Importance Of Auteur Theory

According to film theorist Thomas Schatz, “a genre approach (to film) provides the most effective means for understanding, analyzing, and appreciating the Hollywood cinema (Schatz vii).” His approach to film is strongly supported by theorist Edward Branigan’s engagement of the filmic point of view and the narrative representation of character interaction (Branigan), and André Bazin’s arguments of objective reality pressed against audience interpretation.

: For my presentation I have chosen to examine Steven Spielberg and what stylistic features he uses to make himself considered as an auteur. An auteur is a director that has a unique style in filming and has complete control of the production process of the film. The three films that I have chosen to focus on are E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), A.I. Artificial Intelligence(2001) and Close Encounters (1977). These are three of Steven Spielberg's most known films. There a various reasons to why Steven Spielberg has been considered as auteur. For instance the fantasy theme, is a common thread between these three film specifically. The fact that Spielberg has three films that have a common theme may suggest that he may use fantasy themes to establish himself as an auteur.

The Auteur Theory, a theory formulated by François Truffaut states the idea that the true author of a film is the director. The Auteur Theory revolves around how the director leaves an implicit mark on the film and because of this cinematic, literary, or thematic signature or motif, 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 such as with Mel Brooks.

Auteur theory is an important mode of film criticism that indicates the extent of the director’s involvement in the final output of the film. As it has been previously mentioned, Spike Lee’s films express certain notions about race that emerge from his personal viewpoint as well as from his political and aesthetic beliefs. The focal point of this chapter is the auteur theory and its relativity to Spike Lee. In order to prove the connection between the theory and his works, it is necessary to refer to Lee’s biography, since both his background and distinguishable personality have contributed to his technical skills as well as to his unique style as a film director. The particular chapter will also include the synopsis as well as the technical analysis of each film correspondingly.

Ryan Bassil (2013) has argued that director Baz Luhrmann has completely missed the depiction of how F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his novel, The Great Gatsby.

Over the fifteen weeks of the first semester of film school, we were taught many interesting types and styles of early world cinema which were extremely informative and influenced the filmmaking style of the whole class and made us better filmmakers instantly. One such ‘ism’ which inspired me the most was German Expressionism which is a unique characteristic of Weimar Cinema. In this essay I am going to talk about the history of this ‘ism’, its impact on cinema, some significant works and how it inspired me and influenced my filmmaking style.

Early films by Edison and Lumiere involved very simple cinematography, little to no editing and simple realist mise en scene. However, Georges Melies, a theater proprietor and an amateur magician, laid foundation for the new generation films. In A Voyage to the Moon, he becomes first person to introduce a sci-fi film. In this paper I hypothesize that A Voyage to the Moon was most innovative in cinematography and editing. Although mise en-scene was the main focus of the film, I hypothesize that mise en scene wasn’t as innovative as the other two.

The documentary genre has radically evolved throughout the years, however it can still be broadly described as a non-fictional informative footage which “documents” or captures reality. In general documentaries are used to reveal an unknown angle on either historical events, biological or controversial issues to a specific target audience. These unknown angles are mainly influenced by the intentions of the filmmaker. The filmmaker’s enthusiasm and commitment plays an enormous role in how these unknown angles will be portrayed to the audience. The purpose of the filmmaker is to explore topics that are mostly overlooked by society in an attempt to make a difference. This purpose of the filmmaker is clearly visible in the 77th Academic Award winning

Classical Hollywood film style is structured narratively with a clearly defined conflict which is introduced early in the film, then a problem arises where the characters are forced to work through the problem, and at the end of the film the problem is resolved. Film makers rely on style- structure, narrative, & visual elements – to effectively tell their story. Classical Hollywood films are filmed in a control environment where the director is in control of what is happening in the film. The goal of classical Hollywood film style is to make it as realistic as possible, where the film is believable to the viewer. The films flow with ease, all resulting from crucial editing. It allows the viewer to understand what the director is trying to

The best thing I know is to do exactly what you wish for a while (Roman Holiday):

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, amid silver screen's earliest stages, movies had no cuts or altering at all. The camera kept running for the length of the film reel seemed to be. Amid screening, the 1-minute footage was appeared completely to a paying group of audience. Within the

The 1970s were full of auteurs with celebrity movie directors showing their artistic signatures. However, the 1980s and ‘90s saw a shift back to the old Hollywood preference for genre cinema with big films that targeted a vast audience. This biggest trend during this time period was the blockbuster, or event film, that gives the audience a dramatic experience aside from plot and performance. Once this shift took place, the small-scale alternative to Hollywood’s blockbuster brigade was the independent film. While these two styles of cinema are both powerful, they have many differences as well as similarities.

Who is an auteur ?According to the Auteur Theory put forward by French film directors in the 1950’s, “A true film auteur is someone who brings something genuinely personal to his subject, instead of producing a tasteful, accurate but lifeless rendering of the original material ”(Auteur Theory- WordPress.com).To further elaborate on the subject matter addressing of authorship, a film maker is regarded as an auteur when he or she has a personal, signature style and keeps creative control over his overall work. When I heard this prolific statement, instantaneously the film maker that comes to mind is Caribbean Dutch film maker and director, Felix de Rooy. In my opinion he is one of the most fascinating

The Graduate depicts a college graduate from a middle-class, white family, as he rebels from his parents. He refuses to go to graduate school and follow his parents’ lifestyle of materialism and work. His parents base their lives on earning and spending money. They think more about the future, whereas the counterculture is more about experiencing the present.

Baz Luhrmann is widely acknowledged for his Red Curtain Trilogy which are films aimed at heightening an artificial nature and for engaging the audience. Through an examination of the films Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, the evolution and adaptation of his techniques become evident. Luhrmann’s belief in a ‘theatrical cinema’ can be observed to varying degrees through the three films and his choice to employ cinematic techniques such as self-reflexivity, pastiche and hyperbolic hyperbole.