‘Paper Tiger’ Director James Gray Says He Doesn’t ‘Want to Preach’ Politics To Audiences: ‘Art Is Not Sunday School’

By Antonio Ferme

Antonio Ferme

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“Paper Tiger” director James Gray says he doesn’t “want to preach” about politics while making the festival rounds for his latest film, starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller.

“All movies are political in one way or another, but I like movies that exist with subtext,” Gray told Variety at the film’s New York Film Festival premiere Friday. “I don’t want to preach to you. That’s a polemic. That’s for debate class. The reason we can watch some of those beautiful Hollywood movies from 1940 and still find them moving is because they weren’t trying to teach us a lesson. Not Sunday school. Art is not Sunday school.”

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