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
All movies assault the viewer in one way or another.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that movies evoke strong reactions from viewers, whether positive or negative.
Michael Haneke's quote highlights the impactful nature of cinema, implying that films are designed to provoke an emotional response from audiences. Whether through thrilling narratives, dramatic visuals, or unsettling themes, movies tend to influence the viewer's feelings and thoughts, acting as a form of assault that can be both challenging and enlightening.
Themes
MoviesArtEmotionViewerCinema
In practice
Example use cases
During a film discussion, one might use this quote to emphasize the emotional impact of cinema.
More from Michael Haneke
All quotes βAn 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
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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