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Spike Lee

Spike Lee Quotes

Film director

Spike Lee, born on March 20, 1957, is a renowned American film director. His works are known for their deep insight into American social issues and critical thinking, with notable films such as 'Do the Right Thing' and 'School Daze'. Lee's directorial style is unique, often using nonlinear narrative and black-and-white imagery, which has won him the admiration of audiences.

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Famous Spike Lee Quotes

“When I went to school, you had to take art, you had to play an instrument. You had to play an instrument. But it's all degraded since then. I do not know what kind of nation we are that is cutting art, music, and gym out of the public-school curriculum.”

Knows Kind Art Play School Nations Cutting Instruments Gym Public School Curriculum Art Music School Curriculum

Author:Spike Lee

“Violence is a part of America. I don't want to single out rap music. Let's be honest. America's the most violent country in the history of the world, that's just the way it is. We're all affected by it.”

World Way Want Country America Violence Honest Rap Violent Being Honest Affected World History Rap Music

Author:Spike Lee

“We grew up in a very creative environment and were exposed to the arts at a very young age, so it's not a surprise that all of us are in some form of the arts.”

Art Age Form Young Creative Environment Grew Grew Up Surprise Environmental Exposed Young Age

Author:Spike Lee

“Critics like to build you up, tear you down, and then, if you're lucky, build you up again.”

Ifs Tears Lucky Criticism Down And Critics

Book:Five for five: the films of Spike Lee

Source: Five for five: the films of Spike Lee

“A woman who is very secure in herself, what she's about, what she wants to do, who probably figures that she's a prize catch-sooner or later he's going to come around.”

Want Women Figures Secure Prize Sooner Or Later

Author:Spike Lee

“We're the most violent nation on earth. There's no getting away from that. But you've got to look at it on a broader level.”

Looks Earth Nations Levels Violence Violent Get Away

Author:Spike Lee

“I give interracial couples a look. Daggers. They get uncomfortable when they see me on the street.”

Giving Looks Streets Couple Racism Uncomfortable Racist Daggers Anti Racism Anti Racist Interracial Couple

Author:Spike Lee

“I ain't Martin Luther King. I don't need a dream. I have a plan.”

Needs Dream Plans Kings Planning Luther

Author:Spike Lee

“I respect the audience's intelligence a lot, and that's why I don't try to go for the lowest common denominator.”

Trying Common Audience Lowest Common Denominator Lowest Common Denominator

Author:Spike Lee

“American slavery was not a Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It was a holocaust. My ancestors are slaves. Stolen from Africa. I will honor them.”

Honor Slavery Slave Western Holocaust Ancestor Stolen Spaghetti American Slavery Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western

Author:Spike Lee

“What's the difference between Hollywood characters and my characters? Mine are real.”

Real Character Differences Mines Hollywood

Author:Spike Lee

“I've been blessed with the opportunity to express the views of black people who otherwise don't have access to power and the media. I have to take advantage of that while I'm still bankable.”

People Stills Opportunity Black Views Media Advantage Blessed Access Black People

Book:Spike Lee: Interviews

Source: Spike Lee: Interviews

“I believe in destiny. But I also believe that you can’t just sit back and let destiny happen. A lot of times, an opportunity might fall into your lap, but you have to be ready for that opportunity. You can’t sit there waiting on it. A lot of times you are going to have to get out there and make it happen.”

“You gotta make your own way. You gotta find a way. You gotta get it done. It's hard. It's tough. That's what I tell my students every day in class. I've been very fortunate. Some people might call me a hardhead, but I'm not going to let other people dictate to me who I should be or the stories I should tell. That doesn't register with me.”

People Way Inspirational Should Hard Done Stories Might Motivational Class Students Tough Fortunate Filmmaker Call Me Register Get It Done

Author:Spike Lee

“We’ve gone through the names—Negro, African American, African, Black. For me that’s an indication of a people still trying to find their identity. Who determines what is black?”

People Trying Stills Names Black Gone Identity Determine African American Black History Indication

Author:Spike Lee

“Because many advances have happened, we've lost the urgency (and that's just human nature) that we had before, when we couldn't vote, couldn't use mass transportation, or drink from the fountains.”

Humans Use Lost Happened Human Nature Drink Mass Vote Fountain Urgency Transportation

Author:Spike Lee

“There’s always been this hocus-pocus or magical, mystical thing associated with the making of film that sort of psyches people out and makes them think that this cannot be done; that this is a craft that cannot be learned.”

People Thinking Done Film Crafts Mystical Psych Hocus Pocus

Book:Spike Lee: Interviews

Source: Spike Lee: Interviews

“I think it is very important that films make people look at what they've forgotten.”

People Thinking Looks Important Film Forgotten

Author:Spike Lee

“As a people we do not need anyone else's stamp of approval.”

People Needs Approval Stamps

Author:Spike Lee

“I think black people have to be in control of their own image because film is a powerful medium. We can't just sit back and let other people define our existence.”

People Thinking Film Black Powerful Existence Mediums Black People

Author:Spike Lee

“People of color have a constant frustration of not being represented, or being misrepresented, and these images go around the world.”

People World Color Constant Around The World Frustration

Author:Spike Lee

“It gets dangerous when you start allowing people to validate your work.”

People Dangerous Allowing

Author:Spike Lee

“I've got "Sometimers." Sometimes I remember and sometimes I forget.”

Inspirational Sometimes Remember Forget

Author:Spike Lee

“Power is knowing your past.”

Past Knowing Experience Our Past Your Past Past Experiences

Author:Spike Lee

“It comes down to this: black people were stripped of our identities when we were brought here, and it's been a quest since then to define who we are.”

People Black Identity Who We Are Black People Quests

Author:Spike Lee

“I'm just trying to tell a good story and make thought-provoking, entertaining films. I just try and draw upon the great culture we have as a people, from music, novels, the streets.”

People Trying Stories Film Culture Novel Streets Draws Thought Provoking Entertaining Provoking Good Story

Author:Spike Lee

“I am very fortunate I can send my kids to private school, but everybody does not have the money. If you cannot get your kid in a good school today, your kids are going to be behind the eight ball.”

Ifs Doe I Can Kids Today School Behinds Balls Eight Fortunate Private School Good School Eight Ball

Author:Spike Lee

“It is really important that young people find something that they want to do and pursue it with passion. I'm very passionate about filmmaking. It's what I love to do.”

People Want Important Young Passion Passionate Pursue Filmmaking

Author:Spike Lee

“Racism is when you have laws set up, systematically put in a way to keep people from advancing, to stop the advancement of a people. Black people have never had the power to enforce racism, and so this is something that white America is going to have to work out themselves. If they decide they want to stop it, curtail it, or to do the right thing... then it will be done, but not until then.”

People Ifs Way Want Done America Law Black White Racism Work Out Right Thing Black People Advancement Advancing Black Racism White Racism

Author:Spike Lee

“Do the Right Thing' was my first union film. I looked at the rosters, and for the most part, it was white males. Especially the Teamsters. So we had some conversations.”

Firsts Film White Conversation Unions Males Right Thing Rosters

Author:Spike Lee

“Music is, for me, a great tool of a filmmaker, the same way cinematography, the acting, editing, post-production, the costumes are. You know, to help you tell a story.”

Knows Way Helping Stories Acting Directors Music Is Tools Productions Posts Filmmaker Filmmaking Editing Costumes Cinematography Post Production

Author:Spike Lee

About the Author

Born: March 20, 1957
Known for: Film director
Quotes: 131

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Books & Sources

Spike Lee: InterviewsRelated source material

Do the Right Thing: A Spike Lee JointRelated source material

Five for five: the films of Spike LeeRelated source material

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