--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any good movie is filled with secrets. If…" description: "\"Any good movie is filled with secrets. If a director doesn't leave anything unsaid, it's a lousy picture. If a picture's unsaid, it's a lousy picture. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/ernst-lubitsch-38945_cinema_any-good-movie-is-filled-with-secrets-if_3106220.jpg" --- # Any good movie is filled with secrets. If a director… ![“Any good movie is filled with secrets. If a director doesn't leave anything unsaid, it's a lousy picture. If a picture's unsaid, it's a lousy picture. If a picture is good, it's mysterious, with things unsaid.” quote by Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/ernst-lubitsch-38945_cinema_any-good-movie-is-filled-with-secrets-if_3106220.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/ernst-lubitsch-38945_cinema_any-good-movie-is-filled-with-secrets-if_3106220.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/533/ernst-lubitsch-38945_cinema_any-good-movie-is-filled-with-secrets-if_3106220.jpg) > “Any good movie is filled with secrets. If a director doesn't leave anything unsaid, it's a lousy picture. If a picture's unsaid, it's a lousy picture. If a picture is good, it's mysterious, with things unsaid.” [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A great movie hides meaning, inviting viewers to discover hidden layers, rather than spelling everything out. **In simple terms:** Good films are mysterious, leaving some things unsaid. Key Takeaway Embrace ambiguity in storytelling. Themes cinema storytelling secrets creativity Mood thoughtful intriguing Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - film criticism - scriptwriting - directing workshops - movie reviews Key Concepts narrative depth audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - How much should a director reveal? - When does mystery become confusion? A Different Perspective Too much mystery can alienate audiences seeking clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) ## Related quotes > [“The fact that he’d been the first guy I ever loved and the one who made me face some terrifying things about myself...well, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarina-bowen/the-fact-that-he-d-been-the-first-guy-i-ever-loved-and-the-one-who-2/) [Sarina Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarina-bowen/) > [“The fact that he’d been the first guy I ever loved and the one who made me face some terrifying things about myself… well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarina-bowen-elle-kennedy/the-fact-that-he-d-been-the-first-guy-i-ever-loved-and-the-one-who/) Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy > [And things go unsaid soon get forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malorie-blackman/and-things-go-unsaid-soon-get-forgotten/) [Malorie Blackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malorie-blackman/) > [People in bands don't have the kind of conversations people might think they have. The best things about being in a band are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/people-in-bands-don-t-have-the-kind-of-conversations-people-might/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [“You never know how long you have-there might not BE a later-so don't let things go unsaid or unforgiven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-metcalf/you-never-know-how-long-you-have-there-might-not-be-a-later-so-don-t/) [Dawn Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-metcalf/) > [every death diminishes us, but those that leave differences unresolved and things unsaid are the most painful of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-muller/every-death-diminishes-us-but-those-that-leave-differences-unresolved/) [Marcia Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-muller/) > [Sometimes things unsaid are much more powerful than things said...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-things-unsaid-are-much-more-powerful-than-things-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Women often seemed to leave things unsaid, and in his limited experience it was what they did not say that proved the most trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/women-often-seemed-to-leave-things-unsaid-and-in-his-limited/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“A good rule of thumb for any relationship is to leave three unimportant things unsaid each day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-malone-scott/a-good-rule-of-thumb-for-any-relationship-is-to-leave-three/) [Kim Malone Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-malone-scott/) > [“At this time in his life some things unsaid hurt. 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I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-morse/my-memorization-skills-aren-t-that-great-so-i-need-help-in-that-area/) [Robert Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-morse/) > [The film is a direct mirror of the director. If your director doesn't know how to dress, there will be an aesthetic of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-tatum/the-film-is-a-direct-mirror-of-the-director-if-your-director-doesn-t/) [Channing Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-tatum/) > [A male director doesn't come to situations the same way that a female director would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-w-garcia/a-male-director-doesn-t-come-to-situations-the-same-way-that-a-female/) [Liz W. Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-w-garcia/) ## More by Ernst Lubitsch > [Nobody should try to play comedy unless they have a circus going on inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/nobody-should-try-to-play-comedy-unless-they-have-a-circus-going-on/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) > [The job of the director is to suggest two plus two. Let the viewer say four.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/the-job-of-the-director-is-to-suggest-two-plus-two-let-the-viewer-say/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) > [You could name the great stars of the silent screen who were finished; the great directors gone; the great title writers who were washed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/you-could-name-the-great-stars-of-the-silent-screen-who-were-finished/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) > [I've been to Paris, France, and I've been to Paris, Paramount. I think I prefer Paris, Paramount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/i-ve-been-to-paris-france-and-i-ve-been-to-paris-paramount-i-think-i/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) > [I sometimes make pictures which are not up to my standard, but then it can only be said of a mediocrity that all his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/i-sometimes-make-pictures-which-are-not-up-to-my-standard-but-then-it/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) > [In Hollywood we acquire the finest novels in order to smell the leather bindings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/in-hollywood-we-acquire-the-finest-novels-in-order-to-smell-the/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) > [It is the task of the scenarist to invent little pieces of business that are so characteristic and give so deep an insight into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/it-is-the-task-of-the-scenarist-to-invent-little-pieces-of-business/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) > [I've been to Paris France and I've been to Paris Paramount. Paris Paramount is better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/i-ve-been-to-paris-france-and-i-ve-been-to-paris-paramount-paris/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) > [There are a thousand ways to point a camera, but really only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/there-are-a-thousand-ways-to-point-a-camera-but-really-only-one/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) > [I let the audience use their imaginations. Can I help it if they misconstrue my suggestions?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-lubitsch/i-let-the-audience-use-their-imaginations-can-i-help-it-if-they/) [Ernst Lubitsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) [Explore all 11 Ernst Lubitsch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-lubitsch/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Any good movie is filled with secrets. 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