A few days ago, “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve made headlines in a British interview, telling The Times: “Frankly, I hate dialogue. Dialogue is for television and theatre.”
The beloved Quebecois filmmaker has now explained his comments a bit more following a tsunami of reaction on social media – much of which ridiculed the statement.
On the one hand film is a visual medium and thus the point of cinema is to convey so much in imagery as opposed to explaining it. On the other hand dialogue is often necessary for any kind of cinematic structure, character building, and basic storytelling.
Speaking to Sharp Magazine, Villeneuve acknowledges a need for dialogue in cinema, but adds that visuals are always more important when it comes to his work:
“It’s true that I said that […] I said that laughing. So [when] I said it, I put a lot of emphasis on ‘I hate dialogue.’
I don’t hate dialogue. I am not inspired by scenes that are overwritten with dialogue – that’s the truth – and I’m talking about my own work.
Of course, a lot of directors are brilliant dialogists, and there’s a lot of strong movies that are filled with great dialogue. But if I think about my own work, it’s [ideal] for me as a filmmaker to try to avoid the use of dialogue as much as possible.
I think dialogue is the tool of expression for theatre, and then it became, for other reasons, one for television.
I will say: in a perfect world, you should use dialogue only when there are no other resources…
It should be the last resort – that’s what I’m saying. When I say ‘I hate dialogue,’ it’s not true. I don’t. But it’s true that I feel, myself as a film director, uninspired when I read 500 pages of dialogue. For me, it’s boring.”
Plenty of filmmakers would agree, whereas for others dialogue is absolutely essential. Either way it has led to an interesting debate
One thing Villeneuve does intend to convey in imagery, that is should “Dune Messiah” get the green light and go into production, it’s showing how the Fremen get off those giant sandworms.
The second film has showcased how they can get onboard, it’s the stopping and getting people off that seems trickier and the director tells Indiewire he’s found a way to show it:
“I knew how. I found a way. It was not dramatically necessary in ‘Dune: Part Two’ to see someone get out of the worm, but I know how to do it. And I can’t wait to put that on screen.”
“Dune: Part Two” is now in cinemas and on track to earn at least $70 million for its domestic opening weekend.
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