I don't think people have been able to deal with the fact that African American filmmakers can make movies about life and relationships.

I guess maybe I try to make movies that are closer to real life than are many Hollywood movies. But I still try to stay within a commercial narrative a contemporary American vernacular.

I think as an American society when we're paying too many taxes or dealing with war we don't want to see sad things at the movies.

Movies as evidenced by a chorus of protesting and celebrating Americans influence broader trends.

If military movies were automatically successful we'd make nothing but military movies. But seriously patriotism is one thing that all Americans have in common.

When we talk about Oscars it's almost as a symbol of excellence and the American public and the worldwide public accept that symbol. So a movie like 'The Artist' that costs $14 million has to go out and compete with movies that cost $140 million. How does David deal with Goliath?

We can now have action movies with two stars where one might be African American and one might be Asian American. One of them doesn't have to be white and the other one doesn't have to be the ethnic sidekick. We're way over that. And I think it's happening in society too.

I was sick and tired of being an English actor who did a lot of American movies because I was cheap and good.

I look at American movies the big muscles and try to apply that to Chinese film-making.

The whole world loves American movies blue jeans jazz and rock and roll. It is probably a better way to get to know our country than by what politicians or airline commercials represent.