--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can't keep thinking in a limited way…" description: "\"We can't keep thinking in a limited way about what cinema is. We still don't know what cinema is. Maybe cinema could only really apply to the past or t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/martin-scorsese-1663_100-years_we-can-t-keep-thinking-in-a-limited-way_83800.jpg" --- # We can't keep thinking in a limited way about what cinema… ![“We can't keep thinking in a limited way about what cinema is. We still don't know what cinema is. Maybe cinema could only really apply to the past or the first 100 years, when people actually went to a theater to see a film, you see?” quote by Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/martin-scorsese-1663_100-years_we-can-t-keep-thinking-in-a-limited-way_83800.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/martin-scorsese-1663_100-years_we-can-t-keep-thinking-in-a-limited-way_83800.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/martin-scorsese-1663_100-years_we-can-t-keep-thinking-in-a-limited-way_83800.jpg) > “We can't keep thinking in a limited way about what cinema is. We still don't know what cinema is. Maybe cinema could only really apply to the past or the first 100 years, when people actually went to a theater to see a film, you see?” [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker urges a broader, evolving definition of cinema beyond traditional theater viewing, suggesting its identity is still unsettled. **In simple terms:** Cinema's definition is fluid and unfinished. Key Takeaway Rethink cinema's scope. Themes definition history technology culture future Mood curious critical Type philosophical provocative When to use this quote - film studies classes - industry panels - creative workshops Key Concepts medium experience distribution Practical Applications - Curriculum redesign - Strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - How might emerging platforms reshape what we call cinema? - What core qualities should persist despite format changes? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Egypt is kind of like the Hollywood of the Middle East. I mean, we had cinema maybe decades before the other Arab countries ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/egypt-is-kind-of-like-the-hollywood-of-the-middle-east-i-mean-we-had/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [I did not know much about cinema and acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srinidhi-shetty/i-did-not-know-much-about-cinema-and-acting/) [Srinidhi Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srinidhi-shetty/) > [My sense of cinema improved slowly as I started watching South cinema, got to know that cinema is much appreciated here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wamiqa-gabbi/my-sense-of-cinema-improved-slowly-as-i-started-watching-south-cinema/) [Wamiqa Gabbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wamiqa-gabbi/) > [I know my audience, and they, in turn, know my cinema. When I pick a subject, it's for a family audience. I shoot and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-shetty/i-know-my-audience-and-they-in-turn-know-my-cinema-when-i-pick-a/) [Rohit Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-shetty/) > [I guess we've had a very close relationship because I don't pretend to know about cinema and I think I do know a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lloyd-webber/i-guess-we-ve-had-a-very-close-relationship-because-i-don-t-pretend/) [Andrew Lloyd Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lloyd-webber/) > [I don't know if cinema can change society, but if it can make us show some empathy, that's a good start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shriya-saran/i-don-t-know-if-cinema-can-change-society-but-if-it-can-make-us-show/) [Shriya Saran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shriya-saran/) > [I remember queuing around the block in Sheffield when I was growing up. At that time, going to the cinema was really something special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/i-remember-queuing-around-the-block-in-sheffield-when-i-was-growing/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [My dad would often take me to the cinema and I found myself really seduced by the imagery, I think this had a massive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rankin/my-dad-would-often-take-me-to-the-cinema-and-i-found-myself-really/) [Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rankin/) > [Whether art is music or cinema or whatever, it really is art only when it is in touch with the people - forced to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikis-theodorakis/whether-art-is-music-or-cinema-or-whatever-it-really-is-art-only-when/) [Mikis Theodorakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikis-theodorakis/) > [Telugu cinema can really spoil you. They treat you like a queen. As soon as you get down from your van, they will all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taapsee-pannu/telugu-cinema-can-really-spoil-you-they-treat-you-like-a-queen-as/) [Taapsee Pannu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taapsee-pannu/) > [In cinema, I would not really rate my costar and I would not pick a project because of the costar. I would pick a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/in-cinema-i-would-not-really-rate-my-costar-and-i-would-not-pick-a/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [The cinema is really built for the big screen and big sound, so that a person can go into another world and have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/the-cinema-is-really-built-for-the-big-screen-and-big-sound-so-that-a/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [In a sense I feel very much a part of the cinema now in a way where when I come back to the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/in-a-sense-i-feel-very-much-a-part-of-the-cinema-now-in-a-way-where/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [I don't believe in proper cinema; it doesn't have the strength of television. People having to go out to the cinema is really archaic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-believe-in-proper-cinema-it-doesn-t-have-the-strength-of/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [Cinema really lends itself well to big, archetypal stories, you know, classic old stories and you need kind of a weird, big terrain like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/cinema-really-lends-itself-well-to-big-archetypal-stories-you-know/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) ## More by Martin Scorsese > [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [There was always a part of me that wanted to be an old-time director. But I couldn't do that. I'm not a pro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/there-was-always-a-part-of-me-that-wanted-to-be-an-old-time-director/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Being independent... is being innovative out of inspiration as well as necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/being-independent-is-being-innovative-out-of-inspiration-as-well-as/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [I have a desire to tell stories. And I'm never quite satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-have-a-desire-to-tell-stories-and-i-m-never-quite-satisfied/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [As a child I had terrible asthma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/as-a-child-i-had-terrible-asthma/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Rock & roll seemed to just come to us, on the radio and in the record stores. It became our music. . . But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/rock-roll-seemed-to-just-come-to-us-on-the-radio-and-in-the-record/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Working with HBO was an opportunity to experience creative freedom and 'long-form development' that filmmakers didn't have a chance to do before the emergence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/working-with-hbo-was-an-opportunity-to-experience-creative-freedom/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Any film, or to me any creative endeavour, no matter who you're working with, is, in many cases, a wonderful experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/any-film-or-to-me-any-creative-endeavour-no-matter-who-you-re-working/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [I've been extremely lucky to work with Elmer Bernstein, Howard Shore over the years, but I've always imagined films with my own scores, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-ve-been-extremely-lucky-to-work-with-elmer-bernstein-howard-shore/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [People want to classify and say, 'OK, this is a gangster film.' 'This is a Western.' 'This is a... ' You know? It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/people-want-to-classify-and-say-ok-this-is-a-gangster-film-this-is-a/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [I wish I could do everything in 3D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-wish-i-could-do-everything-in-3d/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [“Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/movies-touch-our-hearts-and-awaken-our-vision-and-change-the-way-we/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [You have to remain strong. That's the kind of filmmaker I want to encourage. Orson Welles was the one who said, you know, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/you-have-to-remain-strong-that-s-the-kind-of-filmmaker-i-want-to/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [You can be born-again and believe in Jesus, believe in Jesus' ideas and try to live them out, without becoming totally intolerant of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/you-can-be-born-again-and-believe-in-jesus-believe-in-jesus-ideas-and/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Always get to the set or the location early, so that you can be all alone and draw your inspiration for the blocking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/always-get-to-the-set-or-the-location-early-so-that-you-can-be-all/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) [Explore all 217 Martin Scorsese quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) ## More 100 years quotes > [If the whole world depends on today's youth, I can't see the world lasting another 100 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/if-the-whole-world-depends-on-today-s-youth-i-can-t-see-the-world/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [The most significant halachic authority of the last 100 years, whose positions helped fashion a balanced and moderate Judaism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovadia-yosef/the-most-significant-halachic-authority-of-the-last-100-years-whose/) [Ovadia Yosef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovadia-yosef/) > [Separate and unequal didn't work 100 years ago. It will not work today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/separate-and-unequal-didn-t-work-100-years-ago-it-will-not-work-today/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Everything we have developed over the last 100 years should be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pentti-linkola/everything-we-have-developed-over-the-last-100-years-should-be/) [Pentti Linkola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pentti-linkola/) > [“If humans can live for 100 years, why do companies die so young.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukant-ratnakar/if-humans-can-live-for-100-years-why-do-companies-die-so-young/) [Sukant Ratnakar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukant-ratnakar/) > [If you look at the history of our country over the last 100 years, there have been periods where science and research have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/if-you-look-at-the-history-of-our-country-over-the-last-100-years/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [“None of this will matter in 100 years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/my-anonymous-friend/none-of-this-will-matter-in-100-years/) My Anonymous Friend > [That's great. I'm 100 years old and people are still interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-fuhr/that-s-great-i-m-100-years-old-and-people-are-still-interested/) Grant Fuhr > [It took Hong Kong 100 years to become what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/it-took-hong-kong-100-years-to-become-what-it-is/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [Just because society, and government, and whatever was different 100 years ago, doesn't mean that people didn't have sex, pick their nose, or swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/just-because-society-and-government-and-whatever-was-different-100/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [Americans, they have an incredible operatic tradition: the Metropolitan Opera House is - if not the most prestigious - one of the most prestigious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/americans-they-have-an-incredible-operatic-tradition-the-metropolitan/) [Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/) > [I wake up in the morning and I still have a passion for what I do, and I'll be doing it when I'm 105,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-collins/i-wake-up-in-the-morning-and-i-still-have-a-passion-for-what-i-do-and/) [Jackie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-collins/) > [Film, if properly cared for, will last almost 100 years, but digital will not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/film-if-properly-cared-for-will-last-almost-100-years-but-digital/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [“In days of yore (about 100 years before olden days, but about 50 years later than ancient times),”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/in-days-of-yore-about-100-years-before-olden-days-but-about-50-years/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [My grandmother on my mother's side lived to nearly 100 years old, and she had seen Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show as a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/my-grandmother-on-my-mother-s-side-lived-to-nearly-100-years-old-and/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) Browse all 160 100 years quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can't keep thinking in a limited way about what cinema is. We still don't know what cinema is. 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