--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to be a police detective. In my…" description: "\"I wanted to be a police detective. In my work, particularly in documentaries, I am obsessed with finding things out, seeking ever-new facts and perspec..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/james-marsh-35267_am_i-wanted-to-be-a-police-detective-in-my_226209.jpg" --- # I wanted to be a police detective. In my work… ![“I wanted to be a police detective. In my work, particularly in documentaries, I am obsessed with finding things out, seeking ever-new facts and perspectives - each project can involve years of research.” quote by James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/james-marsh-35267_am_i-wanted-to-be-a-police-detective-in-my_226209.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/james-marsh-35267_am_i-wanted-to-be-a-police-detective-in-my_226209.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/james-marsh-35267_am_i-wanted-to-be-a-police-detective-in-my_226209.jpg) > “I wanted to be a police detective. In my work, particularly in documentaries, I am obsessed with finding things out, seeking ever-new facts and perspectives - each project can involve years of research.” [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote expresses a deep curiosity and dedication to uncovering truth through investigative work, especially in documentary filmmaking, highlighting perseverance in research. **In simple terms:** Passion for truth drives investigative work. Key Takeaway Pursue thorough research. Themes investigation documentary curiosity truth-seeking Mood inquisitive determined Type professional inspirational When to use this quote - film production - academic research - journalistic reporting Key Concepts journalism storytelling research methodology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance curiosity with respect for subjects? - What methods ensure ethical documentary practice? A Different Perspective It may ignore ethical dilemmas of intrusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Detective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/) [Detective work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective-work/) [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Perspectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspectives/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Cinematic icons of the police detective are more male role models than female.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/cinematic-icons-of-the-police-detective-are-more-male-role-models/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [“I came across a man in Belgium once, a very famous detective, and he quite inflamed me. He was a marvellous little fellow. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-came-across-a-man-in-belgium-once-a-very-famous-detective-and-he/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [The best crime novels are not about how a detective works on a case; they are about how a case works on a detective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/the-best-crime-novels-are-not-about-how-a-detective-works-on-a-case/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [I hate that people are trying to detective work into my past, it bothers me... But it's, whatever, I haven't got anything to hide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-hate-that-people-are-trying-to-detective-work-into-my-past-it/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [“Detective work is ninety-nine percent boring and one percent the kind of excitement no one should ever experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/detective-work-is-ninety-nine-percent-boring-and-one-percent-the-kind/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“I'd been trained in the art of psychotherapy, the excavation of the past as a means of untangling the present and rendering it livable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kellerman/i-d-been-trained-in-the-art-of-psychotherapy-the-excavation-of-the/) [Jonathan Kellerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kellerman/) > [“The practice of guessing so obviously fails in detective work that it’s almost shocking that we guess when we have important problems to solve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-greene/the-practice-of-guessing-so-obviously-fails-in-detective-work-that-it/) [Nat Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-greene/) > [As a biographer, I try to uncover the adventures and personalities behind each character I research. 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The clues will be in your life to date, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-harvey/if-you-do-not-know-your-purpose-you-have-detective-work-to-do-the/) [Bill Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-harvey/) > [Your novels show only the tiniest fraction of detective work, the brilliant crime, the tantalizing clues, the dramatic chase, the final battle atop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-petrucha/your-novels-show-only-the-tiniest-fraction-of-detective-work-the/) [Stefan Petrucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-petrucha/) > [Like acting, undercover detective work requires a lot of performance. There's just more pressure because it's life-or-death situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-david-washington/like-acting-undercover-detective-work-requires-a-lot-of-performance/) [John David Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-david-washington/) > [You just work really hard and scrutinize. What is it called in politics? "Opposition research"? You want to do the detective work on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ponsoldt/you-just-work-really-hard-and-scrutinize-what-is-it-called-in/) [James Ponsoldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ponsoldt/) > [Chuckling to herself, Nancy said aloud, "Romance and detective work won't mix tonight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-keene/chuckling-to-herself-nancy-said-aloud-romance-and-detective-work-won/) [Carolyn Keene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-keene/) > [They say that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains," he remarked with a smile. "It's a very bad definition, but it does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/they-say-that-genius-is-an-infinite-capacity-for-taking-pains-he/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) ## More by James Marsh > [I remember from my school days Archimedes jumping into his bath and displacing water and coming up with his famous principle, and of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/i-remember-from-my-school-days-archimedes-jumping-into-his-bath-and/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [Black holes are pretty scary when you ponder them. They seem nihilistic, infinitely destructive on an inconceivable scale, notwithstanding the ideas of Hawking radiation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/black-holes-are-pretty-scary-when-you-ponder-them-they-seem/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [The issue often with films is how it works with money and trying to get a visible movie star presence in the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/the-issue-often-with-films-is-how-it-works-with-money-and-trying-to/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [For a film to be viable, it has to survive this process of scrutiny. I think most filmmakers have obsessive-compulsive tendencies and would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/for-a-film-to-be-viable-it-has-to-survive-this-process-of-scrutiny-i/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [I find films incredibly emotional. That's the power of the medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/i-find-films-incredibly-emotional-that-s-the-power-of-the-medium/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [There is a sense of emptiness when you finish any film because you're empty and you can't give anything more to it anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/there-is-a-sense-of-emptiness-when-you-finish-any-film-because-you-re/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [Usually, with the work I've done, by the end, I usually feel like it's a failure. It doesn't matter how it's received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/usually-with-the-work-i-ve-done-by-the-end-i-usually-feel-like-it-s-a/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [I've always worked very efficiently on small budgets, both in documentaries and in features.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/i-ve-always-worked-very-efficiently-on-small-budgets-both-in/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [I did 'Red Riding,' which is TV in the U.K. It became a feature project in North America, but we're in a great era…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/i-did-red-riding-which-is-tv-in-the-u-k-it-became-a-feature-project/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [The score, which comes often quite later in a film, can help reinvigorate your emotional engagement with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsh/the-score-which-comes-often-quite-later-in-a-film-can-help/) [James Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsh/) > [I love America, but I've now got two young kids and America has changed so much since 9/11 and Bush. 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