If a story doesn't give you a hard-on in the first couple of scenes, throw it in the goddamned garbage.
Samuel FullerRead
I don't care if it's a mystery story, a Western, or the story of Julius Caesar. To me it's the emotion, the lies, the double-cross, whether it's Brutus doing it to Caesar or Bob Stack doing it to Robert Ryan that defines what kind of drama it is.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of storytelling lies in the emotions and conflicts it portrays, rather than the genre itself.
In this quote, Samuel Fuller emphasizes that the heart of drama transcends specific genres like mystery or Western. He suggests that the emotional depths, betrayals, and complexities of relationships, exemplified through characters and their actions, are what truly define a story. By referencing historical figures and their conflicts, Fuller illustrates that drama is universally human, focused on the emotional truths that resonate with audiences, regardless of the narrative framework.
Themes
DramaEmotionStorytellingConflictBetrayal
In practice
Example use cases
This quote would be perfect for a discussion on the significance of character development in drama classes.
More from Samuel Fuller
All quotes →A film is like a battleground. It's love, hate, action, violence, death—In one word, emotions.
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