--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can say is usually people are slightly…" description: "\"I can say is usually people are slightly confused. They think that silent movies are old. But, the fact is, they are old because they have been made in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/michel-hazanavicius-7804_confused_i-can-say-is-usually-people-are-slightly_1296495.png" --- # I can say is usually people are slightly confused. They… ![“I can say is usually people are slightly confused. They think that silent movies are old. But, the fact is, they are old because they have been made in the '20s. That's the thing that makes them old. Not the format. The format is just a format. It's not an old format.” quote by Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/michel-hazanavicius-7804_confused_i-can-say-is-usually-people-are-slightly_1296495.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/michel-hazanavicius-7804_confused_i-can-say-is-usually-people-are-slightly_1296495.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/michel-hazanavicius-7804_confused_i-can-say-is-usually-people-are-slightly_1296495.png) > “I can say is usually people are slightly confused. They think that silent movies are old. But, the fact is, they are old because they have been made in the '20s. That's the thing that makes them old. Not the format. The format is just a format. It's not an old format.” [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People mistake a work's age for its format, assuming old formats are inherently outdated. **In simple terms:** Age of a work isn’t the same as its format’s age. Key Takeaway Judge content, not just its era. Themes misconception media history technology culture perception Mood reflective analytical Type critical educational When to use this quote - film criticism - archival work - museum curation - educational curricula Key Concepts chronology media theory cultural memory Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate between a format and its historical period? - What criteria should we use to assess cultural value? A Different Perspective Age alone doesn’t dictate relevance; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Silent movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent-movies/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I always loved silent movies. I was not a specialist, but I loved them. And when I started directing, I became really fascinated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-always-loved-silent-movies-i-was-not-a-specialist-but-i-loved-them/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [ First of all, I had the desire for that format \[silent movie\], and then when I was talking to people, I felt that people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/first-of-all-i-had-the-desire-for-that-format-silent-movie-and-then/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I always loved silent movies. I was not a specialist, but I loved them. And when I started directing, I became really fascinated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-always-loved-silent-movies-i-was-not-a-specialist-but-i-loved-them-2/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [When you speak of silent movies, everyone thinks of Charlie Chaplin first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/when-you-speak-of-silent-movies-everyone-thinks-of-charlie-chaplin/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [When you look at the early-'30s movies, like King Kong, the codes of acting are very similar to those of silent movies. In some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/when-you-look-at-the-early-30s-movies-like-king-kong-the-codes-of/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Sometimes I think you have to try to do things that people don't think are doable. I remember at the very beginning actually, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/sometimes-i-think-you-have-to-try-to-do-things-that-people-don-t/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [This is the problem with language, and this is what makes silent movies fun, because the connection with them, me or the audience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/this-is-the-problem-with-language-and-this-is-what-makes-silent/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I looked at a lot of photos from Hollywood in the '20s, photographs of silent movies being filmed all over the world which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-looked-at-a-lot-of-photos-from-hollywood-in-the-20s-photographs-of/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I try to respect the rules of the silent movies and I tried to make signification to make sense, and also the crew were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-try-to-respect-the-rules-of-the-silent-movies-and-i-tried-to-make/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I watched a lot of silent movies. It's a very specific way of writing, which is more of a challenge than the directing. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-watched-a-lot-of-silent-movies-it-s-a-very-specific-way-of-writing/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Robert DeNiro, who may be the greatest living actor, usually acts in a way which is very stone-faced, like Steve McQueen. For example, Steve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/robert-deniro-who-may-be-the-greatest-living-actor-usually-acts-in-a/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [What makes old age so sad is, not that our joys, but that our hopes then cease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/what-makes-old-age-so-sad-is-not-that-our-joys-but-that-our-hopes/) [Jean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul/) > [It's not the number of years that makes you old, but the idea that you are getting old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-coue/it-s-not-the-number-of-years-that-makes-you-old-but-the-idea-that-you/) [Emile Coue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-coue/) > [“Winter makes you old”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-greenslade/winter-makes-you-old/) [Frances Greenslade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-greenslade/) > [“Perhaps love makes us old before our time - or young , if youth has passed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/perhaps-love-makes-us-old-before-our-time-or-young-if-youth-has-passed/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Michel Hazanavicius > [I am unusual for a Frenchman - I have absolutely nothing against the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-am-unusual-for-a-frenchman-i-have-absolutely-nothing-against-the/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Usually, when you do a period movie, you just recreate what you are shooting. You don't recreate the way you shoot it. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/usually-when-you-do-a-period-movie-you-just-recreate-what-you-are/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [In France, it's really different the way you live. It's a non-religious country. The public space is not religious; religion is a private thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/in-france-it-s-really-different-the-way-you-live-it-s-a-non-religious/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I make almost all the decisions on set and have to deal with all the financial aspects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-make-almost-all-the-decisions-on-set-and-have-to-deal-with-all-the/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Silence is a universal language. It's like music or painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/silence-is-a-universal-language-it-s-like-music-or-painting/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [The fact that I made a special movie with an old-fashioned style - even if it's a mix between with modern and old-fashioned things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/the-fact-that-i-made-a-special-movie-with-an-old-fashioned-style-even/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I strongly believe cinema is popular culture. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. That's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-strongly-believe-cinema-is-popular-culture-sometimes-it-works/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Even if I make fun of him, I try to portray him as a human being. Sometimes because he's the great Jean-Luc Godard, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/even-if-i-make-fun-of-him-i-try-to-portray-him-as-a-human-being/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [It's not my job. The Weinstein company, it's their job to convince people. My job was to make the movie. That's what I did.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/it-s-not-my-job-the-weinstein-company-it-s-their-job-to-convince/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I always try to make popular films. Even in black-and-white and silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-always-try-to-make-popular-films-even-in-black-and-white-and-silent/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [An idea is something you work on to make it work and a desire is much deeper in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/an-idea-is-something-you-work-on-to-make-it-work-and-a-desire-is-much/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [The Germans were much more graphical. The expressionism is much more than cinema. It was a movement with artists, painters, music and architecture, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/the-germans-were-much-more-graphical-the-expressionism-is-much-more/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I think there's something in common with the OSS 117 movies. The big difference is there's no irony in this one. It's not parody.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-think-there-s-something-in-common-with-the-oss-117-movies-the-big/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [With silent films, you're better off avoiding irony, because the spectator is your accomplice. It's this pact that leads to emotion being created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/with-silent-films-you-re-better-off-avoiding-irony-because-the/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I only have one obsession - not to be boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-only-have-one-obsession-not-to-be-boring/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) [Explore all 87 Michel Hazanavicius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) ## More Confused quotes > [The fact -- not theory -- that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gaylord-simpson/the-fact-not-theory-that-evolution-has-occurred-and-the-darwinian/) [George Gaylord Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gaylord-simpson/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [I was a very protected and confused kid till 24. It was after then, that I started taking my life seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddharth-shukla/i-was-a-very-protected-and-confused-kid-till-24-it-was-after-then/) [Siddharth Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddharth-shukla/) > [I can picture certain things in my mind, while writing the script, but then I can also tell that everyone else might be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/i-can-picture-certain-things-in-my-mind-while-writing-the-script-but/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [America today is a confused society, caught up in a terror war, a culture war, and a media war, where honesty and professional standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/america-today-is-a-confused-society-caught-up-in-a-terror-war-a/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Well I'm trying to think what I put in... I think I put in 'why?' to see if I'd confuse the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/well-i-m-trying-to-think-what-i-put-in-i-think-i-put-in-why-to-see-if/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/) [Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/) > [What a wonderfully exciting cough,' said the little man, quite startled by it, 'do you mind if I join you?' And with that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-a-wonderfully-exciting-cough-said-the-little-man-quite-startled/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I am still searching for the expression of those confused sensations that we bring with us at birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cezanne/i-am-still-searching-for-the-expression-of-those-confused-sensations/) [Paul Cezanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cezanne/) > [If I look confused it is because I am thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/if-i-look-confused-it-is-because-i-am-thinking/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Rage is exciting, but leaves me confused and exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/rage-is-exciting-but-leaves-me-confused-and-exhausted/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I believe that much of Hollywood is confused about Israel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pellegrino/i-believe-that-much-of-hollywood-is-confused-about-israel/) [Mark Pellegrino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pellegrino/) > [My senior thesis was a documentary. 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