Cinema Quote by Gilles Deleuze
““The historical fact is that cinema was constituted as such by becoming narrative, by presenting a story, and by rejecting its other possible directions. The approximation which follows is that, from that point, the sequences of images and even each image, a single shot, are assimilated to propositions or rather oral utterances [...].””
About This Quote
Source Book: Cinema 1: The Movement-Image, 1983
Cinema became narrative by turning images into story-like propositions, treating each shot as an utterance.
In simple terms: Film tells stories by making images speak like words.
Key Takeaway
See visual media as language.
Themes
narrative
film theory
philosophy
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
theoretical
academic
When to use this quote
- film analysis
- teaching cinema
- creative storytelling
- media criticism
Key Concepts
proposition
utterance
semiotics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this view limit experimental cinema?
- Can images convey meaning without narrative?
A Different Perspective
Ignores non‑narrative visual art forms.
![“[In mountaineering, if] we look for private experience rather than public history, even getting to the top becomes an optional narrative rather than the main point, and those who only wander in high places become part of the story.” quote by Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1e6/rebecca-solnit-569_high-places_in-mountaineering-if-we-look-for-private_78831.jpg)
![“Either it is the fold of the infinite, or the constant folds [replis] of finitude which curve the outside and constitute the inside.” quote by Gilles Deleuze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bd3/gilles-deleuze-3530_constant_either-it-is-the-fold-of-the-infinite-or_97990.jpg)
