'Intellectualism' is the belief that our mind comes upon a world complete in itself, and has the duty of ascertaining its contents...; but has no power of re-determining its character, for that is already given.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Unthinking people speak of the motion picture as the medium of "action"; the truth is that the stage is the medium of action while... the screen is the medium of reaction. It is through identification with the person acted upon on the screen, and not with the person acting, that the film builds up its oscillating power with the audience. This is understood instinctively by expert film-makers, but to my knowledge it has never been formulated. At any emotional crisis in a film, when a character is saying something which profoundly affects another, it is to this second character that the camera instinctively roves, perhaps in close-up; and it is then that the hearts of the audience quiver and open in release, or rock with laughter or shrink with pain, leap to the screen and back again in swift-growing vibrations. The great actors of the stage are actors; of the screen, re-actors.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
New England likes to think it has a civilization based on character. The South likes to think it has a character based on civiliza...tion. A big difference.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
For, when men shall meet as they ought, each a benefactor, a shower of stars, clothed with thoughts, with deeds, with accomplishme...nts, it should be the festival of nature which all things announce. Of such friendship, love in the sexes is the first symbol, as all other things are symbols of love. Those relations to the best men, which, at one time, we reckoned the romances of youth, become, in the progress of character, the most solid enjoyment.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Character wants room; must not be crowded on by persons, nor be judged from glimpses got in the press of affairs, or on few occasi...ons. It needs perspective, as a great building.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Character repudiates intellect, yet excites it; and character passes into thought, is published so, and then is ashamed before new... flashes of moral worth.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Nature never rhymes her children, nor makes two men alike. When we see a great man, we fancy a resemblance to some historical pers...on, and predict the sequel of his character and fortune, a result which he is sure to disappoint. None will ever solve the problem of his character according to our prejudice, but only in his high unprecedented way.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »