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.
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.
Silence is a universal language. It's like music or painting.
Robert DeNiro, who may be the greatest living actor, usually acts in a way which is very stone-faced, like Steve McQueen.
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 have to describe images. It's easier to shoot them.
When you speak of silent movies, everyone thinks of Charlie Chaplin first.
