--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every decent director has only one…" description: "\"Every decent director has only one subject, and finally only makes the same film over and over again. My subject is the exploitability of feelings, who..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/rainer-werner-fassbinder-25537_cinema_every-decent-director-has-only-one-subje_1073112.jpg" --- # Every decent director has only one subject, and finally… ![“Every decent director has only one subject, and finally only makes the same film over and over again. My subject is the exploitability of feelings, whoever might be the one exploiting them. It never ends. It's a permanent theme. Whether the state exploits patriotism, or whether in a couple…” quote by Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/rainer-werner-fassbinder-25537_cinema_every-decent-director-has-only-one-subje_1073112.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/rainer-werner-fassbinder-25537_cinema_every-decent-director-has-only-one-subje_1073112.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/rainer-werner-fassbinder-25537_cinema_every-decent-director-has-only-one-subje_1073112.jpg) > “Every decent director has only one subject, and finally only makes the same film over and over again. My subject is the exploitability of feelings, whoever might be the one exploiting them. It never ends. It's a permanent theme. Whether the state exploits patriotism, or whether in a couple relationship, one partner destroys the other.” [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote observes that a creator’s recurring focus reveals a deep, unending concern—in this case, how emotions are manipulated by power structures or personal relationships. **In simple terms:** A director repeatedly explores how feelings are exploited. Key Takeaway Recognize and question emotional manipulation. Themes power relationships manipulation artistic focus Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political campaigns - romantic partnerships - media narratives - workplace dynamics Key Concepts exploitation psychology political propaganda Questions to Reflect On - How do you see emotional exploitation in your life? - Can awareness change the dynamic? A Different Perspective The view may overgeneralize artistic intent, ignoring varied themes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Decent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent/) [Decent Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent-director-2682900/) [Director Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-subject-2331821/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Exploits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploits/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Feelings Exploiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings-exploiting-2682899/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-subject-2244829/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Partners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/partners/) [Permanent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanent/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Theme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theme/) ## Related quotes > [My feeling about the movies is that most of them are terrible. If you don't have a decent script and a decent director, forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/my-feeling-about-the-movies-is-that-most-of-them-are-terrible-if-you/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [A few of my books, over the years, have been optioned for film. The subject matter of my books, however, is not exactly conducive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-laymon/a-few-of-my-books-over-the-years-have-been-optioned-for-film-the/) [Richard Laymon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-laymon/) > [No one sets out to write escapism as a film's subject matter unless, maybe, you are making a fantasy flick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/no-one-sets-out-to-write-escapism-as-a-film-s-subject-matter-unless/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [My philosophy is that to be a director you cannot be subject to anyone, even the head of the studio. I threatened to quit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-arzner/my-philosophy-is-that-to-be-a-director-you-cannot-be-subject-to/) [Dorothy Arzner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-arzner/) > [I thought it was a huge conflict of interest to be the director and the subject - it's very sketchy territory to be in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-thought-it-was-a-huge-conflict-of-interest-to-be-the-director-and/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The relationship between director and subject can become very intense. It's a bit like therapy, with lots of transferences going on. It's easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/the-relationship-between-director-and-subject-can-become-very-intense/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [The game is played out of instinct, but everyone on the ice has habits - good and bad. So the key to the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/the-game-is-played-out-of-instinct-but-everyone-on-the-ice-has-habits/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [Relativity was a highly technical new theory that gave new meanings to familiar concepts and even to the nature of the theory itself. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-c-cassidy/relativity-was-a-highly-technical-new-theory-that-gave-new-meanings/) [David C. Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-c-cassidy/) > [Fools make researches and wise men exploit them - that is our earthly way of dealing with the question, and we thank Heaven for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/fools-make-researches-and-wise-men-exploit-them-that-is-our-earthly/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [I love to read about the exploits of technical mountain climbers, but I've never done any vertical climbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hobbs/i-love-to-read-about-the-exploits-of-technical-mountain-climbers-but/) [Will Hobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hobbs/) > [Dogmatic religion has been used to fantastic effect over thousands of years to fuel and exploit emotions like fear and guilt, and the feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/dogmatic-religion-has-been-used-to-fantastic-effect-over-thousands-of/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [There are believers who by God's grace, have climbed the mountains of full assurance and near communion, their place is with the eagle in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/there-are-believers-who-by-god-s-grace-have-climbed-the-mountains-of/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Why not exploit, enslave, or exterminate a class that everybody is taught to regard as inferior?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-g-woodson/why-not-exploit-enslave-or-exterminate-a-class-that-everybody-is/) [Carter G. Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-g-woodson/) > [I've said multiple times that the world's first trillionaire is going to be the person who exploits the resources of asteroids, the natural resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-ve-said-multiple-times-that-the-world-s-first-trillionaire-is-going/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) ## More by Rainer Werner Fassbinder > [I detest the idea that love between two persons can lead to salvation. All my life I have fought against this oppressive type of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/i-detest-the-idea-that-love-between-two-persons-can-lead-to-salvation/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [The more real things get, the more like myths they become. 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And everyone is disposable. Everyone! That's the lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/people-are-terrible-they-can-bear-anything-anything-people-are-hard/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [I'd like to be for cinema what Shakespeare was for theatre, Marx for politics and Freud for psychology: someone after whom nothing is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/i-d-like-to-be-for-cinema-what-shakespeare-was-for-theatre-marx-for/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [People often criticize my films for being pessimistic; there are certainly many reasons for being pessimistic but I don’t see my films that way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/people-often-criticize-my-films-for-being-pessimistic-there-are/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [ Women think in \[Douglas\] Sirk’s films. Something which has never struck me with other directors. None of them. Usually women are always reacting, doing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/women-think-in-douglas-sirk-s-films-something-which-has-never-struck/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [So certainly, if we can tell evil stories to make people sick, we can also tell good myths that make them well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/so-certainly-if-we-can-tell-evil-stories-to-make-people-sick-we-can/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [The best thing I can think of would be to create a union between something as beautiful and powerful and wonderful as Hollywood films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/the-best-thing-i-can-think-of-would-be-to-create-a-union-between/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [Yes, actually ever since I saw his films and tried to write about them, Sirk's been in everything I've done. Not Sirk himself, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/yes-actually-ever-since-i-saw-his-films-and-tried-to-write-about-them/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [The Jews have never been ashamed of being Jews, whereas homosexuals have been stupid enough to be ashamed of their homosexuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/the-jews-have-never-been-ashamed-of-being-jews-whereas-homosexuals/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [And I don't believe that melodramatic feelings are laughable - they should be taken absolutely seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/and-i-don-t-believe-that-melodramatic-feelings-are-laughable-they/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [In the last analysis, terrorism is an idea generated by capitalism to justify better defense measures to safeguard capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/in-the-last-analysis-terrorism-is-an-idea-generated-by-capitalism-to/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [Love is the best, most insidious, most effective instrument of social repression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/love-is-the-best-most-insidious-most-effective-instrument-of-social/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) [Explore all 23 Rainer Werner Fassbinder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) ## 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. 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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": "Every decent director has only one subject, and finally only makes the same film over and over again. My subject is the exploitability of feelings, whoever might be the one exploiting them. It never ends. It's a permanent theme. 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