This document discusses whether film directors Jim Jarmusch and Tim Burton can be considered auteurs based on their films and filmmaking styles. It analyzes Jarmusch's films Permanent Vacation and Down by Law, noting his dark, nonlinear narratives and consistency in writing, directing, and editing his early films. It also briefly discusses two of Burton's films, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland, but finds little evidence that he solely wrote, produced, and directed his major films as an auteur would. The document concludes that while Jarmusch could be considered an auteur in his early career, he may not qualify as one based on his more recent, collaborative works.

1. RhysPainter
Unit 26 Assignment1
The Beacon School 64020
Unit 26: (Pre-Talking Heads Video Research)
Jim Jarmusch; is he an Auteur?
Within this video I will be discussing in detail whether the director, Jim Jarmusch is an
Auteur. But also, discussing the origins of the actual “Auteur Theory”. Two of the films in
which I will be talking about will be (Permanent Vacation and Down by Law), through this
analysis will help me to find whether his key characteristics make him a suitable candidate to
be an Auteur.
The overall theory on an Auteur dates back to The French New Wave, a revolution in film
making from in-between the 1958’s to the 1965. This is where directors, and people alike
started to think fully and differently about the ways of film, this would be by challenging the
different ways in which films were shot as well as what angles were being made, dialogue
and overall length of different shots. In terms of this subject the French would have been the
pioneers, as Jean-Luc Godard began to conduct films which did not follow the 3 act structure
which originally dominated, and still does dominate within the industry today. The three act
is a structure which is used within screenwriting that divides fictional narratives into three
parts (acts), this is often called the Setup, the Confrontation and the Resolution. Within the
film “A Bout de Souffle”, Godard describes the film as being at the end of the old cinema,
which destroyed old principles, rather than creating something brand new. And, having
watched the film myself, the overall context of the realism throughout the narrative, and its
shots and overall atmosphere throughout does defiantly show the new era in which Godard
intended to create. This also shows the way that Godard aimed, and thought, destroying the
old stereotypes in which the mainstream was run, American movies that dominated the time
and adding his own independence to add a twist. As his narratives are non-linear as well as
not adorning the 3 act structure which was used my many Hollywood movies. Due to this
new way of thinking, this opened a new door to the next generation of “Art House movies.”
Also spurring people to think differently in terms of films and to look deeper into the
different ways of film.
To my understanding of what an “Auteur Theory” is, would be simply the overall debate,
discussion as to the theory of who owns the rights to credit and own a film. Some could/
may argue that it is the script writer who in fact owns the rights, this would be as the ideas
for the film had come from the author’s hand, but on the other hand, some choose to argue
that the Director, or editor contains the rights of the film, as they have actually created the

2. RhysPainter
Unit 26 Assignment1
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film and developed the overall style and look for the release. In my opinion, it is a
collaborative process of the whole team, individual input towards the finish and how they all
have made the film, however to some respect I do agree that the Director should get the
overall credit for the film being made. And so that the others who helped with the film,
whether they are well known or not, depending on that would receive as much credit or not.
As for the individual input which is needed from the Director to ensure that he is an Auteur
would be whether he is making his own storyboards, writing his script, using the same
cinematographer that recreates the overall vision through the camera, using the same
editors as well as set designers for the same reasons etc.
"Auteur Theory | Filmmaking".
Jim Jarmusch, like Godard also thinks along the same lines; his movies intent are to make the
audience think in totally different ways compared to the mainstream ideas of movies. Due to
being one of the main directors this potentially provokes a lot of controversy for being an
Auteur, Jim Jarmusch was a revelation in the film industry. His unique and unorthodox
pushed him into being one of the most well-known film makers of the 80s. Working
alongside actors such as tom Waits, Jarmusch was well-known for his slow yet dark and often
twisted narrative within films. This is arguably one of the most important factors to debating
whether or not Jarmusch is an Auteur Director, as with the dark and often complicated,
confusing narratives; it causes different speculation that, without Tom Waits by his side,
would Jarmusch be as well-known as he is? Also would his style be the same?
One film which was conducted by Jarmusch, would be “A Permanent Vacation”, Jarmusch’s
first film, this clearly shows his dark and twisted tendencies as the storyline is based upon a
character who is surrounded by Mental Illness, within a town with no prospect, the overall
atmosphere of the film is just pure dark, depressing and sparks some key questions about
life within the viewer’s brain. And to some perspective, engages the viewer to more than
what of a normal 3 act film, as Permanent Vacation follows the non-linear structure. This
relates back to Jarmusch being an Auteur as in Permanent Vacation, Jarmusch edited, wrote
and directed the whole movie. Throughout the movie Jarmusch defiantly fits the “Auteur”
title as he souly owns the right to the film. However comparedto films such as 2down By
Law” Jarmusch did direct the movie and write, however there were other producers who
worked alongside him on the film and a lot of other cast and crew which contributed as a
whole. And, as Jarmusch grew, more and more writers as well as co-producers helped to
produce the film on a larger scale.
In terms of the Genre, Jarmusch doesn’t seem to fit within a specific one, as he can often drift
from crime to drama/ thriller. The two films which I have already looked at base upon Auteur
theory; Permanent Vacation and Down by Law, are two different styles, yet equally they can
both be similarly linked by their genres. P.V tends to be more of a drama/ thriller, as for the
tone it is darker and explores, what some audiences perceive as “disturbing” themes, such as
mental illnesses, war and famine. However when comparing to Down by Law, though in black
and white, this film is more lighter, and has different characters to uplift the overall mood as
well as a different structure. Yet still dark, Jarmusch’s characters are still there. Within A

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Permanent Vacation there wasn’t much use of editing, as the clips were roughly cut, lasting
longer than the one’s we see today. There are no use of special effects, however the colour is
not full, more de saturated, which shows the depth and darkness of the overall atmosphere
of the movie, and almost instantly sets the tone. This also links with the lighting of the movie,
as not a lot of lighting is used, yet it doesn’t have an effect on the tone. It is clearly based out
on location and there are what seems to be no night scenes within the movie. However, the
music and sound within the movie played for of an important role to that of the film, as the
music is generally disturbing, and keeps the theme of the movie being dark as it is linked to
certain scenes to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, especially within one scene, where the
main character ‘Alloysious walks to his home. Jarmusch adds the sounds of war over the top,
making the link to the history of the building, and this clearly upsets the character, which
tends to be what the film in ultimately based off.
However, when comparing to the editing within Down by Law, a classic black and white
crime film. Jarmusch tends to use a completely different approach in terms of technique and
structure to his film. With Down by Law it seems to be much older than Permanent Vacation
as it is filmed in black and white, and overall has the stereotype of the 80’s within New
Orleans. However, the overall editing is more effective and just smoother. Yet obvious that
the camera is not expensive, as some of the major shots within the film were still a little off-
putting. In terms of lighting, this didn’t really have a huge impact on the film as it was filmed
in black and white, which gave the film the style of a really old and nostalgic feel. With A
Permanent Vacation, this leans more towards sound and music which creates more of an
effect and sets the scene and develops the overall story in more depth. Thought Down by
Law was based more towards narrative and the progression of the character storyline.
To conclude on what I believe by looking through Jarmuschs history and finding out exactly
what an “Auteur” stands for, I personally do not believe that there is such a thing as one
person having 100% rights for owning the film, as it is mostly team effort. For Jarmusch,
within his early days would definitely account for being an Auteur but in recent years/days I
would say he isn’t one now.
(“Waits, Tom et al. "Down By Law (1986)". IMDb.)
Tim Burton; is he an Auteur?

4. RhysPainter
Unit 26 Assignment1
The Beacon School 64020
Tim Burton in previous and current years would arguably be one of the most famous
directors of our time, creating some of the most recognisable films. Burton’s films often
aligned to the darker side of things, he creates weird and also wonderful animations that
appeal generally to all ages. Within this section, I will be discussing whether Tim Burton
himself can be classed as an Auteur, I will be looking at two of his well-known films; Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland.
As I have previously mentioned a lot about what exactly the “Auteur Theory” is; much can be
said about Tim Burton and his success in determining whether he can be classed as an
Auteur. Tim Burton is a well-known for directing; whether this is due to his partnership with
Disney, or just creating his own unique twisted fantasies. Through research conducted into
the Director’s past films; there is little to no evidence which supports that he himself has
actually written, produced and directed films. On major films such as “Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory” as well as “Dark Shadows” different screen writers, and writers were
deployed in helping create his films. However, in one of his films “Nightmare before
Christmas” he did write, Burton did not in fact direct the movie. In terms of arguments for
Burton within the Auteur Theory, this tends to show and leans towards the overall fact that
the Auteur Theory does not exist, and in Burton’s case he as well as his team create what
seems to be the “Burton-style image”. Furthermore, these ideas lead to speculation. If Burton
is recognised fully on the fact for using more people as a team, then perhaps if you were to
take that away, including the animations, such as Corpse Bride, would be as the public
recognise it as a Tim Burton film? One of the main indications within Burton’s films is simply
the fact that he generally tends to use the same two actors within his films who are Jonny
Depp as well as Helena Bonham Carter, often playing lead characters or supporting roles.
Without these two actors, would Tim Burton’s film be as good without them?
Tim Burton has a dark-style within many of his movies with a continuous theme. The dark
themes are one of many key characteristics that identify that the movie is a Tim Burton film.
For example; his remake of Alice in Wonderland, this was quite different, yet an extreme
alternative to the original cartoon which was released in 1949. However, with a much darker
and overall scarier contrast. The characters have a wider, darker backstory; and the
continuation of the majority of them being “mad” in “Wonderland” – a strange world runs
throughout. When comparing to the cartoon version, Burton creates the idea of Wonderland
being more real as well as the characters more realistic.
Burton tends to follow the 3-act structure, as does very big Blockbusters shown on screen. It
flows; keeping the audience in their seats and entertained, even when setting the scene and
plotting for the movie. There is a start, which flows to two plot-twists, before ending in a
climax, and then a resolution. The genre of this particular film however is not set as a specific
genre, like a lot of movies which are being created; they are often hybrid, which generally
means that its two genres mixed together. And as for Alice in Wonderland, it is fantasy mixed
with action. The editing within this film is dark which makes the animation rather realistic.
The style of editing especially for Tim Burton’s films is consistent. Continuity edits-the editing
made within the film is almost seen as invisible, which makes the film flow in time with the

5. RhysPainter
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story as well as narrative, one scene flows perfectly along with the next. The shots in which
were used are very stereotypical for a big Blockbuster; big close ups to make a point or even
create tension. For example, when the Mad-Hatter is “angry” or a close up on a character
when trying to make a point. However, most of the shots are fairly moderatedopened pan,
which gives the viewer more of a perspective view of the world in which the characters are in,
and sets the scene. The lighting, music and sound is also key as it has to link to the edit;
Burton uses a lot of light to signify where the themes could instantly change to dark. The
music is there to make tension, dramatic sounds, adding texture of sound and overall there
to create a better viewing experience for all. However, the music used is very dramatic, and
upbeat. It doesn’t tend to be slow, and relaxing; which adds to the overall experience which
is given off by the movie. Overall, with these factors in place I feel they give Burton’s films
the typical dark-feel and creates one of the main features that we recognise.
This being slightly crazed and the darkness can also be shown within his other famous
remake “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. This version tends to be slightly darker; again
with the use of better effects and presenting itself to all ages; as it generally contains
humour, as well as dark themes that the older generation would enjoy. However, in
comparison to the original film which was entitled “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”.
The original film was directedby “Mel Stuart” which was more based for children, the themes
were lighter and although “Willy Wonka” was seen as quite an angry character, he was very
much happier; than Jonny Depp’s version that hit the screens in 2005. Comparing them both,
I have been able to find that even the children within the original had lighter backstories that
the film in which Tim Burton had remade. Similar to the film Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory also follows the same 3-act structure, as previously mentioned this is
present within all of Tim Burton’s films, same with editing, lighting, music and sound; which
often disorientating music and weird sounds are used with some of the crazier character, this
generally links in with the dark themes, characters and the general atmosphere which is
portrayed from his movies. However the genre for this movie, like with Alice in Wonderland
is a hybrid of other genres. Though this movie is more of a children’s fantasy/ comedy; there
is a theme and sense of action and adventure, like Alice in Wonderland feature in both films.
And once more, the overall choice of shots are very similar to Alice in Wonderland as when a
point is made for example when “Willy Wonka” makes a joke which is funny, the camera
zooms in.
On the other hand, Burton is more well-known for his animation movies such as
Frankenweenie, Corpse Bride and Nightmare before Christmas. All of these three individual
movies share things in common; Clay and computer animation. To add to this, Burton’s
natural dark and twisted style and odd-almost Halloween-themed characters; this creates
Burton’s unique styles to his movies. This factor generally is one of the most important
reasons as to why we recognise those films. As I mentioned previously if you were to take
away the natures, would you recognise Burton’s films as his own?
With the evidence provided I feel and believethat Tim Burton can call himself an “Auteur” as
he has a unique way of creating his own stories and adding his own unique themes and

6. RhysPainter
Unit 26 Assignment1
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many other little factors such as clay animation, the actors in which he chooses and the
overall theme he uses to make his films stand out from the rest. However, in relation to the
Auteur Theory, he doesn’t fit with it specifically; as he doesn’t often write, direct and produce
the films. But due to this it has made me believe that the auteur theory does not exist, as it is
overall a team project to make and finish a film. And to create something as unique as Tim
Burton does, it requires more than one person to help create his way of filming/ films. In
conclusion to this I have explored there Auteur Theory and whether it does or does not
apply. However, when looking deeper into whether Tim Burton is an Auteur as he chooses
the directors and writers in which he wants for his films which he knows will be able to put
across his artistic vision. If Tim Burton were to not make the remakes of Alice in Wonderland
and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, would they have been portrayed in the same way? As
Tim Burton chooses his team to work alongside him he knows exactly what he wants to
portray within his films and who exactly will help him do that. In the remake of Beauty and
the Beast if Tim Burton were too had directed or been a part of the production team, would
the film not of had looked like a Tim Burton film?
Burton, Tim et al. "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005)". IMDb.
Burton, Tim et al. "Alice In Wonderland (2010)". IMDb.
Bower, Dallas et al. "Alice In Wonderland (1949)". IMDb.
Stuart, Mel et al. "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)". IMDb.
Comparison:
When comparing Jarmusch and Tim Burton, they are both very similar in terms of the line of
themes, they are both dark-aligned and both tend to explore the darker nature to films; as
madness and crazed characters tend to be prominent features within both of their films.
However, their genres are seen to be quite different. Jarmusch doesn’t really tailor for
children, as there are heavy adult themes going on throughout his films, and the subjects in
which they are based off are generally not for children. His genres links to drama and
thrillers. An example of this would be Down by Law as it could be classed as a dramatic
thriller, and also especially A Permanent Vacation. Although it is possible to argue that Down
by Law could also be classed as being within the genre of ‘crime’. And this generally goes for
all films; recently, majority of the films tend to be a mixture, a hybrid of often more than one
specific overall genre; as this method generally makes films more entertaining as well as
appealing to the audience. However, within the French new wave, and especially around the
80’s it was more common for a specific film to generally stick to just one specific genre,
rather than mixing more than one genre together which would make a movie a hybrid.
On the other hand, in terms of Tim Burton’s genres, they tend to be very mixed where
comparing against Jarmusch. Burton tends to tailor for all needs; and it does generally

7. RhysPainter
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appeal towards children, for example within Alicein Wonderland and Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory they both are tailored towards younger audiences, however they do also
appeal to wider audiences such as adults as well as teenagers as of the more darker and
crazed side of things within the films. Burton’s however, are still generally classed as Thrillers;
yet Horror and Comedy both seem to meld well together with Burton’s but also in general
his movies are easy to understand. Whereas when comparing with Jarmusch’s films,
Jarmusch required more of a mature audience to generally be able to understand his films in
more depth and to be able to keep the interest up. This shows overall that he aims to a more
specific target audience, whereas with Burton he tailors towards all ages.
Based upon this research, I do believe that Burton is farly more advanced in terms of all of
his movies and just the general movie making process itself. However I do take into mind
that the time difference is there and I believe that Burton was more realistic in terms of his
overall themes and creativity of the remakes of films as well as his new films, where with
Jarmusch this leans towards more, different tendencies.
Bibliography:
"Auteur Theory | Filmmaking". Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 5 Apr. 2017.
https://www.britannica.com/art/auteur-theory
Waits, Tom et al. "Down By Law (1986)". IMDb. Web. 5 Apr. 2017.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090967/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm7
Burton, Tim et al. "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005)". IMDb. Web. 6 Apr. 2017.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367594/?ref_=nv_sr_3
Burton, Tim et al. "Alice In Wonderland (2010)". IMDb. Web. 6 Apr. 2017.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Bower, Dallas et al. "Alice In Wonderland (1949)". IMDb. Web. 6 Apr. 2017.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042189/?ref_=fn_al_tt_8
Stuart, Mel et al. "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)". IMDb. Web. 6 Apr. 2017.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/?ref_=nv_sr_1