So I left with Jean Claude and went to Paris, so when the Russians came to Prague, I was in Paris. Milos Forman More Quotes by Milos Forman More Quotes From Milos Forman I get out of the taxi and it's probably the only city which in reality looks better than on the postcards, New York. Milos Forman cities new-york reality You really see life around the principals to be as important as the main, principal actors. That's what cinéma vérité taught me - that it's not a question of having a main character, a great actor, and the rest is unimportant. Every detail, every face in the crowd is important. Milos Forman unimportant important character I lived long enough in a society where freedom of speech was nonexistent, and I know what kind of misery that creates - starting with the fact that life becomes very boring for people who just try to survive, and are quiet, and try not to buck the system. And, of course, it can be devastating for people who try to speak against it. Milos Forman freedom-of-speech long people Because if you lived, as I did, several years under Nazi totalitarianism, and then 20 years in communist totalitarianism, you would certainly realize how precious freedom is, and how easy it is to lose your freedom. Milos Forman realizing easy years People who make documentaries have to be faithful to the facts. But when you are making a drama, a fiction based on the life, all you have to be faithful to is the spirit of the facts, which I think I was in every case. As long as you don't violate their spirit, you can play with the facts. Milos Forman drama long thinking People must not think that all bad in man which is unleashed, the moment you impose censorship disappears from man. Milos Forman men people thinking The worst evil is - and that's the product of censorship - is the self-censorship, because that twists spines, that destroys my character because I have to think something else and say something else, I have to always control myself. Milos Forman self character thinking For me, speaking is work. It's not like when you breathe. Milos Forman breathe What I like about masturbation is that you don't have to talk afterwards. Milos Forman masturbation funny-sex sex Ideological pressure is much more crippling than commercial pressure. Crippling to your own freedom of thinking and creating, crippling the final results. If you wanted to succeed during the really hard-line totalitarian regime, you have to make so many compromises to please the censors that you don't recognize the original idea from the final result. Milos Forman succeed compromise thinking When you finish a film, before the first paying audience sees it, you don't have any idea. You don't know if you made a success or a flop, when it comes to the box office. Milos Forman audience film office I'm convinced the Beatles are partly responsible for the fall of Communism. Milos Forman dumb stupid fall I tell you, in my opinion, the cornerstone of democracy is free press - that's the cornerstone. Milos Forman cornerstones democracy opinion The Czech movies, the quality movies, are trying to show the life in the country as it is, in an entertaining way, while in America, the majority of movies are wonderful fairy tales. Milos Forman quality trying country First of all, to defend my work, I had to believe that I am doing a totally silly, stupid, innocent comedy. Milos Forman stupid silly believe Memories are doing funny things to us. Milos Forman funny-things memories Communists love to make films about composers, because composers compose music and don't talk subversive things. Milos Forman communist composer film I think everybody dreamt somehow to make a film in Hollywood, you know. Milos Forman hollywood film thinking You know what happened, you know, in 1938: France, England, you know, just sold out Czechoslovakia to Hitler. Milos Forman sold-out france england Definitely it would be foolish to try and make my Czech films here in America, as foolish as it is when some Czech filmmakers try to make movies of America in Czechoslovakia. It was always abysmal stuff. Milos Forman film foolish trying
