226 Quotes by Peter Greenaway

I think my films are always quite self-reflexive and always question ’why am I doing this, is this the right way to do it, what is cinema for, does it have a purpose?

I am certain that there are two things in life which are dependable – the delights of the flesh and the delights of literature. I have had the good fortune to bring them together and enjoy them together in full quantity.

I was continually connected with the whole world and never got any rest. At the moment, I spend only a few hours weekly on the net, that’s just better for me.

There have been innumerable films about film-making, but Otto e Mezzo was a film about the processes of thinking about making a film – certainly the most enjoyable part of any cinema creation.

Americans don’t understand what metaphor in cinema is about. They’re extremely good at making straightforward, linear narrative movies, which entertain superbly. But they very rarely do anything else.

It’s so miserable and so easy to keep slamming Titanic – I’ll shut up.

I don’t want to become an ivory tower filmmaker. That sounds peculiar, but I want to be a mainstream filmmaker. I want the largest possible audience that I can find – but, of course, on my terms.

If Good approved of his creature’s creation, He breathed the painted clay-model into life by signing His name.

Since Caesar, we know his historians are liars. The good writers get read. Bad history doesn’t get read.