“Frankly, I hate dialogue,”

[Diunx]

I don't think it really come from Raiders. It was part and parcel a part of the fabric of movie making then. Back then it was all about the artistry and show don't tell was a part of that artistry. You'll see it just as much in movies like Spartacus.


Despite your sarcasm, Godfather's introduction is actually a great example.

In a genius scene that sets up the Corleone family, we witness various characters and how they handle themselves.

Don is doing business at his daughter's wedding. He does deals for people. A favor me, a favor for you. Loyalty is paramount. All people come to the Don.

Sonny is off chasing tail. His wife chats with the girls about Sonny's shlong and Sonny is always off getting that thing in some girl. We learn about this from watching the movie. It's never said Sonny is a philanderer once and you don't actually hear his wife talk about his D. It's inferred through the visuals.

Michael, like always, is by himself, away from the family. He brings a blonde haired Ivy league broad to an Italian family outing. Sonny hates that Michael rejects the Italian part of himself and is embarrassed Michael would dare bring a non Italian woman to his sister's wedding. Again, this is inferred without one lick of dialogue.

In the opening scene there's a contrast between Don's office which is dark, lights off, which represents the dark dealings of the family, and the broad daylight of the wedding party, which is the official public face of the family. On one hand it's an Italian family that strives to embrace tradition. On the other, there's a dark, sinister part of the family that truly runs it: the crime and mob parts of it.

Yes, there's dialogue and yes it's important. But the visuals, the sound design, the atmosphere (the darkness of Don's office;etc.) help craft the movie into what it is. While watching the introduction you'll be surprised by how little actual dialogue there is outside of the Don's office.

Cool, and the thing everyone remembers is "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse"

 

[Space Cowboy]

Cool, and the thing everyone remembers is "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse"

And they also remember this.





How many lines spoken here?

 

[Nero Christ]

While true, the dialogue doesn't make the movie. It enhances it.

It also depends on the genre and the movie you're trying to convey. Pulp Fiction is in the same tradition as something like Breathless where the dialogue is intimate. So I do think it's important for some films, especially if they involve comedy.

But I don't think of dialogue when I think of Terminator 2 or Die Hard. I think of the metallic cop terminator android chasing them and being shot and then his shape reforming. I think of Bruce Willis running on glass. Terminator 2 especially is a highly visual cinematic romp. Let me get this straight. The first thing you think of when you think Terminator 2 is "Hasta la vista, baby" and not the car chase?



If anything, whatever dialogue there is in this is only there to create a break in the action and simmer tension.

Watch this scene from Heat. It's the scene from Heat: the bank robbery. Dialogue is present but it's not the most important element. It's supplementary to help add realism but you're not watching this scene for the dialogue.



Watch this from Godfather II.



Yeah, the dialogue is fantastic. But when I think of this scene I don't think of the dialogue so much. I remember the visual of Michael by himself at the dinner table. I think of Michael sitting by himself alone after Fredo is killed as the lines in his face reveal themselves.

Watch this opening scene from Once Upon A Time In The West.



While he is operating on an extreme, I agree with his point. Film is memorable because of the images, first and foremost. Artistically, dialogue has a place. But dialogue in and of itself rarely makes the movie.

Old movies did not always rely on dialogue to tell a story. More and more, films overly rely on dialogue and witty lines. It is insulting to the craft unless you're a Tarantino or a Godard.


i think he's arguing from the stand point of a creator. As a highly visual person and artist movie quotes are definitely not the first thing I remember from films.

It's almost like what makes a good film is a mixture of a good plot, dialogue, acting, and cinematography

 

[jay211]

Exactly! That line from the Dark Knight is ICONIC. I'm really shocked hearing Denis say this. It sounds crazy. Dialogue is so important to movies.

 

[jay211]

And honestly the dialogue in GAME OF THRONES shyts all over a bunch of today's movies.

 

[Saint1]

I like dude but he's just saying shyt.

Shawshank whole damn script is memorable except for the intro part.

 

[Ribbs]

I don't know about that one Denis but then again you are French Canadian and I know how y'all move.

 

[hex]

at people in here trying to shoot him bail. Nah, it was a dumb ass thing to say. Talented person says something stupid volume #26738391250. It happens, these people aren't infallible.

Every movie listed in this thread, for its iconic scenes, has equally memorable dialogue. Let's not be silly people. Hell, look at the golden age of TV. Any show you can mention ("The Sopranos", "The Wire", "Breaking Bad", "Game Of Thrones" etc.) has a fukk ton of memorable dialogue.

Fred.

 

[ORDER_66]

its bullshyt I remember the dark knight mainly because of the dialogue of the joker. his monologues was iconic and people still QUOTE his lines from the movie... so dialogue is important...

 

[Legal]

at people in here trying to shoot him bail. Nah, it was a dumb ass thing to say. Talented person says something stupid volume #26738391250. It happens, these people aren't infallible.

Every movie listed in this thread, for its iconic scenes, has equally memorable dialogue. Let's not be silly people. Hell, look at the golden age of TV. Any show you can mention ("The Sopranos", "The Wire", "Breaking Bad", "Game Of Thrones" etc.) has a fukk ton of memorable dialogue.

Fred.

Facts. Brehs being up "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as if it doesn't have "Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?" Or "Die Hard" as if it doesn't have "Welcome to the party pal," "Yippie ki yay motherfukker," or the scene where Hans and John run into each other. Good movies have great visuals or great dialogue, great movies typically have a bit of both in some measure.

What's even funnier is that two of the most remembered scenes in one of Villeneuve's own movies, Sicario are because of the dialogue. The scene where Alejandro interrupts Alarcon's dinner to kill his family and then him (which you could argue was let down by editing the scene to not visually show the family being shot, and net giving enough time to Alejandro forcing Alarcon to eat before finally shooting him), and the scene at the end where Alejandro drops the land of wolves quote.

Homie is just feeling himself right now, and trying to say dialogue is trash while complaining about television is a heat check.

 

[the elastic]

A lot of big Hollywood movies today don't leave room for subtlety or interpretation .

That's on purpose

 

[010101]

it might be a wave though kids going back to silent film

as generations go on people are regressing in literacy

words make their skull jelly hurt(autistic auteurs) HA

*

 

[bnew]

I remember I recommended a movie to a friend and she said she didn't get it because all the characters did was talk.

I love media with great dialogue,. dialogue can make up for poor production values in some cases.

 

[Space Cowboy]

That's on purpose

No shyt

 

[PoorAndDangerous]

And honestly the dialogue in GAME OF THRONES shyts all over a bunch of today's movies.

George is one of the greatest fantasy authors ever, as good as Tolkien. Most of the great dialogue is lifted directly from the books. We saw what happened after season 4 since it was the final season that they had access to source material.