--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Clearly, you can think back and see that…" description: "\"Clearly, you can think back and see that a character has had enormous odds stacked against him and has to overcome them. It's usually a guy, I'm afraid..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/danny-boyle-3499_amnesia_clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that_2987803.png" --- # Clearly, you can think back and see that a character has… ![“Clearly, you can think back and see that a character has had enormous odds stacked against him and has to overcome them. It's usually a guy, I'm afraid. But then you're setting up a new movie you have amnesia about these meetings, when you've discussed it more analytically.” quote by Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/danny-boyle-3499_amnesia_clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that_2987803.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/danny-boyle-3499_amnesia_clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that_2987803.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/danny-boyle-3499_amnesia_clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that_2987803.png) > “Clearly, you can think back and see that a character has had enormous odds stacked against him and has to overcome them. It's usually a guy, I'm afraid. But then you're setting up a new movie you have amnesia about these meetings, when you've discussed it more analytically.” [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories often feature protagonists facing overwhelming odds, typically male, and the narrative may become convoluted when over‑analyzed. **In simple terms:** Heroes face huge challenges. Key Takeaway Simplify storytelling to focus on core conflict. Themes storytelling conflict gender bias Mood analytical critical Type creative professional When to use this quote - film scripts - novel writing - game design - creative brainstorming Key Concepts narrative structure character archetypes Questions to Reflect On - Why are male heroes over‑represented? - How can you balance analysis with intuition? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amnesia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesia/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-enormous-4680176/) [Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous/) [Enormous Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous-odds-365037/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Movie Amnesia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-amnesia-4680174/) [Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odds/) [Overcome Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcome-usually-4680175/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Settings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settings/) [Think Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-character/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Talk about a struggling artist having to work against enormous odds ... But I love movies so much, so I'm going to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-pink/talk-about-a-struggling-artist-having-to-work-against-enormous-odds/) [Ariel Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-pink/) > [I don't think of an actor. I think in the character, and then I search for the actor. Usually I'm thinking without names, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/i-don-t-think-of-an-actor-i-think-in-the-character-and-then-i-search/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [I would go into a place that was quiet and isolated and think about how my character would feel in the situation, considering who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-horn/i-would-go-into-a-place-that-was-quiet-and-isolated-and-think-about/) [Thomas Horn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-horn/) > [For me, when my agents and reps send me a script, I read it through, just for the story purpose of it, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dania-ramirez/for-me-when-my-agents-and-reps-send-me-a-script-i-read-it-through/) [Dania Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dania-ramirez/) > [I think any character you play, you find your ways to love them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hechinger/i-think-any-character-you-play-you-find-your-ways-to-love-them/) [Fred Hechinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hechinger/) > [I think about the character in any new offer that comes to me. Only if I like it do I go ahead with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cassandra/i-think-about-the-character-in-any-new-offer-that-comes-to-me-only-if/) [Regina Cassandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cassandra/) > [I try not to think about any of the production side of things. If you do, you tend to get unfocused and distracted. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanley-caswell/i-try-not-to-think-about-any-of-the-production-side-of-things-if-you/) [Shanley Caswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanley-caswell/) > [Do you remember A Wrinkle in Time? It's a good one example. I think the character's name is Meg. I just remember she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-fine-frenzy/do-you-remember-a-wrinkle-in-time-it-s-a-good-one-example-i-think-the/) [A Fine Frenzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-fine-frenzy/) > [People have a very proprietary relationship with Superman. It's important to respect the iconography and the canon, but at the same time, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/people-have-a-very-proprietary-relationship-with-superman-it-s/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [Perhaps the greatest definition I think of character and quality is people who when they're truly great rather than making you feel that tall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/perhaps-the-greatest-definition-i-think-of-character-and-quality-is/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I find it an easy way into writing pieces is to think what the character's voice is like, and start from there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armando-iannucci/i-find-it-an-easy-way-into-writing-pieces-is-to-think-what-the/) [Armando Iannucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armando-iannucci/) > [Most people seem to think I am something of a character and the things that have befallen me are par for my course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/most-people-seem-to-think-i-am-something-of-a-character-and-the/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [There should always be that leeway because if you think of your character as sort of absolutely fixed, then you just try and find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-abrahamson/there-should-always-be-that-leeway-because-if-you-think-of-your/) [Lenny Abrahamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-abrahamson/) > [You should think about your character. Know where you are changing, how you will be changed, what cannot be changed back again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/you-should-think-about-your-character-know-where-you-are-changing-how/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [I never ask my wife about my flaws. Instead I try to get her to ignore them and concentrate on my sense of humor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-never-ask-my-wife-about-my-flaws-instead-i-try-to-get-her-to-ignore/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) ## More by Danny Boyle > [It's a good place when all you have is hope and not expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/it-s-a-good-place-when-all-you-have-is-hope-and-not-expectations/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [ There are three huge, titanic, space movies which if you ever make a film \[about space\] you cannot avoid. You may want to avoid… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/there-are-three-huge-titanic-space-movies-which-if-you-ever-make-a/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [Theres a certain truth that you do end up making the same film again and again so if you vary the genre you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/theres-a-certain-truth-that-you-do-end-up-making-the-same-film-again/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [You know what actors are like; they moisturize every night. They're frozen in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/you-know-what-actors-are-like-they-moisturize-every-night-they-re/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [Directing is a mixture of compromise and perfectionism. When you lose the judgment of which is more important at any particular moment, you're time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/directing-is-a-mixture-of-compromise-and-perfectionism-when-you-lose/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [ One of the things in the Mary Shelley \[Frankenstein\] is that the creature tells his story, so this begins with the creature's point of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/one-of-the-things-in-the-mary-shelley-frankenstein-is-that-the/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [I always say to anybody who's going over to America for the first time, 'Whatever you do, go and see a popular mainstream film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/i-always-say-to-anybody-who-s-going-over-to-america-for-the-first/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [I always felt it is not good if you feel like you would know how to do something. I've made mistakes of telling people:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/i-always-felt-it-is-not-good-if-you-feel-like-you-would-know-how-to/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [I always wanted to make this film or another film. I thought the worst thing you could do was to react to Slumdog's success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/i-always-wanted-to-make-this-film-or-another-film-i-thought-the-worst/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [You live your life and it ends quite quickly and all you can do with it is pass it on decently to someone else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/you-live-your-life-and-it-ends-quite-quickly-and-all-you-can-do-with/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [You experience the films through the actors, so they're all locked into your imagination in some kind of layer of fantasy or hatred or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/you-experience-the-films-through-the-actors-so-they-re-all-locked/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [I learned with 'The Beach' that I'm a bit better lower down the radar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/i-learned-with-the-beach-that-i-m-a-bit-better-lower-down-the-radar/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [ We're trying to learn from \[Olympic\] Beijing, which could be very intimidating. We've learned to expect it's power, it majesty and that it completes… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/we-re-trying-to-learn-from-olympic-beijing-which-could-be-very/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [You can't tell someone they are wrong about their own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/you-can-t-tell-someone-they-are-wrong-about-their-own-life/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [I don't want to make pompous, serious films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/i-don-t-want-to-make-pompous-serious-films/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) [Explore all 128 Danny Boyle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) ## More Amnesia quotes > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“I never thought I'd get a second chance at a first time with you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-andrews/i-never-thought-i-d-get-a-second-chance-at-a-first-time-with-you/) [Amy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-andrews/) > [“It’s a cool morning, raining out, and you’re a thirty-eight-year-old woman who can’t remember a thing about her life. A strange amnesia, one you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-nicholson/it-s-a-cool-morning-raining-out-and-you-re-a-thirty-eight-year-old/) [Hope Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-nicholson/) > [“The Bible is clear: amnesia produces apostasy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ralph-davis/the-bible-is-clear-amnesia-produces-apostasy/) [Dale Ralph Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ralph-davis/) > [I Wish I Can Have Amnesia When It Comes To Some Of My Ex's I've Been With](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-payne/i-wish-i-can-have-amnesia-when-it-comes-to-some-of-my-ex-s-i-ve-been/) [Thomas Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-payne/) > [It would never occur to me to map my research against events in my life, and the recent history of globalization seems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keller-easterling/it-would-never-occur-to-me-to-map-my-research-against-events-in-my/) [Keller Easterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keller-easterling/) > [“Details can change or go missing entirely, particularly in moments of physical peril. A kind of amnesia goes hand in hand with sickness, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/details-can-change-or-go-missing-entirely-particularly-in-moments-of/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [& everytime I see her I sees ya, got you runnin' through my mind , jog my memories amnesia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/everytime-i-see-her-i-sees-ya-got-you-runnin-through-my-mind-jog-my/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Short-term amnesia is not the worst affliction if you have an Irish flair for the sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/short-term-amnesia-is-not-the-worst-affliction-if-you-have-an-irish/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Sometimes people who want to understand Haiti from a political perspective may be missing part of the picture. They also need to look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-bertrand-aristide/sometimes-people-who-want-to-understand-haiti-from-a-political/) [Jean-Bertrand Aristide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-bertrand-aristide/) > [Human beings can be redeemed. Empires cannot. Our refusal to face the truth about empire, our refusal to defy the multitudinous crimes and atrocities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/human-beings-can-be-redeemed-empires-cannot-our-refusal-to-face-the/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Call me crazy, but there is something terribly wrong with this city.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-reese-maher/call-me-crazy-but-there-is-something-terribly-wrong-with-this-city/) [Nathan Reese Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-reese-maher/) > [“He found her utterly fascinating, a nameless, homeless, naked vampire, sleeping away the day in his bed, wanted by state and federal police.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-luedke/he-found-her-utterly-fascinating-a-nameless-homeless-naked-vampire/) [Travis Luedke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-luedke/) > [We are the United States of Amnesia, which is encouraged by a media that has no desire to tell us the truth about anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/we-are-the-united-states-of-amnesia-which-is-encouraged-by-a-media/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I'm helpless in post-round, hole-by-hole interviews. I can't take you through most of the holes of winning the Players Championship, the U.S. Amateur or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-kuchar/i-m-helpless-in-post-round-hole-by-hole-interviews-i-can-t-take-you/) [Matt Kuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-kuchar/) [Browse all 248 Amnesia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Clearly, you can think back and see that a character has had enormous odds stacked against him and has to overcome them. It's usually a guy, I'm afraid. But then you're setting up a new movie you have amnesia about these meetings, when you've discussed it more analytically.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Danny Boyle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that-a-character-has-had-enormous/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amnesia" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that-a-character-has-had-enormous/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/danny-boyle-3499_amnesia_clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that_2987803.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/danny-boyle-3499_amnesia_clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that_2987803.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/danny-boyle-3499_amnesia_clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that_2987803.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Clearly, you can think back and see that a character has had enormous odds stacked against him and has to…” — Danny Boyle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Danny Boyle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Clearly, you can think back and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that-a-character-has-had-enormous/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/clearly-you-can-think-back-and-see-that-a-character-has-had-enormous/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```