People sometimes forget all the films that we've done. They remember the likes of 'Malcolm X' and 'Do the Right Thing.' But I've been working since 1986. From the beginning, I was determined to not just be a flash in the pan. I've got to keep up with Woody Allen. He's lapping me.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the dedication of an artist to their craft and the desire for lasting recognition rather than fleeting fame.
Spike Lee reflects on the transient nature of fame in the film industry, expressing that while some works are memorable, true success comes from consistent effort and longevity in one's career. He acknowledges the challenge of keeping up with influential figures like Woody Allen, illustrating the continuous pursuit of excellence in art.
In practice
During a film festival panel discussion on the importance of legacy in filmmaking.
I think that anyone who lives in New York, who's lived here, who's spent any time here, knows that it's basically a love-hate relationship, you might say. Even though I still think it's the greatest city in the world and I wouldn't live anywhere else, there're still things about it one doesn't like. The love far outweighs the negative.
There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic.
The truth is I've been doing Kickstarter before there was Kickstarter; there was no Internet. Social Media was writing letters, making phone calls, beating the bushes.
It gets dangerous when you start allowing people to validate your work.
All directors are storytellers, so the motivation was to tell the story I wanted to tell. That's what I love.
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.
Fiction is the most joyous, beautiful, sophisticated, wonderful thing in the world.
An artist cannot be partially sincere any more than art can be an approximation of beauty.
I often use the same harmonies as pop music because the complexity of what I do is elsewhere.
I try to represent specific experiences of specific characters, and that's all I want to try to do. I don't ever try to think about representing a culture, because its impossible, and someone will fault you. And it just doesn't interest me.
It's true that misunderstanding and lack of understanding are often themes in my fiction, but I am grateful for the moments when true understanding is achieved, especially between writer and reader. It's miraculous.
Yes, I can play younger than my age. But I can play characters older than I am, too. I'm not an actor who can just play the kid.
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