Abuse of power isn't limited to bad guys in other nations. It happens in our own country if we're not vigilant.

I think Pebble Beach is kind of a unique place on the planet.

Movies are fun, but they are no cure for cancer.

If you approach a film with the feeling that you are going to have some impact on society then you're liable to get carried away with yourself. Alfred Hitchcock once told me, when I was analyzing a lot of things about his pictures, Clint, you must remember, it's only a movie.

Yeah... you're a legend in your own mind.

I don't see myself as conservative, but I'm not ultra-leftist. You build a philosophy of your own. I like the libertarian view, which is to leave everyone alone. Even as a kid, I was annoyed by people who wanted to tell everyone how to live.

Why am I a star? It can't be because of looks.

Man becomes his most creative during war.

Everybody wants to make something they think is a surefire winner, though nobody knows what a surefire winner is, in my opinion.

When I'm a director, I look at myself the actor as a completely different person. It's somebody else up there, an actor playing a role. I keep myself out of it.

You have to steal a lot. You have to have a criminal mentality to be a film director.

It's a very confusing era that we're in.

If you get a certain amount of notoriety for doing something, and you can stick to that type of project for the rest of your life and make a decent living, I think you still have a responsibility to stretch. Flexibility is what keeps you alive.

In recent times it just seems that women have been relegated to either romantic roles or fluff pieces. So the appeal, for me, is to make a picture about a real woman.

You have to feel confident. If you don't, then you're going to be hesitant and defensive, and there'll be a lot of things working against you.

'Unforgiven' is probably an example of a script that I liked right away but thought, 'This is great, but I'd like to do this when I'm older.' So I stuck it in the drawer for ten years and then took it out.

On 'Mystic River,' I had to cut my salary and everyone else's to get it made.

I'd say, go ahead, shoot your shot. More power to ya if you can come up with a different angle on the character.

Everybody is looking for a reason to not to take responsibility for their own actions in hand.

Most people are afraid of change, but if you look at it as something you can always count on, then it can be a comfort.