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Film should be looked at straight on; it is not the art of scholars but of illiterates.
Werner Herzog
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Film is an accessible medium that can be appreciated without academic knowledge.

Werner Herzog's quote emphasizes that film should be experienced directly and instinctively, rather than being overanalyzed or critiqued solely by intellectual standards. He suggests that cinema is a universal form of expression that resonates with everyone, regardless of their education or background, highlighting its raw emotional impact and intrinsic value as an art form.

Themes

FilmArtCinemaAccessibilityExpression

In practice

Example use cases

During a discussion on artistic expression at a film festival.

More from Werner Herzog

Perseverance has kept me going over the years. Things rarely happen overnight. Filmmakers should be prepared for many years of hard work. The sheer toil can be healthy and exhilarating.
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Hold firm to your vision but don't be a tyrant on set.
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For a moment the feeling crept over me that my work, my vision, is going to destroy me, and for a fleeting moment I let myself take a long, hard look at myself, something I would not otherwise do--out of instinct, on principle, out of self-preservation--look at myself with objective curiosity to see whether my vision has not destroyed me already. I found it comforting to note that I was still breathing.
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Very often, footage that you have shot develops its own dynamic, it's own life, that is totally unexpected, and moves away from you're original intentions. And you have to acknowledge, yes, there is a child growing and developing and moving in a direction that isn't expected-accept it as it is and let it develop its own life.
Werner HerzogRead
Without dreams we would be cows in a field, and I don't want to live like that. I live my life or I end my life with this project.
Werner HerzogRead
Coincidences always happen if you keep your mind open, while storyboards remain the instruments of cowards who do not trust in their own imagination and who are slaves of a matrix If you get used to planning your shots based solely on aesthetics, you are never that far from kitsch.
Werner HerzogRead

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We need writers who know the difference between the production of a commodity and the practice of an art.
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For myself and my own experience now, I don't really need any music. I have enough to listen to with just the sounds of the environment. I listen to the sounds of 6th avenue.
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