Politics & Power Quote by Antonio Banderas

Banderas is doing something clever here: he flatters America without granting it the self-myth of timelessness. By setting a 200-year-old Constitution against a 350-year-old Madrid house, he punctures the idea that the United States is an “ancient” civilization with fixed traditions. The comparison isn’t a history lesson; it’s a recalibration of ego. In Europe, age is ambient. In America, age is often performed.

Calling the U.S. “still a project” lands because it reframes national identity as unfinished work rather than inherited essence. That word choice quietly dodges the usual tourist-script praise (“great country,” “freedom,” etc.) and swaps in a more modern, process-oriented compliment: you’re building, iterating, debugging. It’s the language of startups and civic movements alike, and it carries an implied permission slip to change things. The subtext is almost parental: don’t be embarrassed by your youth; use it.

“You guys are working on it” is also pointedly democratic. He’s not praising presidents or founding fathers; he’s praising ordinary participation and constant cultural remix. That’s a generous read of a messy reality, but it’s strategic: it suggests American legitimacy comes from ongoing contributions, especially from newcomers and outsiders, not just from a sacred document.

Context matters: Banderas, a Spanish actor who’s navigated Hollywood’s appetite for imported charisma, is positioned as both admirer and observer. “Beautiful to watch” keeps him just outside the frame. He’s celebrating the spectacle of reinvention while gently reminding Americans that reinvention is not an identity slogan - it’s a responsibility.