiny during my twenty-five years in public life revealed I had ever persecuted or discriminated against anyone based on race or creed, I would be all too willing to make amends. But there is no such record. Nor do I hate anybody - certainly not the Jews ... They are my friends and associates, both in my work and social life. Thankfully, treasured friendships forged over decades are not easily shaken by nasty innuendo. Anti-Semitism is not only contrary to my personal beliefs, it is also contrary to the core message of my movie ... For those concerned about the content of this film, know that it conforms to the narratives of Christ`s passion and death found in the four Gospels of the New Testament ... This is a movie about faith, hope, love and forgiveness - something sorely needed in these turbulent times.

A great novel is concerned primarily with the interior lives of its characters as they respond to the inconvenient narratives that fate imposes on them. Movie adaptations of these monumental fictions often fail because they become mere exercises in interior decoration.

I don`t storyboard anything. I go on a set in the morning and, unless a scene requires a lot of props, I won`t even tell the crew what I`m going to shoot first. I know what the setup is and which actors are required. But I have to see what occurs and like to shoot in sequence if possible. It makes for a lot of editing but I like to go on a journey with the actors. I also love working on ensemble movies like Nashville (1975), Short Cuts (1993) and Gosford Park (2001). Having multiple narratives makes my job a lot easier: if something doesn`t work, it means I can cut away to something else. I also like the audience to use their necks to take in everything happening in the frame. I`d hate to do something like Two for the Seesaw (1962) where there were just two close-up faces to look at.

`God` - as revealed in his book of edicts and narratives is practically an idiot. He has nothing to say that any sensible person should want to listen to.

I believe in broken, fractured, complicated narratives, but I believe in narratives as a vehicle for truth, not simply as a form of entertainment, though I love entertainment, but also a way of conveying what needs to be conveyed about the works that I care about.

We breathe, we think, we conceive of our lives as narratives.