I realized I probably wouldn't make another film that cuts through commercial and creative things like 'Godfather' or 'Apocalypse.'

I think it was more like the original Francis before The Godfather who just wanted to make personal films and use sensible-sized crews and equipment.

When I was going for my graduate degree, I decided I was going to make a feature film as my thesis. That's what I was famous for-that I had my thesis film be a feature film, which was 'You're a Big Boy Now.'

I think for me, the showdown was when my granddaughter's class asked me to come and show the film and I was embarrassed to show the normal version, ... So I cobbled together a version of the whole movie, the whole novel, and I remember looking at it and wondering, 'Why did I ever cut this down?'

'Godfather' was very classical - the way it was shot, the style - the whole driving force of it was more classical, almost Shakespearean.

To make great movies, there is an element of risk. You have to say, 'Well, I am going to make this film, and it is not really a sure thing.'