Auteur theory

authorial figures in cinema, but ultimately note that the auteur theory can only be applied to cinema directors. Matthew Bernstein states that rarely is there such a case when a producer can exist as an auteur, but nonetheless it is possible. Bernstein’s work actually hypocritical in this sense, that he can state the rare existence of producer auteur, yet in the same piece openly admit, “collaborators make contributions, but only a director can make a film” (Bernstein, 184). He furthers contradicts himself once again by emphasizing the authorial work of producers such as Wanger, Disney, and Selznick, notably Wanger and his relationship with director Robert Wise. These two collaborated together on multiple films, i.e. I Want To Live (Wise, 1958), in…

Auteur theory is the theory of filmmaking in which the director is regarded as the key creative force in a film. Dubbed by American film critic Andrew Sarris in France during the late 1940’s, auteur theory was an outgrowth of the cinematic theories of Andre Bazin and Alexandre Astruc. This theory states that the director, who oversees all visual and audio elements of a film, is considered somewhat of an ‘author’ of a film more so than the writer of the screenplay. This means that visual elements…

realms of film theory can be seen when looking at the ideas of realist film theorist André Bazin and auteurist film theorist Andréw Sarris. For Bazin, the power of film is derived from its ability to represent reality as it exists with as little artistic interpretation…

his negative opinions of French cinema and what appears to be a form of authorship existing there, and Andre Bazin closes the week with an introduction to the auteur theory. Staiger draws on two major problems with authorship studies as flaws that have a tendency to devalue the author. Interestingly, Staiger counters that authorship is still a point of matter and furthers this concept…

Auteur theory is “A theory of film criticism, popularized in France during the 1950s, that treats the director of a film as its primary author. In certain cases, a particularly influential producer or screenwriter may also be considered an auteur filmmaker”. (Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014)). A director that I consider to be an auteur is Steven Spielberg because he has a unique vision and is able to express his creativity and identity in his films. I believe that you can see in most of…

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…

The Auteur Theory, is the idea that the true author of a film is the director. The director leaves an implicit remark on the film and because of this cinematic, literary, or thematic signature, they are credited as the author of the film. While there are numerous people involved in the production of a film, with some directors it is truly prominent who can be described as the author of the film. Mel Brooks, renown comical director and screenwriter is one instance of the undeniability of the…

Auteur theory originated from France as Les politique des auteurs by film critics such as François Truffaut. The auteur theory can be described as director’s personality illustrated in the film, which reoccur throughout several other of their movies by the consistency of themes, genre and cinematic style classifying them as an auteur. An example of highly professional director that can be regarded as an auteur is Martin Scorsese, possessing the features of technical expertise, personality…

Before analysing Tarantino’s films and establishing his style as a filmmaker, not only does the auteur theory have to be looked at, but also the criteria that a director has to tick in order to be considered an auteur in their field. The auteur theory originated in France, and initially began as a reaction of criticism against the Hollywood studio system in the 1910s. However, it only became a popular topic of cinematic debate in the 1950s when cinema exploded into the American mainstream…

The auteur theory is the assumption that the director of a film is an artist of their medium in the same way that a writer is the author or their book. Writers often use similar themes, have similar characters, and write in a stylistic manor that is recognizable. The auteur theory suggests that the same can be said of directors of films, that they will be recognizable as the creative force behind each film they produce. There are three premises to auteur theory that film viewers can use to…