Denis Villeneuve, recently shared with The Times of London his perspective that “movies have been influenced negatively by television.”
His viewpoint stems from his increasing inclination to create a film devoid of dialogue. The filmmaker expressed his disdain for dialogue, remarking, “To be honest, I dislike dialogue. Dialogue belongs in theater and television. When I recall movies, it’s the potent imagery that sticks, not memorable lines.” He states that Dialogie does not capture his interest. “The essence of cinema lies in pure imagery and sound, a quality that often eludes modern movies. Television has tainted the essence of cinema.”, Villeneuve said
When asked by The Times if films imitated television’s success during its golden age, he replied, “Exactly.”
He further elaborated on his vision, saying, “In a perfect world, I’d make a compelling movie that doesn’t feel like an experiment but does not have a single word in it either. People would leave the cinema and say, ‘Wait, there was no dialogue?’ But they won’t feel the lack.”
Previously, Villeneuve entertained the idea of adapting Norwegian author Jo Nesbo’s novel “The Son” into an HBO limited series, with Jake Gyllenhaal poised to take the lead. However, he disclosed earlier this year that he had abandoned plans for the TV series, citing a misalignment with his artistic vision and creative side.
“It’s a project that I absolutely love. And I love the book. I love that writer, very strong writer,” he explained. “And the thing is that, I brought this project to do a miniseries because I thought that to bring it, to try to protect all the elements of the book, it was too much for a feature film. But I did feel that the adaptation we’ve made, which I think the screenplays were excellent, but far away from my sensibility.”
His insights provoke contemplation on the evolving dynamics between film and television storytelling.