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In the best of all possible worlds, directors would obsess about the quality of their storytelling, and not the details of their technical methods.
Roger Ebert
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Storytelling quality should be prioritized over technical details in filmmaking.

Roger Ebert highlights the importance of storytelling in cinema, suggesting that directors should focus more on the essence of the narrative rather than getting bogged down by technical aspects. This perspective emphasizes that the heart of film lies in how stories are told and the emotional experiences they deliver to the audience.

Themes

StorytellingQualityDirectorsTechnicalFilmmaking

In practice

Example use cases

Use this quote in a film studies class while discussing the role of narrative in cinema.

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Socrates told us, "the unexamined life is not worth living." I think he's calling for curiosity, more than knowledge. In every human society at all times and at all levels, the curious are at the leading edge.
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There are no guarantees. But there is also nothing to fear. We come from oblivion when we are born. We return to oblivion when we die. The astonishing thing is this period of in-between.
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