Andrew Dominik Quotes

Powerful Andrew Dominik for Daily Growth

About Andrew Dominik

Andrew Dominik, born on August 23, 1967, in Melbourne, Australia, is an acclaimed film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his distinctive style and penetrating narratives. His passion for cinema was ignited at a young age by the films of Akira Kurosawa, Martin Scorsese, and Sam Peckinpah, influencing his own work significantly. Dominik began his career as a screenwriter, penning the cult classic 'Chopper' in 1998, which marked Eric Bana's breakthrough performance. However, it was his directorial debut, 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' (2007), that truly established him as a visionary filmmaker. Starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, this epic Western is a haunting exploration of celebrity, loyalty, and the passage of time. In 2010, Dominik directed 'Cogan's Trade,' starring Pitt again alongside Benicio del Toro. This crime thriller, infused with stark visuals and taut dialogue, garnered critical acclaim for its nuanced portrayal of violence and morality. His latest work, 'Mary Magdalene' (2018), is a dramatic retelling of the biblical story, featuring Rooney Mara in the title role. Despite his impressive body of work, Dominik remains an enigmatic figure within the film industry, often shying away from media attention. However, his impact on modern cinema and his ability to craft compelling stories set against the backdrop of American mythology places him among the most intriguing directors working today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Violence doesn't change things, it just makes them different."

The quote emphasizes that while violence may bring about change, such changes are not necessarily improvements or solutions to underlying issues. Instead, the environment becomes "different" as a result of violence, but the essence or nature of the problem remains unaddressed, leaving the potential for further conflict. In essence, Andrew Dominik suggests that violence is a destructive force that fails to bring lasting peace or resolution.


"Real life has no villains, only victims and the unwitting."

This quote by Andrew Dominik suggests that in our world, there are typically no truly malevolent or evil individuals (villains) as we might see in fiction. Instead, people's actions, driven by their own complexities, flaws, or misunderstandings, can lead to harm for others (victims). It also implies that those who may unintentionally contribute to suffering are not necessarily intentionally causing harm (the unwitting). Essentially, the quote encourages empathy and understanding towards people's actions, recognizing that everyone has their own unique circumstances shaping their choices.


"The past is not over; the past isn't even past."

This quote suggests that the influence and impact of our past experiences continue to resonate in our present lives, and they may even persist into our future. The past is not merely a historical event or a series of memories; it's an integral part of who we are and how we navigate the world around us. It shapes our values, beliefs, and decisions, making it impossible to completely move beyond it. Therefore, the past isn't just something that has happened; it remains active in shaping our present realities and future paths.


"There are some truths that are self-evident but can't be said out loud."

This quote suggests that there are certain universal, obvious, or undeniable facts about reality, human nature, or society which people may inherently understand but choose not to express openly due to societal norms, fear of conflict, or other factors such as power dynamics or political correctness. It implies a tension between what is self-evident and generally accepted in private thought and what can be expressed publicly without facing consequences like social ostracism, backlash, or censure.


"The more you know about something, the less you understand it."

This quote suggests that as we delve deeper into understanding a subject or phenomenon, we often encounter complexities and nuances that challenge our initial perceptions. With increased knowledge comes a realization of the intricacies and uncertainties inherent within the topic, making it seem less straightforward than initially perceived. This paradoxical relationship between knowledge and understanding serves as an important reminder to maintain an open mind and remain humble in the pursuit of truth.


Actors have either got to play something that's close to them, or something that's the complete opposite.

- Andrew Dominik

Play, Either, Them, Complete Opposite

I write a number of screenplays, and I've never really come up with a part for a movie star.

- Andrew Dominik

Star, Movie, I Write, Screenplays

I really believed Obama when he spoke in 2008, but I remember watching his victory speech after this last election and it was the same speech. Exactly the same speech. I felt like he didn't even believe it anymore. He seemed to be tired of saying the same thing.

- Andrew Dominik

I Remember, Same Thing, Believed

In Australia, we point out a person's weaknesses as a way of saying 'I see you and I accept you'. If you do that with Americans, they instantly take offence.

- Andrew Dominik

Australia, I See, Point, Offence

Sometimes you see a movie and you can really feel that it's an actor putting in a performance. Someone said 'cut' and they're back in their trailer having a coffee or getting their hair done.

- Andrew Dominik

Movie, Cut, Having, Trailer

America's moved so much of its production and manufacturing offshore, it's become a nation of middlemen.

- Andrew Dominik

Nation, Production, Moved, Manufacturing

There's been about 75 movies about Jesse James, and I've seen about four of them. He's usually portrayed as this plucky rebel who's got no choice but to turn to crime, because the railway's hassling his mother. But he wasn't like that.

- Andrew Dominik

Rebel, Been, James, Railway

Actors look for characters. If they read a well-written character, and if they think the director's not an idiot, they're going to sign up and do some acting.

- Andrew Dominik

Think, Some, Read, Well-Written

To me, regardless of who's in office, the government is strangled by business. And the government's priorities are dictated by business. I mean, why does America, even after healthcare reform, still not have free universal healthcare? I'm sure it has something to do with the insurance lobby.

- Andrew Dominik

Insurance, Office, Why, Dictated

Obviously, a power player in a criminal organization doesn't have to persuade anyone. He can just do what he wants.

- Andrew Dominik

Organization, Wants, Anyone, Criminal

When you ask a bunch of people to see a film, and then invite them to comment on it and tell them it's a work-in-progress, they feel bound to offer an opinion.

- Andrew Dominik

Feel, Tell, Bound, Comment

When men organize themselves into groups, and they make rules based on common or self-interest, it's always tangled and political.

- Andrew Dominik

Always, Based, Groups, Organize

Once you do something violent in a film, you don't have to do too much. You do it once and the feeling of violence just stays there, do you know what I'm saying?

- Andrew Dominik

Feeling, Film, Violent, Do You Know

I actually don't like westerns much. I like good westerns, but it isn't my preferred genre. There are all kinds of westerns: acid westerns, '70s westerns, Nicholas Ray's neurotic westerns. The ones I tend to like are nutso westerns.

- Andrew Dominik

Like, Kinds, Ray, Preferred

I'm not a very efficient filmmaker. There's a lot of guys, filmmakers like the Coen Brothers who shoot a whole movie and maybe don't use 12 setups. I'm in awe of people like that; I'm just not that guy.

- Andrew Dominik

Movie, Very, Efficient, Coen

For me, the movie's always evolving as I'm doing it. I throw things in as we shoot, and I take things out as we go. I want to create a whole life and then select the pieces that best sort of describe it later, you know? So there's a lot of wastage when I make a film.

- Andrew Dominik

Doing, Movie, Select, Shoot

Anything that's memorable about a movie is often what a test audience will object to because they're being asked to be experts. They just compare the film they finished watching to all of the other films that they've seen.

- Andrew Dominik

Movie, Other, Compare, Object

I read books all the time. I'm just half looking for something to do; I mostly just read for pleasure. Occasionally I stumble across something that could be a movie, but I don't put a book down just because I don't see a movie in it, either.

- Andrew Dominik

Stumble, Mostly, Half, Occasionally

Sometimes you do complete run-throughs of scenes, sometimes you break scenes down into little bits. It just depends on what the actors like to do. It's almost like jamming.

- Andrew Dominik

Depends, Like, Break, Scenes

It seems like women don't want men to be men anymore. They want men to be women. But they really don't want what they say they want. It's very weird.

- Andrew Dominik

Want, Like, Very, They Say

Films that score very high with test audiences generally tend to not be so great. But, there's a lot of money involved in making movies, and it's a way for people to reassure themselves, who have spent money, and it's also a way to work out how to market a movie.

- Andrew Dominik

Movie, Very, Making Movies, Work Out

I always feel that crime films are about capitalism because it is a genre where it is perfectly acceptable for all the characters to be motivated by the desire for money. In some ways, the crime film is the most honest American film because it portrays Americans as I experience a lot of them, in Hollywood, as being very concerned with money.

- Andrew Dominik

Some, Very, Acceptable, Genre

Americans are not renowned for having a sense of irony.

- Andrew Dominik

Irony, Sense, Having, Renowned

I don't know whether crime is dictating business or business is dictating crime.

- Andrew Dominik

Business, Know, Whether, Crime

Crime is a job and it's boring. It's also unpleasant.

- Andrew Dominik

Boring, Unpleasant, Also, Crime

Masculine ideals have become very confused in the modern world.

- Andrew Dominik

Confused, Very, Ideals, Masculine

A lot of writing's going down dead ends that don't go anywhere.

- Andrew Dominik

Writing, Going, Lot, Ends

I like test screenings. I like to see a movie with an audience of strangers. I think it tells you a lot.

- Andrew Dominik

Think, Audience, I Think, Test

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