2. Auteur theory was developed in 1962 by Andrew
Sarris, although it has been influencing filmmakers since
Francois Truffaut advocated it in 1954. This theory is the
concept of a director imposing his own style and
personality on a film.
Their films will be clearly recognised as theirs as the
ongoing themes and motifs are easily distinguished from
other filmmakers.
They will have a distinct style that runs through most of
their films and in some cases, the visual elements will
convey the film more successfully than the narrative;
camera shots, lighting, mise-en-scene and scene length
all work to create this.
3. Andrew Sarris drew on the viewpoints of cinema
enthusiasts who argued that a director’s vision and style
should be reflected in their creations
Francois Truffaut said that directors should use mise-enscene to imprint their vision and technique
Andrew Sarris believed that a director must “accomplish
technical competence in their technique, personal style
in terms of how the movie looks and feels and interior
meaning”
Examples of directors who support auteur theory are
Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and David
Fincher, although the most obvious of modern
filmmakers is Tim Burton.
4. ALFRED HITCHCOCK
"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it."
Alfred Hitchcock is famously known for being an auteur. He is
known as the “master of mystery and suspense” and his films
always have a distinct style. His use of camera angles,
elaborate editing and soundtrack to add suspense are
featured in all of his films. His attention to detail means a lot
of focus is put on inanimate objects.
The themes in his films work to make the audience feel
uncomfortable and unnerved; “ the latent homosexuality of
Strangers on a Train, the parody of an Oedipus complex in
Psycho and the traumatic remembrance of repressed
memories of Marnie”.
The representation of psychological features in his films are
apparent, from the mental disorder of dissociative identity
disorder in Psycho to the mistaken identity in The Thirty -Nine
Steps.
5. ALFRED HITCHCOCK
However, the most famous element that makes Hitchcock an
auteur is the amount of cameo appearances he makes in his
films – meaning it’s truly a Hitchcock film.
6. TIM BURTON
Tim Burton is an obvious example of a modern director who
supports auteur theory. His films are easily recognisable as
they tend to feature the same actors, characters and
atmosphere.
Many of his films feature an outstanding character who
doesn’t fit in with society, e.g. Edward Scissorhands,
Beetlejuice, Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before
Christmas and Batman.
He regularly uses Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp
to star in his films, whilst Danny Elfman usually composes
the soundtrack
He is also known for using stop motion animation in many
of his films, all of which have a distinct gothic feel; The
Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Coraline and
Frankenweenie are examples of this.
