They say you can't study Kabbalah until you are at least 40 years old. You know why? You have to have experienced at least one generation making the same mistakes as the previous one.
David MametRead
Films have degenerated to their original operation as carnival amusement - they offer not drama but thrills.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mamet suggests that films have lost their artistic depth and have reverted to simple entertainment.
In this quote, David Mamet critiques the modern state of cinema, indicating that films have strayed from their purpose of delivering profound narratives and emotional experiences. Instead, they have become mere sources of excitement and adrenaline, resembling the superficial entertainment found at carnivals rather than the dramatic artistry that elevates storytelling.
Themes
FilmCinemaEntertainmentDramaCarnivalThrills
In practice
Example use cases
During a film discussion panel, one might quote Mamet to highlight a concern about cinematic trends.
More from David Mamet
All quotes βMy alma mater is the Chicago Public Library. I got what little educational foundation I got in the third-floor reading room, under the tutelage of a Coca-Cola sign.
David MametRead
You know, young actors say all the time, 'Should I use my own life experience?' And my response is, 'What choice do you have?'
David MametRead
It's hard for a Jew of my generation, an American Jew, who is philo-Zionistic, not to romanticize Israel.
David MametRead
You can't write about history without writing about politics at some point. History is about movements of people. 'What is criminality and what is government' is a theme that runs through every history.
David MametRead
Every reiteration of the idea that nothing matters debases the human spirit.
David MametRead
Similar quotes
There must be a story within him/her that wants to come out. That's the reason why 'Dil Chahta Hai,' 'Lagaan,' and 'Rang De Basanti' worked so well: Ashutosh, Farhan, and Rakesh had a story inside them. It's very important that the director should have the fire in the belly to tell the story.
Aamir KhanRead
Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important.
Henri Cartier-BressonRead
Music is the purest form of art... therefore true poets...seek to express the universe in terms of music. The singer has everything within him. The notes come out from his very life. They are not materials gathered from outside.
Rabindranath TagoreRead
Birds in flight fascinate me. I admire eagles and falcons. Iβm inspired by a feather but also its color, its graphics, its weightlessness and its engineering. Itβs so elaborate. In fact I try and transpose the beauty of a bird to women.
Alexander McqueenRead
In fiction, you know, there are no borders. You can go anywhere.
E. L. DoctorowRead
Above all, a well-imagined story is organized around extraordinary human behaviors and unexpected and startling events, which help illuminate the commonplace and the ordinary.
Tim O'BrienRead