The 61-year-old star has enjoyed a hugely successful career on stage and screen - but admits that some of his choices have been motivated by "monetary gain".
"I do have faith that good films can be made that contribute to our cultural life and the same as the theatre," he told Sky News.
"But do we have moments of doubt that it's full of corruption, opportunism? Have we indeed ourselves participated in the paycheque film and it's not been that great?
"Yes. I mean, we can have our ideals and then we can, of course, succumb to it, can succumb to cynicism, monetary gain."
Fiennes recently revealed that he's never been approached to star in a long-form TV show.
The acclaimed actor feels that he has a "natural taste" for film.
"I can't think of a time I've been approached [to appear in a long-form TV show]," he told The Times newspaper.
He also confessed to feeling frustrated by the TV industry.
"Things are just extended when they don't have to be. So a show can have great performances, writing, camera, but it's sort of dead, bubbling along, like somebody's keeping it on simmer for ever for, I sometimes wonder, non-creative elements that might make viewing figures go up.
"I watched a TV series recently that was well-received and I just thought, 'Why is it so long?' It seemed so odd. My natural taste is for film."
He still loves the experience of "being immersed" in a film for a couple of hours, he said.
"I just love the classic format of the movie that is 90 minutes, 120 minutes."
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