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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Film should inspire viewers to explore and engage their imagination, but the decision to do so should be theirs.
In this quote, Michael Haneke compares the experience of watching a film to the exhilaration of a ski jump. It emphasizes the idea that a good film should elevate the viewer's experience, allowing them to take metaphorical flight with their imagination, while ultimately leaving the choice to engage and interpret to the viewer themselves. This perspective advocates for the active role of the viewer in the cinematic journey, stressing the importance of personal engagement over passive consumption.
Themes
FilmCreativityImaginationEngagementArt
In practice
Example use cases
During a film class discussion about the role of viewers in storytelling.
More from Michael Haneke
All quotes βAll 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
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
I make my films because I'm affected by a situation, by something that makes me want to reflect on it, that lends itself to an artistic reflection. I always aim to look directly at what I'm dealing with. I think it's a task of dramatic art to confront us with things that in the entertainment industry are usually swept under the rug.
Michael HanekeRead
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