--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I look on cinema as a pulpit, and use it…" description: "\"I look on cinema as a pulpit, and use it as a propagandist.\" — John Grierson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/john-grierson-25902_cinema_i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it_1401059.png" --- # I look on cinema as a pulpit, and use it as a propagandist. ![“I look on cinema as a pulpit, and use it as a propagandist.” quote by John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/john-grierson-25902_cinema_i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it_1401059.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/john-grierson-25902_cinema_i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it_1401059.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/john-grierson-25902_cinema_i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it_1401059.png) > “I look on cinema as a pulpit, and use it as a propagandist.” [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cinema serves as a platform for persuasion, shaping public opinion like a pulpit. **In simple terms:** Film is a persuasive platform. Key Takeaway Use film to influence. Themes media propaganda art communication social impact Mood critical thoughtful serious Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - advertising - political campaigns - education - social movements Key Concepts Film studies political science media theory Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do filmmakers have? - How can audiences critically assess cinematic messages? A Different Perspective Risk of manipulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Propagandist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propagandist/) [Pulpit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulpit/) ## Related quotes > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We should not care much whether those thus united (against slavery) were designated 'Whig,' 'Free Democrat' or something else; though we think some simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-greeley/we-should-not-care-much-whether-those-thus-united-against-slavery/) [Horace Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-greeley/) > [The market economy needs no apologists and propagandists. It can apply to itself the words of Sir Christopher Wren's epitaph in St. Paul's: 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-market-economy-needs-no-apologists-and-propagandists-it-can-apply/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [The use of 'conspiracy theory' as a derogatory - as an epithet almost - is something the propagandists have perfected over the decades, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sanders/the-use-of-conspiracy-theory-as-a-derogatory-as-an-epithet-almost-is/) Chris Sanders > [But the most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly and with unflagging attention. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/but-the-most-brilliant-propagandist-technique-will-yield-no-success/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [A principle familiar to propagandists is that the doctrine to be instilled in the target audience should not be articulated: that would only expose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/a-principle-familiar-to-propagandists-is-that-the-doctrine-to-be/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This propaganda of dis-associating Western Negroes from Africa is not a new one. For many years white propagandists have been printing tons of literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-garvey/this-propaganda-of-dis-associating-western-negroes-from-africa-is-not/) [Marcus Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-garvey/) > [The real persuaders are our appetites, our fears and above all our vanity. The skillful propagandist stirs and coaches these internal persuaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-real-persuaders-are-our-appetites-our-fears-and-above-all-our/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [As a teacher, as a propagandist, Mr. Shaw is no good at all, even in his own generation. But as a personality, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-beerbohm/as-a-teacher-as-a-propagandist-mr-shaw-is-no-good-at-all-even-in-his/) [Max Beerbohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-beerbohm/) > [ I listened to Hillary \[Clinton\], and I heard the double talk. She's so good at it, and I'm not making this up, that the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/i-listened-to-hillary-clinton-and-i-heard-the-double-talk-she-s-so/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [I don't want to be a propagandist, no matter how good the cause. I want to tell stories. It's just that the stories have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-propagandist-no-matter-how-good-the-cause-i-want/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [I shall give a propagandist reason for starting the war, no matter whether it is plausible or not. The victor will not be asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-shall-give-a-propagandist-reason-for-starting-the-war-no-matter/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-propagandist-s-purpose-is-to-make-one-set-of-people-forget-that/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [The people the Republicans should reach out to are the white votes, the white voters who didn't vote in the last election. The propagandists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-schlafly/the-people-the-republicans-should-reach-out-to-are-the-white-votes/) [Phyllis Schlafly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-schlafly/) > [Thanks to the central bank, most ‘monetary experts’ and ‘leading macro-economists’ can, by putting them on the payroll, be turned into government propagandists ‘explaining,’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-hermann-hoppe/thanks-to-the-central-bank-most-monetary-experts-and-leading-macro/) [Hans-Hermann Hoppe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-hermann-hoppe/) ## More by John Grierson > [We believe that the materials and the stories taken from the raw can be finer (more real in the philosophic sense) than the acted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/we-believe-that-the-materials-and-the-stories-taken-from-the-raw-can/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [Art is not a mirror but a hammer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/art-is-not-a-mirror-but-a-hammer/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [Political conflicts distort and disturb a people's sense of distinction between matters of importance and matters of urgency. What is vital is disguised by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/political-conflicts-distort-and-disturb-a-people-s-sense-of/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [It is often more important to act than to understand... there are times... when two conflicting opinions, though one happens to be right, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/it-is-often-more-important-to-act-than-to-understand-there-are-times/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [Beware the ends of the earth and the exotic: the drama is on your doorstep wherever the slums; are, wherever there is malnutrition, wherever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/beware-the-ends-of-the-earth-and-the-exotic-the-drama-is-on-your/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [The very effect of the education they were given... was to make men think; and, thinking, they became less and less satisfied with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/the-very-effect-of-the-education-they-were-given-was-to-make-men/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [Some of us learned in a school of philosophy which taught that all was for the common good and nothing for oneself and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/some-of-us-learned-in-a-school-of-philosophy-which-taught-that-all/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [My personal view is that such total planning by the state is an absolute good and not simply a relative good... I do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/my-personal-view-is-that-such-total-planning-by-the-state-is-an/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [In fact, the individual outlook becomes less and less valuable and more and more harmful unless it is transmitted into the corporate outlook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/in-fact-the-individual-outlook-becomes-less-and-less-valuable-and/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [For three hundred years we have had our focus on the individual. We have distinguished him from the objective world as the Middle Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/for-three-hundred-years-we-have-had-our-focus-on-the-individual-we/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [The cultivation of sensibility on purely personal lines may, in fact, be the very worst training for a world where only the corporate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/the-cultivation-of-sensibility-on-purely-personal-lines-may-in-fact/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [Such manifestations I account as representing the creative leadership of the new forces of thought and appreciation which attend changes in technological pattern and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/such-manifestations-i-account-as-representing-the-creative-leadership/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [“Art Is Not A Mirror - It Is A Hammer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/art-is-not-a-mirror-it-is-a-hammer/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [The life of the village became more and more affected by strikes and lock-outs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/the-life-of-the-village-became-more-and-more-affected-by-strikes-and/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) > [And, consequently, the art of propaganda or public information becomes one of the most powerful forms of directive statesmanship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/and-consequently-the-art-of-propaganda-or-public-information-becomes/) [John Grierson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) [Explore all 22 John Grierson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/) ## 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": "I look on cinema as a pulpit, and use it as a propagandist.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Grierson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it-as-a-propagandist/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it-as-a-propagandist/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/john-grierson-25902_cinema_i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it_1401059.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/john-grierson-25902_cinema_i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it_1401059.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/john-grierson-25902_cinema_i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it_1401059.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I look on cinema as a pulpit, and use it as a propagandist.” — John Grierson", "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 Grierson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grierson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I look on cinema as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it-as-a-propagandist/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grierson/i-look-on-cinema-as-a-pulpit-and-use-it-as-a-propagandist/#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 } } ] } ```