--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't like to talk about messages so…" description: "\"I don't like to talk about messages so much with films simply because it's a little more didactic. The reason I'm a filmmaker is to tell stories and so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/201/jonathan-nolan-6754_cinema_i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-messages-so-m_2185691.jpg" --- # I don't like to talk about messages so much with films… ![“I don't like to talk about messages so much with films simply because it's a little more didactic. The reason I'm a filmmaker is to tell stories and so you hope that they will have resonance for people and for the kind of things you're talking about.” quote by Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/201/jonathan-nolan-6754_cinema_i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-messages-so-m_2185691.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/201/jonathan-nolan-6754_cinema_i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-messages-so-m_2185691.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/201/jonathan-nolan-6754_cinema_i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-messages-so-m_2185691.jpg) > “I don't like to talk about messages so much with films simply because it's a little more didactic. The reason I'm a filmmaker is to tell stories and so you hope that they will have resonance for people and for the kind of things you're talking about.” [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A filmmaker values storytelling over didactic messaging, aiming for emotional resonance rather than instruction. **In simple terms:** Stories should move people, not lecture them. Key Takeaway Focus on narrative impact. Themes storytelling film creativity Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - movie scripts - advertising - education - public speaking Key Concepts narrative resonance emotional connection authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance story and theme? - What makes a story resonate emotionally? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on message can alienate audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [I have zero interest in performing in films to try to convey any kind of message. My job is to be entertaining. 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I think part of your job as a filmmaker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-lowe/i-think-99-of-the-whole-thing-is-to-have-passion-about-the-idea/) [Alice Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-lowe/) > [I feel like part of my journey as a filmmaker is to tell different stories, whether they are just a black perspective on things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flying-lotus/i-feel-like-part-of-my-journey-as-a-filmmaker-is-to-tell-different/) [Flying Lotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flying-lotus/) > [Minority views expressed in films simply don't sell tickets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/minority-views-expressed-in-films-simply-don-t-sell-tickets/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) > [I never retreat from films, as it were, I simply indulge in other interests, that's all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/i-never-retreat-from-films-as-it-were-i-simply-indulge-in-other/) [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/) > [I don't think that people are necessarily going to films simply because they were adapted from comics, though I could be wrong. Comics aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ware/i-don-t-think-that-people-are-necessarily-going-to-films-simply/) [Chris Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ware/) > [Often, people who want to make interesting films simply don't have the money to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/often-people-who-want-to-make-interesting-films-simply-don-t-have-the/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [What you demand from storytelling is a moral - even political - import. I tend to shun that didactic aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/what-you-demand-from-storytelling-is-a-moral-even-political-import-i/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [I don't want to be a didactic voice. I like to ask more questions than I answer, just to get people thinking and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-gadsby/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-didactic-voice-i-like-to-ask-more-questions-than/) [Hannah Gadsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-gadsby/) > [The flowery style is not unsuitable to public speeches or addresses, which amount only to compliment. The lighter beauties are in their place when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-flowery-style-is-not-unsuitable-to-public-speeches-or-addresses/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [The apostolic writings are of three kinds: historical, didactic, and prophetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/the-apostolic-writings-are-of-three-kinds-historical-didactic-and/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) > [Don't be didactic - don't write about poverty. Write about poor people. When you dramatize their lives and let life and characters be your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/don-t-be-didactic-don-t-write-about-poverty-write-about-poor-people/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [If writing with a goal - whether it be evangelistic, apologetic, or didactic - implies propaganda, then all recorded history is propaganda. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/if-writing-with-a-goal-whether-it-be-evangelistic-apologetic-or/) [Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/) ## More by Jonathan Nolan > [TV is, as I'm discovering now, a marathon. You have to keep going and going and going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/tv-is-as-i-m-discovering-now-a-marathon-you-have-to-keep-going-and/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [You know, we certainly have a great budget on the show, but the expansions to world of the show really arise because, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/you-know-we-certainly-have-a-great-budget-on-the-show-but-the/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [“Time is theft, isn't that what they say? And time eventually convinces most of us that forgiveness is a virtue. Conveniently, cowardice and forgiveness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/time-is-theft-isn-t-that-what-they-say-and-time-eventually-convinces/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [We are the only instrument for understanding the universe. We have to ground it in human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/we-are-the-only-instrument-for-understanding-the-universe-we-have-to/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [“You will be late for your own funeral.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/you-will-be-late-for-your-own-funeral/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [“If time and fear aren’t enough to dissuade people from their revenge, then there’s always authority, softly shaking its head and saying, 'We understand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/if-time-and-fear-aren-t-enough-to-dissuade-people-from-their-revenge/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [You're different. You're more perfect. Time is three things for most people, but for you, for us, just one. A singularity. One moment. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/you-re-different-you-re-more-perfect-time-is-three-things-for-most/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [Television is very different than working on film. With films, you get to develop a set of characters, and then, at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/television-is-very-different-than-working-on-film-with-films-you-get/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [Every man is a mob, a chain gang of idiots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/every-man-is-a-mob-a-chain-gang-of-idiots/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [You'd have a quality insurance department, where they're making sure there aren't any glitches or weird things, and that the guests have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/you-d-have-a-quality-insurance-department-where-they-re-making-sure/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [Time is an absurdity. An abstraction. The only thing that matters is this moment. This moment a million times over. You have to trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/time-is-an-absurdity-an-abstraction-the-only-thing-that-matters-is/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [I believe we should be good custodians of the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/i-believe-we-should-be-good-custodians-of-the-earth/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [Wormholes are a gravitational phenomena. Or imaginary gravitational phenomena, as the case may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/wormholes-are-a-gravitational-phenomena-or-imaginary-gravitational/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [ We're gonna play a little bit of a game here \[Person of Interest movie\]. Greg and I felt like we had responsibility when we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/we-re-gonna-play-a-little-bit-of-a-game-here-person-of-interest-movie/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [It can be easy for an actor to go "Well I really have to do a lot" and then just saying "I don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/it-can-be-easy-for-an-actor-to-go-well-i-really-have-to-do-a-lot-and/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) [Explore all 97 Jonathan Nolan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. 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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. 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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 don't like to talk about messages so much with films simply because it's a little more didactic. 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