Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream, it takes over as the number one hormone; it bosses the enzymes; directs the pineal gland; plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to film is more film.
Interpretation
Film can consume and dominate one's thoughts and emotions, much like a powerful addiction.
In this quote, Frank Capra metaphorically compares film to a disease that overtakes an individual, asserting that its influence can be as profound and consuming as a drug addiction. The use of vivid imagery emphasizes how cinema affects our psyche, suggesting that just as a person addicted to heroin might seek more of the drug as a remedy, a film enthusiast immerses themselves further in films in response to their obsession, thereby illustrating the powerful grip and emotional resonance that cinema can have on a person.
In practice
During a speech at a film festival, one might say, 'As Frank Capra noted, film is a disease that takes hold of us, urging us to seek more cinematic experiences.'
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