Quotes from Michael Cimino

Because people don't see me around a lot, I'm the source of all sorts of rumour.

Nobody lives without making mistakes.

Most people I knew had been crippled by their educations. Some were even dying spiritually.

Making movies is controlled anarchy, chaos.

What distinguishes Vilmos Zsigmond from other cinematographers is, of course, talent but, more, physical stamina. You just can't be great without it.

It was just - I mean, 6,000 people giving you a standing ovation is quite an experience.

I felt the need to unlearn my formal education.

What we forget is that the Academy is a star-maker, or it reinforces the stardom of people.

Being infamous is not fun. It becomes a weird occupation in and of itself.

We all want to experience that in our lives - a moment when we're two feet off the ground - and making movies gives you that opportunity. It comes and it goes so fast that it's unreal, but it does happen.

I feel very, very upset that, when it came time for me to get an Academy Award, that I didn't especially thank Clint Eastwood.

It's one of the things that movies do offer you, despite all of their hardships - they offer you moments of transcendence.

It's silly - you go to a plastic chapel in Vegas, you get married in 10 minutes, and it takes you 10 years to get divorced.

War is war. Vietnam is no different from the Crusades.

I have no interest in making a 'Vietnam' film, no interest in making a direct political statement.

There's no service ribbon for people who fought in Korea. We lost over 30,000 men between 1951 and 1953 - as many as we lost in 15 years in Vietnam.

Family politics are worse than world politics. That's all I can say. You don't get to choose your family you get to choose your friends. Your family is imposed upon you.