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
Films that are entertainments give simple answers but I think that's ultimately more cynical, as it denies the viewer room to think. If there are more answers at the end, then surely it is a richer experience.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that films providing complex narratives are more enriching than those that offer simplistic resolutions.
Michael Haneke implies that films that merely entertain by providing easy answers are ultimately less fulfilling. He believes that when films provoke thought and offer multiple perspectives, they create a deeper and more meaningful experience for viewers, allowing them to engage intellectually and emotionally with the material presented.
Themes
FilmsEntertainmentThoughtExperienceAnswers
In practice
Example use cases
In a film discussion group, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of deeper storytelling.
More from Michael Haneke
All quotes →All movies assault the viewer in one way or another.
Michael HanekeRead
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.
Michael HanekeRead
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.
Michael HanekeRead
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
Similar quotes
For me, electronic music is like cooking: it's a sensual organic activity where you can mix ingredients.
Jean Michel JarreRead
Remember crime against property is not real crime. People look at an oil painting and admire the use of brushstrokes to convey meaning. People look at a graffiti painting and admire the use of a drainpipe to gain access.
BanksyRead
Language is wine upon the lips.
Virginia WoolfRead
The calling of art is to extract us from our daily reality, to bring us to a hidden truth that's difficult to access - to a level that's not material but spiritual.
Abbas KiarostamiRead
I could never overstate the importance of a musician's need to develop his or her ear. Actually, I believe that developing a good 'inner ear' - the art of being able to decipher musical components solely through listening - is the most important element in becoming a good musician.
Steve VaiRead
Underwater, I experience space with my body. I'll see a school of fish gathering and moving together and I'll exclaim, 'This is architecture.'
Antoine PredockRead