Mainstream cinema raises questions only to immediately provide an answer to them, so they can send the spectator home reassured. If we actually had those answers, then society would appear very different from what it is.
Michael HanekeRead
Film is the manipulative medium par excellence. When you think back on the history of film and the 20th century, you see the propaganda that's been made. So there are moral demands on the director to treat the spectators as seriously as he or she takes himself and not to see them merely as victims that can be manipulated to whatever ends they have.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the responsibility of filmmakers to respect and consider their audience, rather than merely manipulate them.
Michael Haneke's quote suggests that film, as a powerful medium, has historically been used for propaganda, which imposes a moral obligation on directors. They must treat their audience with seriousness and integrity, recognizing their capacity for critical thought rather than viewing them as mere tools for manipulation. This highlights the ethical role of filmmakers in shaping narratives that respect viewers.
Themes
FilmDirectorAudienceManipulationPropagandaResponsibilityEthics
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on film ethics, this quote could be used to emphasize the importance of integrity in storytelling.
More from Michael Haneke
All quotes →All movies assault the viewer in one way or another.
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An artist is someone who should raise questions rather than give answers. I have no message.
Michael HanekeRead
It's the duty of art to ask questions, not to provide answers. And if you want a clearer answer, I'll have to pass.
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At its best, film should be like a ski jump. It should give the viewer the option of taking flight, while the act of jumping is left up to him.
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When I first envisioned 'Funny Games' in the mid-1990s, it was my intention to have an American audience watch the movie. It is a reaction to a certain American cinema, its violence, its naivety, the way American cinema toys with human beings. In many American films, violence is made consumable.
Michael HanekeRead
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