I’ve never been certain whether the moral of the Icarus story should only be, as is generally accepted, ‘don’t try to fly too high,’ or whether it might also be thought of as ‘forget the wax and feathers, and do a better job on the wings.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the dual nature of the Icarus story, suggesting both caution and the importance of preparation.
In this quote, Stanley Kubrick explores the moral of the Icarus myth, traditionally viewed as a warning against overambition. However, he suggests an alternative interpretation that emphasizes the importance of skills and preparation, indicating that success also requires the right tools and capabilities to achieve lofty goals.
In practice
In a motivational speech to encourage students to pursue their dreams while being prepared.
The reality of the final moment, just before shooting [the scene], is so powerful that all previous analysis must yield before the impressions you receive under these circumstances, and unless you use this feedback to your positive advantage, unless you adjust to it, adapt to it and accept the sometimes terrifying weaknesses it can expose, you can never realize the most out of your film.
Because I direct films, I have to live in a major English-speaking production center. That narrows it down to three places: Los Angeles, New York and London. I like New York, but it's inferior to London as a production center. Hollywood is best, but I don't like living there.
I've never achieved spectacular success with a film. My reputation has grown slowly. I suppose you could say that I'm a successful filmmaker-in that a number of people speak well of me. But none of my films have received unanimously positive reviews, and none have done blockbuster business.
A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.
The great nations have always acted like gangsters, and the small nations like prostitutes.
Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write 'War and Peace' in a bumper car in an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling.
I don't know if I continue, even today, always liking myself. But what I learned to do many years ago was to forgive myself. It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself because if you live, you will make mistakes - it is inevitable. But once you do and you see the mistake, then you forgive yourself and say, 'Well, if I'd known better I'd have done better,' that's all.
My father once told me that anyone who worked for three dollars an hour owed it to himself to put in four dollars' worth of work.
Sooner or later, false thinking brings wrong conduct.
Anger is the ultimate destroyer of your own peace of mind
Commonplaceness, the surrender to the average, that good which is not bad but still the enemy of the best - That is our besetting danger.
It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.
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