Auteur Theory: Francois Truffaut and Alfred Hitchcock The auteur theory was originated by film critic and director, Francois Truffaut, who had published a famous article in the French film Journal Cahiers du cinéma in 1954. Both the article and French film Journal criticized American movie directors for letting Hollywood studios control what they produce; therefore, lacking any originality (Wikipedia). In response, the Auteur theory was born, which means a film reflects the director's control over each aspect ranging from the script to each scene (Wikipedia). The French New Wave filmmakers exhibit complete creative control over movies, which influence a change in production. Two major proponents of the auteur theory are, Alfred Hitchcock and
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The legendary slasher movie, Psycho, is narrative horror film. Alfred Hitchcock's is known for reversing the roles of character throughout his movies. He specifically disguises the antagonist, Norman Bates, as charming and loving but is really a sociopath murderer. Marion, the protagonist is a risk taking blonde, who steals $40,000. The extreme opposites adds to the shock and suspense of this thriller because the audience doesn’t anticipate the female to be a risk-taker nor a male to be sensitive but yet a killer (Chowla). Hitchcock’s production of characters in a horror film set the standard for film directors. In the drama, 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut uses his past experiences to portray Antoine Doinel, the protagonist. Growing up as an adolescent Truffaut was a rebellious teen, who was born out of wedlock and was sent to a reformatory school just like Antoine (Fabe). The disobedient attitude of Antoine realistically depicts how a fourteen year old boy acts and thinks. From ditching school, lieing and stealing, Antoine shows the misunderstanding of youth which drives the self-reflective narrative. Both of these movies flourished because these film Auteurs experimented with characters in a way film directors had never done
The legendary slasher movie, Psycho, is narrative horror film. Alfred Hitchcock's is known for reversing the roles of character throughout his movies. He specifically disguises the antagonist, Norman Bates, as charming and loving but is really a sociopath murderer. Marion, the protagonist is a risk taking blonde, who steals $40,000. The extreme opposites adds to the shock and suspense of this thriller because the audience doesn’t anticipate the female to be a risk-taker nor a male to be sensitive but yet a killer (Chowla). Hitchcock’s production of characters in a horror film set the standard for film directors. In the drama, 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut uses his past experiences to portray Antoine Doinel, the protagonist. Growing up as an adolescent Truffaut was a rebellious teen, who was born out of wedlock and was sent to a reformatory school just like Antoine (Fabe). The disobedient attitude of Antoine realistically depicts how a fourteen year old boy acts and thinks. From ditching school, lieing and stealing, Antoine shows the misunderstanding of youth which drives the self-reflective narrative. Both of these movies flourished because these film Auteurs experimented with characters in a way film directors had never done