I shot a lot of close-ups on this movie 'cause there's like a dual mystery, she's searching through her haunted past to find some truth and she's also following an external mystery where she comes to think she might be the killer.

Philip Kaufman
Director

Is there something to be said for the writings of the Marquis? Is there something to be said for pornography? And is there something to be said against both? I hope our film is balanced and rich enough to encourage debate and discussion.

Philip Kaufman
Director

It just seemed to me to be a great story, set back in its time but something that seemed to have relevance for our time. Now that the film is coming out, it looks like we're back in another time where repression of expression is all the rage.

Philip Kaufman
Director

Nowadays they either want to move the film to Canada or in some cases they go to Prague or Romania or they want to keep 'em down in L.A.

Philip Kaufman
Director

Similarly, the Marquis is presented in this film as someone who would disturb the status quo and therefore must be kept imprisoned.

Philip Kaufman
Director

That's a little homage in a way to that and also to create that sort of creepy atmosphere that Hitchcock did. Vertigo was one of his great movies that was shot right here in The City and it's about a woman and the psychological twists and so forth.

Philip Kaufman
Director

The danger is not so much in the economic structure of a society but in its intellectual structure.

Philip Kaufman
Director

They are always very lax about putting restrictions on violence for children's movies, which I think is much more harrowing than sexuality for children.

Philip Kaufman
Director

This one, even though it called for San Francisco, I think they wanted to initially shoot part of the film up here, you know get the exteriors and then go back to L.A. We really fought to get it up here and I think Paramount was really pleased.

Philip Kaufman
Director

To me, thoughts are fun and art is fun. The strength of our society should not be idle entertainments but the joy of pursuing ideas.

Philip Kaufman
Director