Consciousness Quote by Oliver Stone
![“[Nixon] reduced the meaning of his life to nothing but power. In the film, we gave this sad figure consciousness of what he was. We weren't right to do that - I don't think he did have that consciousness. But we did it for movie reasons - to create empathy.” quote by Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/085/oliver-stone-1812_consciousness_nixon-reduced-the-meaning-of-his-life-to_3184838.jpg)
“[Nixon] reduced the meaning of his life to nothing but power. In the film, we gave this sad figure consciousness of what he was. We weren't right to do that - I don't think he did have that consciousness. But we did it for movie reasons - to create empathy.”
About This Quote
Source Film interview, 1995
He reflected on portraying Nixon as power‑driven, questioning the moral implications of giving a villain empathy.
In simple terms: He debated showing empathy for a power‑obsessed leader.
Key Takeaway
Consider ethical limits of humanizing antagonists.
Themes
film
ethics
characterization
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
cinematic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- screenwriting
- director decisions
- audience perception
Key Concepts
power
empathy
historical narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- Should filmmakers empathize with villains?
- What impact does this have on viewers?
A Different Perspective
Humanizing evil can blur moral judgments.
![“[On Richard M. Nixon:] Americans began with a president who couldn't tell a lie and now they have one who can't tell the truth.” quote by Benazir Bhutto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2f1/benazir-bhutto-7903_lying_on-richard-m-nixon-americans-began-with_84893.jpg)
![“There were really funny characteristics about this guy [Richard Nixon], chief of which would be that he seemed to devote about 85 percent of his waking energy to suppressing any sign of his emotional response to anything that was going on around him, and the other 15 percent blurting out those…” quote by Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7f4/harry-shearer-7595_characteristics_there-were-really-funny-characteristics_50569.jpg)
