--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People have said that my films are very…" description: "\"People have said that my films are very difficult to watch, that they're experiences you are put through rather than ones you enjoy, and it's true.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/john-cassavetes-12820_cinema_people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very_668338.jpg" --- # People have said that my films are very difficult to… ![“People have said that my films are very difficult to watch, that they're experiences you are put through rather than ones you enjoy, and it's true.” quote by John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/john-cassavetes-12820_cinema_people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very_668338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/john-cassavetes-12820_cinema_people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very_668338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/john-cassavetes-12820_cinema_people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very_668338.jpg) > “People have said that my films are very difficult to watch, that they're experiences you are put through rather than ones you enjoy, and it's true.” [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His films are challenging, demanding viewers to endure intense experiences rather than seek simple enjoyment. **In simple terms:** His movies are tough, not easy to watch. Key Takeaway Embrace discomfort for deeper artistic impact. Themes art film challenge experience audience Mood intense provocative Type critical analytical When to use this quote - watching avant‑garde cinema - studying film theory - discussing artistic intent - appreciating complex narratives Key Concepts cinema authenticity raw emotion Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be “put through” a film? - How does discomfort shape artistic appreciation? A Different Perspective Not all audiences appreciate or understand such intensity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiences/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I find it difficult to watch myself... I find it boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-find-it-difficult-to-watch-myself-i-find-it-boring/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [I find it very, very difficult to watch myself on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jones/i-find-it-very-very-difficult-to-watch-myself-on-tv/) [Peter Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jones/) > [Normally, it's difficult for me to watch a movie that I'm in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/normally-it-s-difficult-for-me-to-watch-a-movie-that-i-m-in/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [I even found it difficult to watch myself playing on TV because I couldn't identify with the person on the screen. I couldn't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-best/i-even-found-it-difficult-to-watch-myself-playing-on-tv-because-i/) [George Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-best/) > [I just mean it's very difficult for me to watch my work, in some ways, because I am critical of what I didn't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tea-leoni/i-just-mean-it-s-very-difficult-for-me-to-watch-my-work-in-some-ways/) [Tea Leoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tea-leoni/) > [It's still difficult for me to watch my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-lee/it-s-still-difficult-for-me-to-watch-my-work/) [Sheryl Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-lee/) > [I understand that it's incredibly difficult to watch what's happening on the news every day and not become inured to it. I've fallen victim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-powers/i-understand-that-it-s-incredibly-difficult-to-watch-what-s-happening/) [Kevin Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-powers/) > [It's really difficult for me to watch when I'm unable to play myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-boateng/it-s-really-difficult-for-me-to-watch-when-i-m-unable-to-play-myself/) [Jerome Boateng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-boateng/) > [As a mom, it's difficult to watch your child struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-germanotta/as-a-mom-it-s-difficult-to-watch-your-child-struggle/) [Cynthia Germanotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-germanotta/) > [It's always difficult to watch someone you love die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/it-s-always-difficult-to-watch-someone-you-love-die/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [There are films that are difficult. There are films that would actually affect your personal life because of the length of the production, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janusz-kaminski/there-are-films-that-are-difficult-there-are-films-that-would/) [Janusz Kaminski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janusz-kaminski/) > [Let me put it this way: I would like to direct a successful film. An unsuccessful film I would not like to direct. Films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/let-me-put-it-this-way-i-would-like-to-direct-a-successful-film-an/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [Bigger films are more difficult because the number of people is so huge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keira-knightley/bigger-films-are-more-difficult-because-the-number-of-people-is-so/) [Keira Knightley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keira-knightley/) > [The trouble is that in south cinema, after you become successful at the box office, market realities dictate your choice of films, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram/the-trouble-is-that-in-south-cinema-after-you-become-successful-at/) [Vikram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram/) > [After 'The Gamekeeper' I made one other film called 'Looks and Smiles,' but making British films was very difficult. There wasn't a tradition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-loach/after-the-gamekeeper-i-made-one-other-film-called-looks-and-smiles/) [Ken Loach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-loach/) ## More by John Cassavetes > [I think I probably have the philosophy of a poor man. You know, like maybe I'd steal the pennies off a dead man's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-think-i-probably-have-the-philosophy-of-a-poor-man-you-know-like/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I have a one-track mind. That's all that I'm interested in - love. And the lack of it. When it stops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-have-a-one-track-mind-that-s-all-that-i-m-interested-in-love-and/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [(Acting) is an extension of life. How you're capable of performing in your life, that's how you're capable of performing on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/acting-is-an-extension-of-life-how-you-re-capable-of-performing-in/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I hate entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-hate-entertainment/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [My mother and father were never frightened of anything. They always felt that they should go through life happily and without fear, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/my-mother-and-father-were-never-frightened-of-anything-they-always/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [People don't know what they are doing most of the time. They don't know what they want. It's only in 'the movies' that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/people-don-t-know-what-they-are-doing-most-of-the-time-they-don-t/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [The most difficult thing in the world is to reveal yourself, to express what you have to. As an artist, I feel that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/the-most-difficult-thing-in-the-world-is-to-reveal-yourself-to/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I have the confidence that I can take anybody and have them give a good performance, because I don't think there's anything to acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-have-the-confidence-that-i-can-take-anybody-and-have-them-give-a/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I like to act in films, I like to shoot 'em, I like to direct 'em, I like to be around 'em. I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-like-to-act-in-films-i-like-to-shoot-em-i-like-to-direct-em-i-like/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I would put my pictures up against anybody's in this world. Certainly in my own day I bow to no one. I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-would-put-my-pictures-up-against-anybody-s-in-this-world-certainly/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [People who are making films today are too concerned with mechanics - technical things instead of feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/people-who-are-making-films-today-are-too-concerned-with-mechanics/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I’m very worried about the depiction of women on the screen. It’s gotten worse than ever and it’s related to their being either high-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-m-very-worried-about-the-depiction-of-women-on-the-screen-it-s/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I'm not good at comparing and contrasting. I take what's in front of me for what it is, although I guess there's something about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-m-not-good-at-comparing-and-contrasting-i-take-what-s-in-front-of/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [Films today show only a dream world and have lost touch with the way people really are... In this country, people die at 21.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/films-today-show-only-a-dream-world-and-have-lost-touch-with-the-way/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [Commercial movies have no feeling, no sensitivity. Most people tell me people won't understand films with feeling. But everyone can feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/commercial-movies-have-no-feeling-no-sensitivity-most-people-tell-me/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) [Explore all 53 John Cassavetes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) ## 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": "People have said that my films are very difficult to watch, that they're experiences you are put through rather than ones you enjoy, and it's true.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Cassavetes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very-difficult-to-watch-that-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very-difficult-to-watch-that-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/john-cassavetes-12820_cinema_people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very_668338.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/john-cassavetes-12820_cinema_people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very_668338.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/john-cassavetes-12820_cinema_people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very_668338.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People have said that my films are very difficult to watch, that they're experiences you are put through…” — John Cassavetes", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Cassavetes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People have said that my films...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very-difficult-to-watch-that-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/people-have-said-that-my-films-are-very-difficult-to-watch-that-they/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```