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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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All Film People Thinking Ifs Black Trying Want Stories Black People Filmmaker Way Knows Looks White Done New York Racism Right Thing World Young

Famous Spike Lee Quotes

“As a writer I want everybody to get a chance to voice their opinions. If each character thinks that they're telling the truth, then it's valid. Then at the end of the film, I leave it up to the audience to decide who did the right thing.”

Ifs Thinking Want Ends Character Film Voice Chance Opinion Audience Right Thing Telling The Truth

Author:Spike Lee

“If you have a talented family, you should be shot if you don't use them.”

Ifs Should Use Shots

Book:Spike Lee: Interviews

Source: Spike Lee: Interviews

“I consider Madonna a friend, and she sure knows how to work the publicity machine. Of course, I don't have breasts. If I did have, I'd be in the number one spot over Madonna.”

Ifs Knows Courses Numbers Know How Machines Spots Breasts Publicity

Author:Spike Lee

“I am trying to stay away from this position of me "returning to my roots." As if my roots are that I'm only comfortable working on low-budget, small films. That's not the case at all.”

Ifs Trying Film Cases Position Comfortable Lows Roots Budgets

Author:Spike Lee

“I think if people looked at my body of work, they'd see a great breadth of work.”

People Ifs Thinking Body Breadth

Author:Spike Lee

“If people go to IMDB, they will see that I'm very comfortable with independent cinema, and doing studio films too. For me this is not an either/or situation.”

People Ifs Film Situation Comfortable Independent Studios Cinema Either Or

Author:Spike Lee

“If you can't take a hit, you're not going to last long, that's for sure.”

Author:Spike Lee

“I'll be vilified if I shoot a film in Toronto for New York. And rightfully so!”

Ifs Film New York Toronto

Author:Spike Lee

“I'm always open. I try not to have a closed mind. In fact the only reason why I'm able to continue to make films since 1986 is I have been adaptable. If I weren't flexible I sure wouldn't be making films this many years as I've been doing it. I've been making a film a year almost since 1986 and that's hard. That ain't easy.”

Ifs Trying Years Mind Has Beens Hard Reason Facts Able Film Easy Reason Why Flexible Adaptable Closed Mind

Author:Spike Lee

“I never understood the concept of showing everything in the trailer. Why go to a movie if there's no surprise? I can't do it like that.”

Ifs I Can Understood Concepts Surprise Trailers

Author:Spike Lee

“I wouldn't be doing motherfu**ing films for almost three decades if every time I did something that someone didn't like I went in a fu**ing cocoon and just hid there and didn't make my art.”

Ifs Art Film Three Decades Cocoons

Author:Spike Lee

“If we became students of Malcolm X, we would not have young black men out there killing each other like they're killing each other now. Young black men would not be impregnating young black women at the rate going on now. We'd not have the drugs we have now, or the alcoholism.”

Ifs Men Young Black Students Drug Killing Rate Black Women Alcoholism Killing Each Other

Author:Spike Lee

“Since the days of slavery, if you were a good singer or dancer, it was your job to perform for the master after dinner.”

Ifs Jobs Masters Slavery Dinner Singers Dancer

Author:Spike Lee

“You have to do the research. If you don't know about something, then you ask the right people who do.”

People Ifs Knows Asks Research

Author:Spike Lee

“I always give the example, if you turn on the radio today, black radio, Lenny Kravitz is not black. Bob Marley wasn't black: in the beginning, only white college stations played Bob Marley.”

Ifs Giving Today Turns Black White Example College Radio Stations Bob Turn-on Marley

Author:Spike Lee

“Amongst black people, you have always heard it said that once a black man reaches a certain level, especially if you are an entertainer, you get a white trophy woman. I didn't make that up.”

People Ifs Men Said Certain Black White Levels Heard Black People Entertainers Trophies

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

“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

“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

About the Author

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

Related Topics

Film People Thinking Ifs Black Trying Want Stories Black People Filmmaker Way Knows Looks White Done New York Racism Right Thing World Young

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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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