You should look straight at a film; that’s the only way to see one. Film is not the art of scholars but of illiterates.

Meaning of the quote

Werner Herzog, a famous German director, believes that to truly experience a film, you should watch it directly and without any distractions. He says that film is not meant for those who are highly educated, but for people who are open-minded and willing to see the world in a new way, just like those who are not formally educated.

About Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog is a renowned German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author, known for his unique style and ambitious protagonists. He is considered a pioneer of the New German Cinema, and his films often feature individuals in conflict with nature or pursuing impossible dreams.

More about the author

More quotes from Werner Herzog

I cannot work fast enough. I cannot cope fast enough, really. And just releasing a film is hard.

Werner Herzog

German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and opera director

I know whenever it comes to be really dysfunctional and vile and base and hostile on screen, I’m good at that!

Werner Herzog

German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and opera director

You should look straight at a film; that’s the only way to see one. Film is not the art of scholars but of illiterates.

Werner Herzog

German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and opera director

Let’s put it this way: art house theaters are vanishing. They have almost disappeared completely, and that means there’s a shift in what audiences want to see. And they have to be aware of that and be realistic. It’s as simple as that.

Werner Herzog

German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and opera director

Facts sometimes have a strange and bizarre power that makes their inherent truth seem unbelievable.

Werner Herzog

German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and opera director

Technology has a great advantage in that we are capable of creating dinosaurs and show them on the screen even though they are extinct 65 million years. All of a sudden, we have a fantastic tool that is as good as dreams are.

Werner Herzog

German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and opera director

There are certainly laws and elements that make a film more accessible to mainstream audiences. If you’ve got Tom Cruise as a strongman, I’m sure it would have larger audiences, but it wouldn’t have the same substance.

Werner Herzog

German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and opera director

I don’t spend sleepless nights over getting very bad reviews.

Werner Herzog

German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and opera director