"Memories are doing funny things to us"
About this Quote
Forman came of age in a century that made nostalgia dangerous and identity negotiable. Born in Czechoslovakia, shaped by war and totalitarianism, and later exiled, he knew firsthand how the past can be politicized, rewritten, or turned into a private refuge. That history sits under the line: memory is not a scrapbook; it's an engine that distorts desire, fear, and loyalty. It explains why his characters so often clash with institutions, from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to Amadeus. The real conflict isn't only authority versus freedom; it's the story you tell yourself versus the story being imposed on you.
There's also a director's sly self-awareness here. Film is memory technology: it preserves, rearranges, and frames experience until it feels truer than life. Forman's intent seems less philosophical than pragmatic and slightly amused: beware the past, because it will keep recutting the scene while you think you're moving on.
Quote Details
| Topic | Nostalgia |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Forman, Milos. (n.d.). Memories are doing funny things to us. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/memories-are-doing-funny-things-to-us-152474/
Chicago Style
Forman, Milos. "Memories are doing funny things to us." FixQuotes. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/memories-are-doing-funny-things-to-us-152474/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Memories are doing funny things to us." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/memories-are-doing-funny-things-to-us-152474/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.








