Essay on What is an Auteur - 1426 Words

What is an auteur? Answer this question with detailed reference to one film director: Alfred Hitchcock Studies of the Auteur Theory in film have often looked toward Alfred Hitchcock as an ideal auteur: an artist with a signature style who leaves his own mark on every work he creates. According to the theory, it does not matter whether or not the director writes his own films, because the film will reflect the vision and the mind of the director through the choices he makes in his film. In the case of Hitchcock’s earliest films when he was still under the control of his producers, there is still a distinct stamp upon these images. Hitchcock has said that he was influenced by the German Expressionists, and admired their ability â€Å"to†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Throughout the scene, there is a differential lighting treatment for the different characters. Hannay always has a bright light shining upon him, while the sheriff and the other policemen have shadows across their faces. Even in the shots in which Hannay shares the frame with the sheriff, the lighting is focused only upon Hannay. Hannay even wears a light-colored suit, while the sheriff wears a dark suit. As the sheriff gets up to walk toward the window near the end of shot 2, the frame is split into two halves - the left side is dark, filled by the sheriff’s back, and the right side is light, with Hanna’s light suit and illuminated face. Even before we know that the sheriff is a â€Å"bad guy,† there is already this contrast between light and dark, innocent and shady. Through the lighting and color on Hannay, Hitchcock expresses visually Hannay’s innocence, as opposed to the shadowy corruption of the dark policemen. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Much less subtle and more powerful are the images in the sequence that result from the symbolic manipulations of light and shadows. When the sheriff refers to Hannay as a murderer, the camera spins around to show Hannay, who shouts, â€Å"Murderer?† The camera then backs away from Hannay, revealing behind his left shoulder at the top-right of the frame, the diagonal shadowing of the window, whichShow MoreRelatedWhat Is an Auteur?1461 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is an auteur? Answer this question with detailed reference to one film director: Alfred Hitchcock Studies of the Auteur Theory in film have often looked toward Alfred Hitchcock as an ideal auteur: an artist with a signature style who leaves his own mark on every work he creates. According to the theory, it does not matter whether or not the director writes his own films, because the film will reflect the vision and the mind of the director through the choices he makes in his film. In theRead MoreAuteur Theory 11662 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"†¦ As far as I know, there is no definition of the auteur theory in the English language, that is, by an American or British critic† (Sarris 1962) was the opening line to Andrew Sarris’s famous â€Å"Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962† essay. This essay is what brought the â€Å"auteur theory† in to the spotlight in the USA. And to today, this theory is still in hot debate. Trying to figure out whether or not the director is the lone â€Å"auteur† of a film is a tough claim to make. In an article for S late MagazineRead MoreScorsese1744 Words   |  7 PagesUse a range of auteur theories to examine the work of two significant directors you have studied on this module. One director should have produced the majority of their work prior to 1960 and the other should have produced it from the 1970s onwards. Discuss the origins and main developments of auteur theory then examine the works of Howard Hawks and Martin Scorsese with relevance to their status as auteur directors. In having their films examined as auteurs of the cinema, both Howard HawksRead MoreAuteur Theory Continues to be an Important Part of Filmmaking The auteur theory is an idea or600 Words   |  3 PagesAuteur Theory Continues to be an Important Part of Filmmaking The auteur theory is an idea or principle, which states that the film is a reflection of a director’s creative personal vision, as if to say the he or she is the primary author (which in French, means â€Å"auteur†). This theory first came to be in 1954, by a French film director named Francois Truffaut. The auteur theory’s birth was through the French New Wave, which was a group of new French filmmakers during the 1950’s and 1960’s. In theRead MoreThe Auteur Theory Of Film Directed By Francois Truffaut And Alfred Hitchcock1071 Words   |  5 Pagesbe apparent when watching the credits at the end of a movie that there are a lot of people who partake in the development in what you just watched. Although a director can’t usually create and perform all the aspects involved when making a film, the Auteur Theory focuses on the idea that the director is the true author, and creditable for the final look of the film. Auteur Theory is a philosophy o f film created by Francois Truffaut, a film director and critic, in 1959. â€Å"Truffaut noted that ‘the directorsRead MoreBilly Wilder Essay977 Words   |  4 Pagesdirecting, Wilder holds a key position in cinema history. Wilder’s stylistic and thematic elements are recognizable and give off a complex reflection of his American and European cultural influences. I think that Billy Wilder should be considered an â€Å"auteur† even if he is not already considered one, for his personal film style and the mere fact that his cynical vision allowed him to create many admirable films across a number of genre boundaries throughout his career. However, film critics tend to disagreeRead More Auteur Theory: Howard Hawks and Martin Scorsese Essay examples1722 Words   |  7 PagesUse a range of auteur theories to examine the work of two significant directors you have studied on this module. One director should have produced the majority of their work prior to 1960 and th e other should have produced it from the 1970s onwards. Discuss the origins and main developments of auteur theory then examine the works of Howard Hawks and Martin Scorsese with relevance to their status as auteur directors. In having their films examined as auteurs of the cinema, both Howard HawksRead MoreEssay on The Auteur Theory: Stanley Kubrick1209 Words   |  5 PagesAuteur Theory is based on three premises, the first being technique, the second being personal style, and the third being interior meaning. Furthermore, there is no specific order in which these three aspects must be presented or weighted with regard to a film. An Auteur must give films a distinctive quality thus exerting a personal creative vision and interjecting it into the his or her films. Kubrick made his first film in 1953 and has continued to make films till his death shortly afterRead MoreFilm Analysis - Blade Runner Essay1626 Words   |  7 Pageswas written by Phillip K. Dick. This essay will also explore how Ridley Scott’s use of mise en scene and editing in Blade Runner can exhibit him as an auteur. An ‘auteur’ is known as the ‘author’ of the film; a director that uses recognisable and similar traits and themes throughout a number of their films. The ‘auteur’ was created through the ‘auteur’ theory, which argues that the director is the most important person behind making a film. It was first established by an establishment of film makersRead MoreAnalysis Of Francois Truffaut And Alfred Hitchcocks Film Auteur719 Words   |  3 Pagesfavorite director. Why? What distinguishes one director from another? A director is â€Å"the person who determines and realizes on the screen an artistic vision of t he screenplay; casts the actors and directs their performances; works closely with production design in creating the look of the film†¦and in most cases, supervises all postproduction activity, especially editing† (Barsam and Monahan 496). Clearly, the director of a film is lead visionary in how the film is made. But what makes some directors