--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There has never been a great film unless…" description: "\"There has never been a great film unless it was created in the spirit of the experimental filmmaker.\" — Len Lye" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/len-lye-90525_cinema_there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless_2154607.png" --- # There has never been a great film unless it was created in… ![“There has never been a great film unless it was created in the spirit of the experimental filmmaker.” quote by Len Lye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/len-lye-90525_cinema_there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless_2154607.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/len-lye-90525_cinema_there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless_2154607.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/len-lye-90525_cinema_there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless_2154607.png) > “There has never been a great film unless it was created in the spirit of the experimental filmmaker.” [Len Lye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-lye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great films arise from experimental spirit, suggesting innovation is key to artistic success. **In simple terms:** Experimentation fuels great films. Key Takeaway Embrace creative risk. Themes Film Creativity Innovation Artistic spirit Mood inspirational analytical Type Cinema:0 Film:0 Filmmaker:0 Great film:0 Religion:0 Spirit:0 Experimental Filmmaker:0 Spirit Experimental:0 When to use this quote - Film festivals - Independent productions - Studio projects - Film school curricula Key Concepts Experimental cinema Auteur theory Cinematic evolution Questions to Reflect On - What makes an experimental film successful? - How can risk be balanced with audience appeal? A Different Perspective Experimentation alone may not guarantee quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Experimental Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experimental-filmmaker-4343039/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Great film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-film/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Spirit Experimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit-experimental-4544570/) ## Related quotes > [I had a background in theater as an actor, and then a photographer, and then as an experimental filmmaker and editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-shelton/i-had-a-background-in-theater-as-an-actor-and-then-a-photographer-and/) [Lynn Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-shelton/) > [You have to be able to feel like you can play way outside of the box. If you're with a great filmmaker and someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlize-theron/you-have-to-be-able-to-feel-like-you-can-play-way-outside-of-the-box/) [Charlize Theron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlize-theron/) > [I want to work with great filmmakers and great actors and get better as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-cooper/i-want-to-work-with-great-filmmakers-and-great-actors-and-get-better/) [Bradley Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-cooper/) > [I just want to keep doing things completely different from the other. I just want to keep working with great people, great filmmakers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-egan/i-just-want-to-keep-doing-things-completely-different-from-the-other/) [Christopher Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-egan/) > [On the one hand, we had great filmic spectacles that brought in big audiences, adults as well as primary and secondary school students. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-wajda/on-the-one-hand-we-had-great-filmic-spectacles-that-brought-in-big/) [Andrzej Wajda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-wajda/) > [I still don't feel I know Hitchcock at all. I find that the more one looks, the more elusive he becomes. But my admiration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/i-still-don-t-feel-i-know-hitchcock-at-all-i-find-that-the-more-one/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [I came out to Hollywood when I was just 18, and my dad, he was really into Hollywood and theater and art, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-paxton/i-came-out-to-hollywood-when-i-was-just-18-and-my-dad-he-was-really/) [Bill Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-paxton/) > [I love awards, especially if I get them. It's up to the courage of the filmmakers to make art in cinema, not just business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gazzara/i-love-awards-especially-if-i-get-them-it-s-up-to-the-courage-of-the/) [Ben Gazzara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gazzara/) > [I really like the George Clooney of Solaris also filmed by Andrei Tarkovsky, before Steven Soderbergh: that's very obviously sci-fi, and it seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/i-really-like-the-george-clooney-of-solaris-also-filmed-by-andrei/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [If it's a great role or a great film, then you're happy to be a part of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-pearce/if-it-s-a-great-role-or-a-great-film-then-you-re-happy-to-be-a-part/) [Guy Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-pearce/) > [Making really great music, making really great films, writing great books is an antidote to all of that. And, as people, as artists, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/making-really-great-music-making-really-great-films-writing-great/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [I'm not a great film-goer, and I never have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-m-not-a-great-film-goer-and-i-never-have-been/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [While more great films are being made every year, it is increasingly difficult to get indies into theaters or on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-semel/while-more-great-films-are-being-made-every-year-it-is-increasingly/) [Terry Semel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-semel/) > [I love it when I see somebody else make a great film. I think there is a great supportive film community, even though the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-faris/i-love-it-when-i-see-somebody-else-make-a-great-film-i-think-there-is/) [Valerie Faris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-faris/) > [When I begin a film, I want to make a great film. Halfway through, I just hope to finish the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-truffaut/when-i-begin-a-film-i-want-to-make-a-great-film-halfway-through-i/) [Francois Truffaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-truffaut/) ## More by Len Lye > [All of a sudden it hit me - If there was such a thing as composing music, there could be such a thing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-lye/all-of-a-sudden-it-hit-me-if-there-was-such-a-thing-as-composing/) [Len Lye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-lye/) [Explore all 2 Len Lye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-lye/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "There has never been a great film unless it was created in the spirit of the experimental filmmaker.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Len Lye" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-lye/there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless-it-was-created-in-the-spirit/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-lye/there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless-it-was-created-in-the-spirit/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/len-lye-90525_cinema_there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless_2154607.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/len-lye-90525_cinema_there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless_2154607.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/len-lye-90525_cinema_there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless_2154607.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There has never been a great film unless it was created in the spirit of the experimental filmmaker.” — Len Lye", "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": "Len Lye", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-lye/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There has never been a great...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-lye/there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless-it-was-created-in-the-spirit/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-lye/there-has-never-been-a-great-film-unless-it-was-created-in-the-spirit/#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 } } ] } ```