You're doing it to make the character as specific as possible, so that it's a specific individual that you're talking about, not that whole class of people.

Quote by Joel Coen

Topics: Joel Coen Quotes

Some people come out going, I don't get it. And I don't quite know what...

Some people come out going, I don't get it. And I don't quite know what...

Sometimes, in certain stories, I think we know at the outset essentially what the tone...

Sometimes, in certain stories, I think we know at the outset essentially what the tone...

The question is: Where would it get you if something that's a little bit ambiguous...

The question is: Where would it get you if something that's a little bit ambiguous...

We don't have any rules about how we depict violence, or how much violence is...

We don't have any rules about how we depict violence, or how much violence is...

I guess there's a certain amount of poking fun at certain characters, but that's because...

I guess there's a certain amount of poking fun at certain characters, but that's because...

The characters are the result of two things-first, we elaborate them into fairly well-defined people...

The characters are the result of two things-first, we elaborate them into fairly well-defined people...

I've never really understood that. It's a funny thing; people sometimes accuse us of condescending...

I've never really understood that. It's a funny thing; people sometimes accuse us of condescending...

When we do a movie with the studios, they wouldn't be asking us to do...

When we do a movie with the studios, they wouldn't be asking us to do...

You see a moral in them? Do we have morals?

You see a moral in them? Do we have morals?

It's almost like a genre rule: Don't Open The Box.

It's almost like a genre rule: Don't Open The Box.

Other kinds of movie stars, it's a different thing, they bring their persona to the...

Other kinds of movie stars, it's a different thing, they bring their persona to the...

Barton Fink got written very quickly, in about three weeks. I don't know what that...

Barton Fink got written very quickly, in about three weeks. I don't know what that...

Maybe there should be less of a mystique around making movies. I just don't think...

Maybe there should be less of a mystique around making movies. I just don't think...

The point at which we worked with some of these actors, they weren't really stars...

The point at which we worked with some of these actors, they weren't really stars...

I always admired Stanley Kubrick for the fact that he managed to beat the system...

I always admired Stanley Kubrick for the fact that he managed to beat the system...

You love all your characters, even the ridiculous ones. You have to on some level;...

You love all your characters, even the ridiculous ones. You have to on some level;...

We have an uncanny ability to make birds do what we want them to do....

We have an uncanny ability to make birds do what we want them to do....

I guess it beats throwing trash for a living.

I guess it beats throwing trash for a living.

These things are hard to pin down. We work on a script a bit, then...

These things are hard to pin down. We work on a script a bit, then...

If the material is challenging, it forces you to challenge yourself when handling it.

If the material is challenging, it forces you to challenge yourself when handling it.