‘Television ruined movies’: Dune director’s powerful words in defense of cinema

“A picture is worth a thousand words”said Confucius. And this is a saying that Denis Villeneuve has to repeat to himself often. Even as the second part of Dune, which has been praised for its visual aspect, is hitting our theatres, the director has defended his approach towards the director in strict words.

“Honestly, I hate dialogue”– he said First English, not so obviously without laughter. “Dialogues are for theater and television. I don’t remember a movie because of a good line, I remember it because of a strong image.”

“I don’t care about dialogue at all. The power of cinema comes only from images and sound, but that’s not obvious when you watch movies today.” A point we can’t blame him for in the face of every blockbuster that feels obligated to explain everything.

“I don’t remember a movie because of a good line, I remember it because of a strong image”

“Television has ruined movies. In an ideal world, I’d make a believable movie that didn’t seem experimental, but didn’t contain a single word. People would leave the theater and realize there was no dialogue, but they would. I don’t feel the lack of it.”

Very strong comments from a great defender of cinema, but one that can spark debate. And it already is. Because the sometimes unnecessary overexposure that overloads the plot is countered by the fact that the iconic line can help the film for posterity.

Show, don’t tell

Both in the comedies, which turn dialogue into the art of living, and in the fresco Gone with the Wind (“Honestly, my dear, that’s the least of my worries.”) or The Empire Strikes Back… which Christopher Nolan, another great defender of cinema, compares to Dune 2.

Meanwhile, and while his film 2024 is off to a great start in France, Denis Villeneuve insists he is “show don’t tell”A narrative technique, credited to writer and playwright Anton Chekov, that helps show more than it tells. This is also called storytelling through pictures.