There's no such thing as an anti-war film.
Francois TruffautRead
But the cinephile is … a neurotic! (That’s not a pejorative term.) The Bronte sisters were neurotic, and it’s because they were neurotic that they read all those books and became writers. The famous French advertising slogan that says, “When you love life, you go to the movies,” it’s false! It’s exactly the opposite: when you don’t love life, or when life doesn’t give you satisfaction, you go to the movies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the appreciation of cinema stems from dissatisfaction with life, rather than love for it.
Francois Truffaut's quote posits that cinephiles, or movie lovers, often turn to films as an escape from their neuroses and discontent. He argues that a deep engagement with cinema reflects a desire to find meaning or satisfaction in life, rather than a simple love for life itself. By referencing the neurotic Bronte sisters, Truffaut highlights that a creative outlet, such as film, can be a response to personal struggles and existential dissatisfaction.
Themes
CinephileNeuroticMoviesSatisfactionLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of cinema in our lives, this quote illustrates how films can serve as an escape.
More from Francois Truffaut
All quotes →I love the way she projects two facets: a visible persona and a subterranean one. She keeps her thoughts to herself; she seems to suggest that her secret, inner life is at least as significant as the appearance she gives.
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I want my audience to be constantly captivated, bewitched, so that it leaves the theatre dazed, stunned to be back on the pavement.
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To be a film-maker, you are almost forced to be surrounded by contradictions... You must have talents of so many different kinds - talents that are contradictory.
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The film of tomorrow will not be directed by civil servants of the camera, but by artists for whom shooting a film constitutes a wonderful and thrilling adventure.
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I have always preferred the reflection of the life to life itself.
Francois TruffautRead
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