When you look at the early-'30s movies, like King Kong, the codes of acting are very similar to those of silent movies. In some of the silent movies - the good ones, the ones done by the best directors - the acting is very, very natural.
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.
