Film Responsibility Quotes

I'm often asked how I shoulder the responsibility of films, but I've always believed in taking risks.

I think we have a responsibility to shape the zeitgeist with the movies we put out there. Because 'After Earth' isn't going to do it. 'The Expendables 3' isn't going to do it. You could make one million amazing films for the amount of money they spend on those films. I get frustrated.

The secret is not to make a film that causes something like Virginia Tech to happen. The secret is to make a film that stops it happening.

The most important film I made, in terms of its subject and the great responsibility I had as an actor, was a film I did about the founder of Pakistan called 'Jinnah.'

I feel like there's such a responsibility, when you make a film, to enlighten people, to make them think, to make them laugh, or even just to be entertaining.

It was also great shooting in London at Pinewood Studios because of all its history. So many of the 007 movies were filmed there, as well as classics by everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Jack Nicholson to Martin Scorcese. It's like working on hallowed ground. So, I felt a responsibility to make sure I did as good a job as I possibly could.

'The Stepfather' was the first time I sort of carried a film, or led in a film, and doing it was fun, and I felt very special. Afterwards, though, I was terrified. I just thought, 'Wow, this is basically going to be about me. If this film is a success or a failure, a lot of it's on me!'

But I don't think as film-makers it is our responsibility that every time we make a film we should be saying something. If you are entertaining people, that's more than enough.

The set of '12 Years a Slave' was an extremely joyous one! We all recognized that we were making a powerful, necessary and beautiful film, and we weren't about doing it without that sense of responsibility, and we recognized that we needed each other to tell this story. We also knew we needed to hold each other up as we told the story.

I will keep repeating it until people get it - misogyny and violence and everything that's bad in our life and society should be reflected in our films. It's the glorification that is wrong.

As the lead of a movie, you really set the tone off-camera as well, and that's a really big responsibility.

The writer and the director are ultimately responsible for what is portrayed and glorified in a film. Then comes the producer.

I think if there was no violence in our world, there would be no violence in film. Violence is a part of human nature, and obviously it's a troublesome part of human nature. You always have responsibilities when you portray violence in what angle you put down on that scene.

When you first start out as an actor, you're just looking for a good part. As time goes on, if you're being held responsible for the movies themselves, you're looking for a good script all around.

I guess when you're carrying a film, you feel the weight of that because you're there every day, and you feel the weight of your character that way.

You go to the movies to be transported. That's the responsibility of filmmakers and the people that hire the filmmakers - to try and find new dreams we can all share together.

The kind of sleep that I had during my own film [Certified Copy] screening in Cannes is different. It's not because of the specificity of the film. It was because of my relationship as an author to this film. Usually when I take my films to festivals, I feel incredibly anxious about them. I wonder how it will be received, how the audience will react. I feel deeply responsible for them. Whereas this time, I didn't have that responsibility on my shoulders.

In a science fiction film, you're uniquely responsible to pay respect to the science represented in the movie.

I do feel that I have the capacity to carry a full film on my shoulder.

See, the first thing about actors is, you're just trying to get a job; and you audition and audition and you finally get them. And you still consider yourself an auditioning actor. I auditioned for One Fine Day, I wasn't offered that. So you're still in that 'Hey, I'm just trying to get a job' thing. Then, you get to the point where, if you decide to do it, then they'll make the film. That's a different kind of responsibility, and it usually takes a couple of films to catch up. And then you have to actually pay attention to the kind of films that you're making.

Obviously I will promote 'Vaalu.' It is my film. I am the lead actress in it; I play a major part, and I will promote the film.

You realise the responsibility of carrying a film on your shoulders when people are investing money in you and they recognise the hard work you have to put in.

When I am playing the protagonist of the film, before the release, I feel a certain pressure because I become the face of the film, then, and I have a major responsibility.

It is incredibly daunting to take on a live-action story. I think that it adds a level of complexity to the responsibility that goes beyond what I've experienced on these two films (The Lorax and Horton Hears a Who).