The Auteur Theory and mise-en-scene

•What does the french word “auteur” mean?

•author

•Who began the auteur theory?

•European film critics

•When did the auteur theory come into being?

•After World War II

•What is Cahiers du Cinema?

•A popular film magazine

•Who wrote the essay entitled “A Certain Tendency in the French Cinema” in Cahiers du Cinema?

•Francois Truffaut

•According to the auteur theory, who is the most important creative figure behind a film?

•The director is the “author” or artist” of his/her film.

•Name some European auteurs.

•Fritz Lang (Germany)•Jean Renoir (France)•Robert Bresson (France)•Ingmar Bergman (Sweden)•Luis Bunuel (Spain)•Alfred Hitchcock (Great Britain)

•Why had Europeans not seen any American films since the 1930’s?

•They were banned after Hitler conquered much of Europe.

•What is a “metteurs en scene”?

•Literally a “master of the scene,” but it means contracted Hollywood director who is not concerned with artistry.

•What did European film critics think of Hollywood films?

•Under the Studio System, Hollywood churned out films with only money in mind, not for artistic quality.

•After looking back at some American films from the 1930’s to the 1950’s, which directors did the European film critics then see as auteurs?

•Howard Hawks•Charles Chaplin•John Ford•Preston Sturges•Orson Welles•Alfred Hitchcock (who moved to

Hollywood in 1939)

•When looking at an auteur’s body of work, what two elements are considered in the auteur theory?

•Thematic motifs•Construction of mise-en-

scene

•What do the words mise-en-scene mean?

•Literally “what’s put into the scene,” or how the director creates a fully believable fictional environment

•What are the four components of mise-en-scene?

•Setting•Costume and Make-up•Lighting•Actor’s Movements

•What two types of setting can a director use?

•Actual location•Artificial scenery on a studio

sound stage

•What three things can costume/make-up do to create believable mise-en-scene?

•Indicate time period•Indicate social status of a

character•Create realism

•What two qualities of lighting affect the atmosphere of a scene?

•Hard lighting•Soft lighting

•When well-coached by a director, what can an actor’s movements portray?

•Strength and confidence•Weakness or a quirky nature

•What was Charlie Chaplin’s signature character called? It is said that this character alone created his mise-en-scene.

•The little tramp