There are a number of film directors which comes up with new stories, concept and movies every year. Some of those gain popularity on national level, while other throughout the world. Filmmakers implement different ideas and strategies for the success of the films. They try different situations and scenarios and implement the same in order to product the best film. There are a large number of theories which are popular and are widely used by the filmmakers. One such theory, among various others which has been devised out for the betterment of the movies is the Auteur theory. In this research we will study about Auteur theory in detail and will research on its implementation by the directors. On a particular basis we will be analysing that how ‘Michael Hanekar’ who is a very popular Austrian director, can be considered as in auteur. The detailed discussion would be done on the theory of auteurs with the complete explanation of the implementation of this theory on in the movies by the directors. In the study will be performed on how ‘Michael Hanekar’ was truly an auteur. We will be understanding the differences in the movies of Haneke and other directors and will find the reasons why he is actually called as an auteur.

1. How Michael Hakene can be considered to be an auteur
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2. Table of Contents
Abstract..................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction............................................................................................................... 3
History of Auteur ...................................................................................................... 3
Auteur Theory........................................................................................................... 4
Brief Bio of Michael Haneke..................................................................................... 4
Movie Making by Michael Haneke............................................................................ 5
How Michael Haneke is regarded as auteur?.............................................................. 6
Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 9
References............................................................................................................... 10
Abstract
There are a number of film directors which comes up with new stories, concept and
movies every year. Some of those gain popularity on national level, while other
throughout the world. Filmmakers implement different ideas and strategies for the
success of the films. They try different situations and scenarios and implement the
same in order to product the best film. There are a large number of theories which are
popular and are widely used by the filmmakers. One such theory, among various
others which has been devised out for the betterment of the movies is the Auteur
theory. In this research we will study about Auteur theory in detail and will research
on its implementation by the directors. On a particular basis we will be analysing that
how „Michael Hanekar‟ who is a very popular Austrian director, can be considered as

3. in auteur. The detailed discussion would be done on the theory of auteurs with the
complete explanation of the implementation of this theory on in the movies by the
directors. In the study will be performed on how „Michael Hanekar‟ was truly an
auteur. We will be understanding the differences in the movies of Haneke and other
directors and will find the reasons why he is actually called as an auteur.
Introduction
Auteur theory is largely related to the Astruc‟s elucidation of the camera-stylo
according to which the director, who usually has the role to direct the movie by
considering the audio visual elements of the motion pictures, is also considered as the
“author” for the movie i.e. the director is also the director of the movie and he writes
the screenplay. The word auteur itself means as the author dThus it is the director‟s
vision where he reflects the more creative vision for the story. This may be because of
the fact that the production process of the movie in which the director of the film is
also regarded as the author or the auteur of the movie. Thus the director who follows
auteur‟s theory also gave his personal vision to the movie. Thus the auteur is the
personal expression of the director for the creation of the movie. Auteur can be
defined as the way in the directors can select the personal factor during the artistic
creation of any form. It is the auteur‟s theory which suggests that the film will be
bearing the signature of the maker. There are a number of directors who have been
following the Auteur‟s theory for film making. Some of the famous auteurs of all
times includes David Lynch, Joel Coen, Peter Jackson, Richard Linklater, David
Fincher and Michael Hanekar. Michael Hanekar was one of those directors who had a
very unique style for directing his movies. His movies didn not involved Hollywood
like special effects. The movies which were directed by him were largely successful
and they were appreciated by the viewers and the critics. Each and every scene
created by him represented auteur aims (Speck,2010). He conveyed the auteur concept
in a great deal and structured his movie in such a way that the meaning was
beautifully conveyed to all the audience pretty well. He was given the status of being
an auteur by many critics all over the world. Michael Hakene has marked his presence
as an auteur in a number of European countries.
History of Auteur
The concept of auteurs arose for the first time in the year 1954, when the French
Director Francois Truffaut gave the term auteur and said that the style of auteur
involved the use of number of stylistic devices such as mise-en-scene and the
involvement of the characters which are based on a number of themes and a
“metteur-en-scene” as a simple manufacturer.
It was recognized by the Truffaut and the other members that the process of film
making is completely industrial. They also encouraged the directors to use the

4. commercial apparatus for film making which was based on his own vision thereby,
minimizing the role of the screen writer completely.
The theory of auteur was first presented in the year 1940 by Andre Bazin and Roger
Leenhardt who stated that as per the theory of auteur is the role of the director who
brings the life to the films and create the movie in such a way that their own thoughts
and the expressions related to the particular subject can be easily brought forward. In
order to add to their vision the auteur can also make the use of lighting, camerawork,
staging and editing (Grundmann, 2010).
Later, the auteur theory was implemented by many directors of the new wave in the
French cinema from the early 1960‟s in order to justify their personal movies. During
the same times, the concept of auteur was adopted by English directors. A number of
books were published on auteurs among which
The American Cinema: Director and Directors” was coined as the Bible on auteurs.
Auteur Theory
The Auteur Theory is a critical theory according to which the selected directors use a
theme and a style which can be qualified by them. The auteur theory is something
which serves as a convenient voice of the director.
In a general theory it is the critic which generally sits before the screen and tries to
find out the glories of the mise-en-scene which may be appearing before him. In such
a situation the director does not has any kind of role and is not given the responsibility
to give his or her personal feel in the movie. The director only has the role to combine
the number of illusions which have been defined by the writer and analyse the overall
illusion which has been generated upon. Thus, there is a difference between the
creator and critic and this leads to the approximation of the accuracy. Many
exceptions are there to the auteur theory.
Thus, it can be said that it is only the auteur theory which is closer in comparison to
any other theory and something which can bring the actual content in more accurate
manner delivering the sufficient and the accurate information proactively. Thus auteur
theory completely signifies that it is the director of the story who forms the movie on
the basis of his own vision which may either be realistic based on his personal
experiences or it may be imaginary.
Brief Bio of Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke was born in the year 1942 in Germany. He was raised up by the
German Actor and Austrain Actress who were his parents. Initially he attended the
University of Vienna and studied philosophy. After gaining an interest in acting and
music, he became a film critic for a German Television channel. He made his debut as
a director in television in 1974. In the films his debut was made in the year 1989 from
the movie „The Seventh Continent‟. He was married during the time when he was
directing television films and had four children.

5. He gained popularity from his film „Benny‟s Video‟. He has won a number of awards
in hollywood and is regarded as one of the best director of all times.
His movies also surrounded a lot of controversies from time to time. After the release
of his film Funny Games, he gained popularity at the international level when he was
in the competition in the Cannes film festival. After this, he was known in a much
broader perspective and released his first French film in the year 2000. The first
critical success was attained by Hakene in the year 2001 when he was awarded with
the Grand Prix award for The Piano Teachers and the both the lead actor and actress
of the movie won the best actor and actress awards (Price & Rhodes, 2010). Another
critical success was awarded to Hakene at Cannes film festival for his movie Cache
where he was awarded the award for the Best Director. In the year 2009 he was
awarded as the most prestigious prize of all times which was the „Palme d‟Or‟ for his
black and white composition “The White Ribbon”.
The movies of Michael Haneke are challenges from the end of the viewers because all
of his movies are dependent on the continuing interest related to the spectatorship,
semiotics and the media.
Hakene has been known as an auteur. His sense of humour can be represented by his
unconventional, socially bruising and psychological movies. Haneke has been known
for showing the audience something which is uncomfortable and makes them to think
in the same. In addition to this it gives the possibility which ends up the viewers in a
sense of fear.
Movie Making by Michael Haneke
In the conventional approach of movie making there is a clear instinct to show the
potential violence to the users. Aggression and ingratiation, therefore, are considered
to be the two most important factors for the success of a film. There are many horror
movies which may frighten us, thriller movies can even agitate us, the emotional and
the sentimental movies can make us cry. Thus, the entertainment or the industry is not
just limited to the small word entertainment. Rather, it include many more
conventional approaches where suffering is a part. The Austrian Filmmaker, Michael
Haneke went beyond the limits of displeasure.
One of the most appreciated movie by Hakene was the Funny Games which was
released in the year 1997. This was the violent melodrama related to the respectful
family and the violence was somewhat similar to what has been depicted in the movie
„The Desperate Hours or Cape Fear. The different between the two movies was that in
„The Desparate Hours‟ and „Cape Fear‟ the main motto of the director was to create
violence by depicting that the family members are being assaulted by the criminals
while in case of the „Funny Games‟ the family members are terrorize as it is required.
The motto of Hakene is not to terrorize the audience and to entertain them, but, it is to
make them understand about the real situation. The family which has been shown in
the „Funny Games‟ consists of a husband, wife and a son who comes to a new place.
After a while, a chubby man comes to borrow eggs which he continues to do for some

6. time. After that, there is another young man who enters the room. These men does not
seems to be very rich as it has been depicted in the other two movies (Haneke, 2010).
Towards the end of the “Funny Games” the wife kills the chubby man, which is the
only scene where the graphic violence has been depicted in the movie.
Thus the movie Funny Games isn‟t just the critique of violence which has been
depicted on the screen but it provides a totally different picture of violence.
In the very first scene the family when the family has been shown to enter in the
house and it is observed that the gate is being closed mechanically behind them,
Haneke has held this moment for a long time which truly conveys his message that
the gate which has been designed so as to protect the family but in actual sense it is
the trap. This does not seems very violent but it is actually a nightmare.
Another directorial of Michael Haneke is the 1992 released movie titled as Benny‟s
video which starts with the videotape in which a pig is been slaughtered. The story
behind the same is revealed slowly where the bideo has been made by Benny, who a
spoiled teenage boy who watches each and everything with the help of the camera
lens. He brings a girl to his room, shows her the video and kills her. In order to save
his son, Benny‟s parents dispose of the body of the girl. Benny makes the video of the
same and gives it to the police and his parents are caught. His parents are denounced.
This movie depicts the vision of the auteur Hakene of the present modern world
where he observes a number of societal problems over and over again. The benny‟s
video is the clear show of the flaws of the human species. Michael Hakene has been
successful in depicting the character of a pervert and an enigmatic character in a
peaceful manner. Moreover, it also depicts the actual reality.
Another movie of Hanekel, “Cache” released in 2005 also starts with a video where
the camera has been observed to be fixed on a house in the street. This scene is
observed in the credits and the images are stationary as per the regular and usual traits
of the auteur. The couple gets a number of tapes one after another.
In another scene in the movie a character has been shown in another static scene
where the character has taken the sleeping pills and is has gone to the bed. This is an
extended stationary shot where he is dreaming.
The final shot of the same movie is a static scene which has been shown towards the
other side of the street from the school which has been attended by the two characters
in the movie. This shot is completely stationary depicting numerous instances such as
the parents are waiting for their children outside the school building, the students are
shown to come outside of their schools or standing on the steps and the two other
characters talking to one another about the video tapes. This is another public view
from which the private thing ( the mystery) of the video tape is hidden. This scene
appears to be the future.
How Michael Haneke is regarded as auteur?

7. Michael Haneke was the film director for some of the best movies of all times such as
the Cache, Funny Games, The White Ribbon and the Amour. Most of his movies
were known for the social issues which were raised in them. The movies which were
directed by him had a very specific kind of style which was generally static and did
not consisted of emotion, the movies directed by him lacked the common style
principles and special effects which were generally a part of the movies which were
directed in Hollywood. The movies created by Haneke were generally toned down
colors and were mundane. There wasn‟t very strong framing incorporated in his films.
Other than this, the composition of the images were generally static, rigid and was
fragmented by the use of geometric lines and shapes. The framing was sometimes so
obscure that even the characters used to appear quite obscure (Sorfa,2006).
Another reason which proved that Michael Haneke was auteur was that he used static
shots for the movies and he didn‟t believed in moving the camera in order to reframe
even. These were some of the distinguishing characters of the cinematography which
was followed by him and were used in all the three most popular movies which were
directed by him.
Use of long takes while shooting for the movie was another method which was
unconventional from the regular mainstream cinema and gave a kind of the real time
sensation which was different from the others. An example of the same is from the
movie “Amour” in which the character is writing a letter on a paper and sitting in the
chair. He observes that there is a pigeon in his room. He gets up from his chair and
tries to catch the pigeon. Finally he catches it in a blanket, releases the pigeon outside
and mentions the same in the letter. This scene of the movie looks quite realistic. This
is a long take in the movie which has been uninterrupted by any kind of conventional
methods or editing (Walker, 2010). It is thus a continuous sequence which appears to
be a real scene.
Theabsence of non-digestic music is another style which has been implemented by
Michael Haneke which make himself different in comparison to the other directors.
The lack of movies gives a different kind of feel for all his movies. These kind of
cinematography creates a more intense feel while watching the movie. An example of
the same is the child‟s chase, which has been filmed without any kind of music which
not only depicts the sad and a painful situation, but makes the viewer feel in the
similar manner.
In his movies the instances where music has been played in the background, it is
generally classical and the high culture tones are played for most of the times.
His movies does not consists of the uninteresting background noises that seems to
interrupt the viewers (Pramaggiore& Wallis, 2008). This is as per the construction and
manipulations desires of the movie by Haneke, which specifies one of his auteur aims.
The narration techniques which are used by Haneke are also different from the ones
which are used in the conventional methods, such as the use of ellipses during the
conversation during a number of times and the presents of abrupt of offhand
transitions from one scenes to another.

8. If we talk about the themes which have been used by Haneke, all of his movies
displays the themes consisting of a large number of shots from of the open and closed
doors.
The names of the main characters in both of his movies funny games and Armour
which are the variations of “Georges” and “Anne”. The similar kind of variations
have also been observed in the Cache, The Seventh Continent. Both the central
characters of the movie are featured as cultural and bourgeois characters. In another
movie directed by him titled as “The Piano teacher”, the central character Erika is
shown as a piano professor who has a number of hidden psychological issues.
Another usual feature of the movies directed by Haneke, is the site of mistrust and
coldness amongst the marital partners. This is common is all of his movies (Hill &
Gibson, 1998).
The other characters of his movies also resemble similar traits. All the three movies
resembles an unusual kind of distances between themselves, a sudden indifference
among them and also the flick of the attitude amidst all the characters. All the three
movies resembles the similar traits. The characters do not like to engage with the
people other them their social culture. This is revealed more in case of Armour where
the characters have been shown to talk in the uninteresting topics and there is lack of
sympathy or feelings amongst them (Grundmann, 2007).
The similar features in the movies clearly represents that Hankene used to be
alienated from the today‟s society and do not likes to be social among the people.
Also, this clearly reflects that he does not communicate very often with the people
and can‟t connect to them usually. Also, he does not gets emotionally attached with
the people and fails to exhibit his own feelings. “Funny Games” directed by him also
reflect the use of violence against media and depicts his concern towards the same.
The themes and the ideas which have been used by him in his films depicts his ideas
related to his conscious intentions and the ideas. In order to exhibit the same Hakene
has used films as a medium. This clearly reflects that Michael Hakene has used the
concept of auteur.In all the movies of Haneke the members of the family are having a
comfortable life and they belong to a cultivated bourgeoise.
The movies of Hakene depicted the old Europeon film culture and the kind of
formation of the characters which is not at all dominant in the present time scenario.
His movie Armour is a clear representation of the auteur‟s body of work which has
been represented in a more of chronological manner rather than the usual method. The
pigeon scene where the character releases the pigeon into the air also depicts the
freedom from being confined.
The parameters which have been imagined by Haneke including the concepts related
how, when and where, it completely reflects that it is actually the auteur which is
controlling the entire instance and all kinds of images which have been depicted in the
movie resembles an auteur. All the movies directed by Haneke consisted of the lack
of empathy (Elsaesser,2010).
Haneke on the real side is hesitant enough to speak about his own personal life or his
family but he tried to bring forward his ideas which he feels is important for the
world, by his films. The auteurs perspective possessed by Haneke has been woven

9. into his films as a very nihilist perspective which suggests that the world has equal
amounts of good and bad. In his vision, one can also view the lost humanity among
the people and the consequences which can occur due to the same. Haneke through
his movies has been consistently reminding that his films are not just made upon the
incidents which are set across the world but each of the theme which he depicts is
applicable in all the western countries round the world (Crofts,1998). The subjects of
the movies directed by him includes collective family suicide, children killing the
strangers and giving the blame about the same on the parents, about the poor
relationships between the people and the cruelty which is associated with the life that
is there in the capitalist countries.
The representation of the home in all his movies each of which consists of a television
representing the mediatisation of the home, this is presented by Haneke as his own
personal capacity as an auteur and which forms to be an essential part of the
ontological project of Haneke.
In all the movies of Haneke, some of the common features have been repeated over
and over again. The first and the most common feature which is the part of all the
movies is the significance of depicting the minute details of the incident in the most
meaningful manner which may otherwise by meaningless. Lack of communication
among the characters is a very common trait being followed in all the movies.
Another common feature in all the films is the use of obsessive silence in the movie
which has represented another austeristic traits of the director. In each of the film
directed by Haneke, there is a silence which is against the general notion of the usual
movies. In spite of the silence being used in the movies, it is not peaceful. Instead the
silence depicted in Hakene‟s movies speaks about isolation, alienation and emptiness.
Thus it speaks about the void which is created into one‟s life after it gives the feeling
of nothingness.
Conclusion
Auteur is a theory which is widespread and is followed by many directors. It is
something which has given birth to an entirely new genre of movies. Something
which is unconventional, something which does not seem just to entertain the
audience and engrave them with the situation of fear or thrill.
Due to his auteur like vision Hakene has brought forward a number of critical issues
which are related to the modern society and has enhanced the importance of the
critical theory of auteurs. In this chapter we have investigated the theory of auteurs
and have found that how this theory has been implemented in the reel concept and has
been used for the process of film making. The study has been done on the study of
auteurs and its importance in movies.
In order to know that Michael Hakene was really an aueter it is important to know
about his life and achievements. Therefore, a short bio has been studied.
The research has been done to study that how Michael Hakene has implemented
auteurs theory in his film making and how can he be called as an auteur. We have
introduced some of the characters represented by the auteurs and have investigated on

10. how has he been using this theory for his films (Bordwell,2003). An overview of the
latest films by Hakene has also been provided and the explanation has been given that
why is he called an auteur. This research essay provides a clear insight of how the
well-known director Michael Hakene was known as an auteur.
References
Bordwell, D. and Thompson, K., 2003. Film History: An introduction. 2nd
ed. New
York: McGraw Hill.
Crofts, S.,1998. Authorship and Hollywood. In The Oxford guide to film studies, edited
by J. Hill and P.C. Gibson, pp. 310-324. Oxford: Oxford University Press..
Elsaesser, T.,2010. Performative Self-Contradictions: Michael Haneke’s Mind Games,
in A Companion to Michael Haneke, ed by R. Grundmann. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Parts of it also available from a speech of Elsaesser on Michael Haneke for BFI,
available from: http://www.bfi.org.uk/live/video/147
Grundmann, R., 2007. Auteur de Force: Michael Haneke’s “Cinema of
Glaciation”. Cineaste, 33(2), pp. 3-9.
Hill, J., and Gibson, P.C., eds., 1998. The Oxford guide to film studies. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Pramaggiore, M., and Wallis, T., 2008. Film: a critical introduction. 2nd
ed. London:
Laurence King Publishing.
Walker, E., 2010. Hearing the silences (as well as the music) in Michael Haneke’s
films. Music & the Moving Image, 5(3), pp.1-10.
Haneke, M. (2010). Violence and the Media (pp. 575-579). Wiley‐Blackwell.
Sorfa, D. (2006). Uneasy domesticity in the films of Michael Haneke. Studies in European
Cinema, 3(2), 93-104.
Speck, O. C. (2010). Funny frames: the filmic concepts of Michael Haneke. Bloomsbury Publishing
USA.
Grundmann, R. (Ed.). (2010). A companion to Michael Haneke. John Wiley & Sons.
Price, B., & Rhodes, J. D. (Eds.). (2010). On Michael Haneke. Wayne State University Press.