Robert Wise Quotes

Powerful Robert Wise for Daily Growth

About Robert Wise

Robert Wise (September 14, 1914 – September 16, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor, renowned for his significant contributions to Hollywood cinema. Born in Winchester, Massachusetts, Wise initially pursued a career as a musician but shifted to filmmaking after serving as a sound technician during World War II. Wise began his film career at 20th Century Fox, where he learned the craft from established directors like George Cukor and Henry Hathaway. He later moved to RKO Pictures, where he worked with Orson Welles on "Citizen Kane" (1941) as an assistant director. This experience proved influential in shaping his directing style. Wise's directorial debut was the horror classic "The Body Snatcher" (1945), which established him as a talented filmmaker. His subsequent works, such as "The Set-Up" (1949) and "Battleground" (1949), showcased his versatility across genres. However, it was his science fiction film "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) that brought him widespread recognition. In 1961, Wise directed one of his most celebrated works, "West Side Story," a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in New York City's West Side gang turf. The film won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Other notable works include "The Sound of Music" (1965), which remains one of the highest-grossing films of all time, and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979) and its sequel, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982), both critical and commercial successes. Throughout his career, Wise demonstrated a unique ability to blend genre elements with powerful human dramas, resulting in iconic films that continue to resonate today. His legacy endures as a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of artistic vision.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The movies are the only art in America. They reflect everything we are, good and bad, and if there are any new ideas or politics in our society, it will show up first in the movies."

This quote by Robert Wise suggests that motion pictures serve as a mirror to American society, capturing its essence, including both positive and negative aspects. Moreover, he implies that films are at the forefront of reflecting new ideas and political shifts within the nation, making them an essential cultural artifact in understanding American culture.

"Filmmaking is a collaborative effort in which each member of the crew contributes his own special skills to create an illusion of life on the screen."

This quote highlights that filmmaking is a team effort where each individual involved brings unique talents and skills together, ultimately resulting in a collective work of art that appears lifelike on screen. The "illusion of life" refers to the captivating narrative and visual experience created for audiences, which wouldn't be possible without the diverse contributions from directors, cinematographers, actors, editors, sound technicians, and other crew members.

"The director is responsible for maintaining the vision of the film from start to finish."

Robert Wise's quote emphasizes that a director plays a pivotal role in ensuring the consistency and integrity of a film's overall vision, from conception to completion. This implies that directors are responsible for making creative decisions throughout the production process, guiding the cast, crew, and post-production team to realize their initial concept and bring it to life on screen, thereby preserving the original artistic intent of the film.

"Cinema should make you forget you are watching a film."

Robert Wise's quote emphasizes that cinema should be so immersive and engaging, it transports the viewer into another world, causing them to temporarily forget they are watching a filmed production. This level of immersion is achieved when the story, acting, visuals, and sound design are seamlessly integrated, creating a believable and captivating narrative that truly resonates with audiences. In this sense, cinema at its best becomes an art form capable of transcending reality, offering a magical escape from the mundane.

"A good director has to have instincts, and they can't always be explained rationally."

This quote suggests that a good film director possesses an innate sense or intuition for storytelling, which sometimes transcends rational analysis. In other words, it emphasizes the importance of artistic sensibility and creative instinct in directing films, beyond just logical reasoning or technical skills.

A Mac is a closed box, so Apple can make decisions about things that they don't include. That makes, it in some ways, simpler for them.

- Robert Wise

Some, Include, About, Simpler

As I've always said, preproduction is so important. When you cast the actors, you've done much of the work. Now, you may need to guide them a little, take it up or down, have them go faster or slower, but the casting process is crucial.

- Robert Wise

Down, Crucial, Slower, Casting

The Sand Pebbles has always been one of my favorite films, I suppose because its the most difficult film - from a physical and logistical standpoint - that I've ever made.

- Robert Wise

Always, Been, Films, Logistical

Of all the stars whom I worked with, I think Steve knew better what worked for him on the screen than any other. He had such a sense of what he could register, and that helped a lot in terms of shaping the character and the script.

- Robert Wise

Other, I Think, Screen, Shaping

You know, people always think if you start out as a film editor, you shoot less footage. Actually, just the opposite is true. I tend to grab as much coverage as I can because as a former editor I know how important it is to have those few frames.

- Robert Wise

I Can, Out, Tend, Grab

You can't tell any kind of a story without having some kind of a theme, something to say between the lines.

- Robert Wise

Kind, Some, Having, Between

My three Ps: passion, patience, perseverance. You have to do this if you've got to be a filmmaker.

- Robert Wise

Perseverance, Patience, Filmmaker

You look back on films sometimes and if they have not been as all-out successful as you anticipated you try to find reasons why maybe it didn't come off for audiences as well as you would have liked.

- Robert Wise

Been, Reasons, Films, Successful

I think one of the major things a director has to do is to know his subject matter, the subject matter of his script, know the truth and the reality of it. That's very important.

- Robert Wise

Think, I Think, Very, Subject Matter

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