In drama, the characters should determine the story. In melodrama, the story determines the characters.

- Sidney Lumet

I don't know how to choose work that illuminates what my life is about. I don't know what my life is about and don't examine it. My life will define …

- Sidney Lumet

Everything becomes creative if the person doing the job is

- Sidney Lumet

Don't let the difficulty of actually achieving a shot make you think that the shot is good.

- Sidney Lumet

All great work is preparing yourself for the accident to happen.

- Sidney Lumet

The nature of the work is to prepare for a good accident .

- Sidney Lumet

All good work requires self-revelation.

- Sidney Lumet

Good style, to me, is unseen style.

- Sidney Lumet

There are no minor decisions in movie making. Each decision will either contribute to a good piece of work or bring the whole movie crashing down aro…

- Sidney Lumet