I'm very happy in France making movies. Michel Hazanavicius More Quotes by Michel Hazanavicius More Quotes From Michel Hazanavicius To me the recognition of the audience is part of the filmmaking process. When you make a movie, it's for them. Michel Hazanavicius recognition movie actors If you try to make a silent movie with a normal script and you just pull out the dialogue, you will have big problems with the actors because you will ask them to tell a story that you don't know. Michel Hazanavicius actors stories trying It's about storytelling. The story is told through images. So with the cast, I had to make sure that the emotions were readable without sound... I know some great actors, if you turn off the sound, you don't really know what they're saying Michel Hazanavicius actors stories sound I guess George Clooney would be a wonderful silent actor, and Leonardo DiCaprio is such a wonderful actor he certainly could do it. Michel Hazanavicius actors would-be wonderful There's always been a struggle with filmmakers between art and industry, and you have to find a balance Michel Hazanavicius balance struggle art When you look at the early-'30s movies, like King Kong, the codes of acting are very similar to those of silent movies. In some of the silent movies - the good ones, the ones done by the best directors - the acting is very, very natural Michel Hazanavicius acting kings directors It's just incredible. When you're French, coming from a non-English language country, you don't even dream about Oscar recognition or nominations. It's just beyond the dream. It's something very, very special and unique. It's the highest recognition any filmmaker could dream of Michel Hazanavicius unique dream country Sometimes I think you have to try to do things that people don't think are doable. I remember at the very beginning actually, the first person I had to convince was myself really because there's a self-censorship. When everybody says 'we don't do silent movies anymore,' you agree with everybody, and you say 'yeah, you're right.' It was a fantasy. Michel Hazanavicius self people thinking French cinema audiences usually don't express anything. Certainly not satisfaction. Michel Hazanavicius audience cinema satisfaction I want to thank three person: I want to thank Billy Wilder. I want to thank Billy Wilder. And I want to thank Billy Wilder. Michel Hazanavicius wilder three want I thought 'The Artist' was a perfect way to find a good balance. The artistic challenge is obvious because the film is black-and-white and its silent, but I did my best to make the movie accessible and easy to watch. I really don't want to make elitist movies. I really try hard to work for the audience. Audiences are smart. They get everything. Michel Hazanavicius smart black-and-white artist I guess all the directors in France are influenced by Hitchcock, because he's the perfect visual director, in my eyes. Michel Hazanavicius eye perfect The fact that I made a special movie with an old-fashioned style - even if it's a mix between with modern and old-fashioned things - must mean I feel both ways about change. In a way I'm resisting, but in a way adapting myself to the times. Michel Hazanavicius style special mean Actually, I met a lot of directors and most of them have that fantasy to make a silent movie because for directors it's the purest way to tell a story. It's about creating images that tell a story and you don't need dialogue for that. Michel Hazanavicius creating stories needs I make almost all the decisions on set and have to deal with all the financial aspects. Michel Hazanavicius aspect financial decision Usually, when you do a period movie, you just recreate what you are shooting. You don't recreate the way you shoot it. I think I did the same thing here as I did in the OSS 117 movies. I recreated the way to shoot that period, because to me, like what I was saying about the Steadicam, there's no sense to do a Steadicam shot in the 1920s because you have never seen the '20s like that. You can't believe there was a Steadicam in the 1920s. I believe it's a continuation of the OSS 117 in a way but without the irony. Michel Hazanavicius shooting believe thinking Sure, I watched a lot of Hollywood movies. Maybe I've seen more Hollywood movies than French movies Michel Hazanavicius french-movies hollywood-movies hollywood When you do not have the dialogue to explain things, you will use everything to show and to tell the story. I think that this is what makes you believe that it is impeccable Michel Hazanavicius stories believe thinking I think there's something in common with the OSS 117 movies. The big difference is there's no irony in this one. It's not parody. I tried to make it very simple. It's a simple story, but to be simple, it's very complex in the way it's done. Michel Hazanavicius differences simple thinking I only have one obsession - not to be boring. Michel Hazanavicius boring obsession
