Auteur Theorythe director as the author

A2 Film Portfolio Tasks:

Individual research project, 1. annotated catalogue & 2. PowerPoint presentation

The dictionary definition of auteur states that the director of a film ‘…dominates the film-making process’ so much ‘…that it

is appropriate to call the director the auteur, or author, of the motion picture’

The theory also states that the director projects his or her own personal style onto the film as they are ‘…the primary person responsible for the creation of’ the film.

However, another important aspect of this theory is the ‘…commonality of theme’ that is seen in each of the films that the director makes.

Auteur theory developed through the work of François Truffaut and Andrew Sarris, which began in the early

1950s and developed through into the 1960s.

Earlier Auteurs

The director as Auteur had certainly been around before the 1960s, but these directors were few and far between, such as Tod Browning, (Freaks 1932) who was dubbed ‘the Edgar Allan Poe of the cinema’. He made films such as ‘Dracula’ in 1931 and was the king of the early horror genre.

But these directors were not known as auteurs until the development of auteur theoryin the late ‘50’s & ‘60’s.

It was not until the end of the Studio System (started

by The Paramount Decree 1949) in the late fifties and early sixties, that the director, had any chance of becoming an auteur because of the strict control that the studios held over the individual.

Origins In the 1950s, the French magazine Cahiers du Cinema instigated a new way of

'reading' film - what later came to be called 'auteur' theory. The basic principle was that the film was a work of art; just like a novel or painting, it was essentially the product of an individual's imagination. Thus, a Truffaut movie (Truffaut was a prime mover of this school of thought) is the way it is because that's how Truffaut, the director, wanted it to be. He's the author (the 'auteur') - the movie is his work. One writer, Alexandre Astruci, started to talk of the camera as a camera-stylo (a 'light-pen') - that is, the tool with which the auteur gave shape to his ideas.

This theory tells us to treat the film as a work of art. As such, every frame, every mise-en-scene, is regarded as the deliberately composed result of a series of artistic decisions made by the auteur (usually, but not always, the director.) When you talk about Citizen Kane as Orson Welles' own story, for example, you're influenced by auteur theory - that is, the key to understanding the film is understanding Welles.

Auteur theory was very much designed as an attack on the big, commercial productions common in post-war France.

The Nazi occupation during the second world war had meant that American movies were banned in France; after the liberation, these movies flooded in and subsequently influenced French cinema, making it bigger, more commercial and, in the eyes of Truffaut and others, less viable as an artform.

So who is an auteur, and how might they be recognised from a 'normal' film director?

To be considered an auteur, a film-maker must have a body of work (oeuvre) which can be analysed for ongoing themes and considerations, whether they occur intentionally or unintentionally.

One example would be the theme of the distant father in Steven Spielberg's work. In addition to this, an auteur must have a differentiating style, almost instantly recognisable.

Truffaut’s analysis of “Hitchcockian" themes the virtuoso editing, the lyrical camera movements, the droll humour. the wrong man falsely accused, violence erupting at the times it was

least expected, the cool blonde (often emotionally

tortured) Creation of cinematic tension Task watch two Hitchcock films & identify

themes & signature style (all in LRC)

In pairs can you think of two directors who could be called an auteur? 5 mins.............

Director Recurring Themes Visual Style

Director Recurring Themes Visual Style

Case Study: Tim Burton

One example of a director that could be considered an auteur, Tim Burton's films have a very distinct style, and he often deals with similar themes in his work. In general, the lead character is separated from the norm of society in some way - a misfit. In the character of Edward Scissorhands, this idea is taken to the very extreme: the main character cannot even touch another person. Other examples of this character type include Batman, Willy Wonka,Beetlejuice, and to a certain extent, Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Burton's films also have a distinct visual style, generally a very Gothic feel. In addition, Burton is known for using stop-motion animation in his films, the prime examples being The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride. He is also known for reusing actors and actresses, in particular Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Danny Elfman regularly provides the right music for the soundtrack. Tim Burton has directed many movies, each of which can be examined and compared for similar styles and recurring themes.

Director as star & marketing In some senses, director- auteurs have taken the

place of or become the equal of, stars, cultivating auteur "brands."

One has only to think of the ease with which we are invited to consider not only the Pedro Almodóvar or Michael Haneke or "brands" but also, in different registers, the Tim Burton, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola,, Ridley Scott, or Steven Soderbergh "brands." Often their names are on the top of the poster to market to fans.

Question – Who is your favourite auteur/directors & WHY? List.............................

Directors as U.S.P - Fandom

In pairs select one director & list visual style/recurring themes of any of the listed films.

Quentin Tarantino Reservoir Dogs Pulp Fiction Jackie brown, Inglorious Basterds, Grindhouse As writer – Natural Born Killers,

True Romance

David Fincher The Game, Fight Club, Alien 3, Zodiac, Panic Room, Seven The Curious Case of Benjamin

Button

List visual style/recurring themes

Tarantino Recurring Themes Visual Style

Fincher Recurring Themes Visual Style

Can you identify any themes in these directors oeuvre?

David Cronenberg Scanners, The Dead Zone Videodrome, Dead Ringers, eXistenZ Naked Lunch Crash, Eastern Promises A History of Violence Martin Scorsese Gangs of New York, Goodfellas, Casino, Mean Streets Raging Bull The Departed The Aviator The last Temptation of Christ

List visual style/recurring themes

Cronenberg

Recurring Themes Visual Style

Scorsese Recurring Themes Visual Style

Can you identify any themes in these directors oeuvre? Select One.

Pedro Almodóvar Broken Embraces (2009)

Volver (2006/I) Bad Education (2004) Talk to Her (2002) All About My Mother (1999) Live Flesh (1997) The Flower of My Secret (1995) Kika (1993) High Heels (1991) Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) What Have I Done to Deserve This?

Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom (1980) Christopher Nolan Inception (2010) The Dark Knight (2008) The Prestige (2006) Batman Begins (2005) Insomnia (2002/I) Memento (2000)

List visual style/recurring themes

Almodóvar Recurring Themes Visual Style

Nolan Recurring Themes Visual Style

Robert RodriguezOne of the most interesting

contemporary directors who takes a very hands on approach to all aspects of production, is Robert Rodriguez.

He has his own studios outside of Hollywood, in Texas.

He often writes, shoots, edits and does the musical score for many of his films. Please visit his IMDB page.

Look at his filmography – Can you identify any themes?

What technological developments have enabled Rodriguez to work so independently?

In pairs.......................................................................................................................................................................

Filmography Spy Kids 4: Armageddon (2011) ( Machete (2010) Shorts (2009) Planet Terror (2007) Grindhouse (2007) ( The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagir

l 3-D (2005)

Sin City (2005) Ten Minute Film School: Big Movies Inside Troublemaker Studios (2004) ( Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams Spy Kids (2001) The Faculty (1998) From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) Four Rooms (1995) (segment "The

Misbehavers") Desperado (1995) Roadracers (1994) (TV) "Rebel Highway" (1 episode, 1994)

    - Roadracers (1994) TV episode El mariachi (1992)

Metteurs en Scène

Having established that some directors are considered auteurs and why, it seems sensible to ask what becomes of those who do not fall into this category.

Such directors were dubbed metteurs en scène by the renowned film-maker François Truffaut, and though they may be perfectly good directors, they are not considered auteurs, because they do not have the artistic control required or authorial stamp.

A good example is Peter Jackson, the director responsible primarily for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The first thing to consider is that, despite the fact he has previously written his own films, in adapting someone else’s work he removes a certain amount of artistic control.

In addition, he is subject to the economic pressures of Hollywood, which evidently rates artistic/creative design below economic success; indeed, it is hard to find a mainstream Hollywood auteur, but not impossible. Although Jackson does have a large body of work, he lacks any overriding themes or recognisable artistic design. In essence, it all boils down to personal vision and whether a director is able to impose their own world view upon a film, which Jackson does not do. Therefore, although he is a perfectly good director, he lacks the credentials to be labelled an auteur.

Critiques of Auteur Theory

There are a number of problems with auteur theory:A film is not a novel. It is not created by an individual; it is collaborative.

Auteur theory tended to praise the director at the expense of everyone else. For many films, other individuals play massive parts in achieving success. The music of Herrmann in the Psycho scene is as important as the editing for example.

More practically, assuming that a director can 'make or break' a movie is not a very commercially successful way to proceed. Producers were also worried about the amount of power the directors had.

Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate is the most famous example. Fresh from the critical and commercial success of The Deerhunter, Cimino was given free rein by his studio (United Artists) on his next project. The result was so massive, so late and so over-budget, that it very nearly put the studio out of business and radically changed the way Hollywood thought about making films.

1980’s The Producer as AuteurDon Simpson & Jerry Bruckheimer

Don Simpson and Jerry (C.S.I) Bruckheimer are arguably the most commercially successful producing team in Hollywood history. Their have earned, according to a 1995 statistic from Entertainment Weekly, about $820 million.

The Rock (1996) Dangerous Minds (1995) Crimson Tide (1995) Bad Boys (1995) The Ref (1994) Days of Thunder (1990) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Top Gun (1986) Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Thief of Hearts (1984) Flashdance (1983)

In pairs analyse films from the list

FILM TEXTS

The Rock (1996) Dangerous Minds (1995) Crimson Tide (1995) Bad Boys (1995) The Ref (1994) Days of Thunder (1990) Beverly Hills Cop II

(1987) Top Gun (1986) Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Thief of Hearts (1984) Flashdance (1983

IDENTIFY RECURRING THEMES, SIGNATURE VISUAL STYLE

And identify primary target audience

High Concept

"the conglomeration of the film industry and the rise of television, new marketing methods, and changing distribution strategies--have extended and modified some significant traits of the classical model"

Disney's Michael Eisner; "according to [Jeffrey] Katzenberg, Eisner used high concept while working as a creative executive at Paramount to describe a unique idea whose originality could be conveyed briefly" (8). Regardless of who came up with the idea, the basic premise of high concept filmmaking is the same.

As Wyatt suggests, "one can think of

high concept as comprising 'the look, the hook, and the book.'

The look of the images, the marketing hooks, and the reduced narratives form the cornerstones of high concept"

In film criticism, there is a case being made for the actor as auteur.

Stars As Auteurs where an actor/actress seems to play a similar kind of character

from one film to another or has a distinctive style of acting. Tom Cruise is always Tom Cruise, Can you think of any U.S examples?

Actress Kerry Fox recently suggested that US actors always want to be recognized in films whereas the UK way is to become your character. Like Daniel Day-Lewis.

This tendency could be the result of Hollywood commodifying films, treating them too much as product & commercial star vehicles. A criticism of actor as auteur is that we do not know for sure, if at all, how free a rein an actor has to develop and control their own character in a film. Recently though we have become aware that a director might not have dominant control over the final product in film-making. A director is heavily reliant on the production team around him or her and once scenes are shot may hand rushes over to editors to put together the film. We still talk about films as if directors determine the final outcome, however.

In pairs identify an actor as an auteur & list their characteristics.

Portfolio Task = 50% of A level For your portfolio you have to select a director

and examine his/her work as an auteur. (NOT TIM BURTON he has already been taken! )

You must focus on three film texts(primary texts)

You must research around your subject, reading & evaluating secondary sources such as books, websites, magazines, TV interviews, DVD extras. You will produce an annotated catalogue, reviewing your research – at least 18 texts.

You will reproduce your finding by constructing an illustrated PowerPoint presentation

Essential research sites

http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/publications/16+/pdf/auteur.pdf excellent resources for this unit

Read about Hitchcock - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2984051 www.filmsite.org www.imdb www. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/film/resources/internet/ - is an

excellent academic film links site. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/apr/ 20/johnpatterson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_system