Auteur theory
Andrew Sarris was an American film critic.He wrote notes on the ‘Auteur Theory’ in 1962 which he believes are the criteria to become a film auteur. Auteur theory is said to be the starting point of a film but it doesn't have one specific definition. According to sarris, an auteur has three central aspects as he believes a director must have. This essay will explain Sarris’ three central aspects and examine Alfred hitchcock’s film ‘Rear window’ (1954) to determine if Hitchcock is an auteur.
Andrew Sarris was a huge critic of the auteur theory. He argued there are three components to being a good director. These components are technical competence, personal signature and interior meaning. Sarris argues that an auteur must have
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It's the way a director expresses their personality visually through their film. This may be from immediately realising who the director is when watching a film through how the director thinks and feels. Sarris says “auteur theory is the only help for extending the appreciation of personal qualities in the cinema.” An example can be shooting scenes in straight on fashion like Wes Anderson, since most directors avoid this because it takes on a three dimensional feel. Therefore, that would be Anderson’s own personal signature as he is usually the only director that shoots scenes in straight on fashion. Another example is the director Zach Snyder. Snyder also has his own personal signature which is speed ramping. he changes the shot between slow motion, normal motion and fast motion. This is what makes each individual …show more content…
In Rear window, Hitchcock uses parallel editing to build suspense as the story of the film begins to unfold. An example of this is when Lisa breaks into Mr Thorwald's apartment to search for evidence, such as his wife's wedding ring to prove him guilty of murdering Mrs Thorwald. Lisa thought if Mrs Thorwald was alive, she would be wearing her wedding ring. The audience is scared for Lisa in case Mr Thorwald comes home into his apartment and catches her. They're frightened she might get murdered since the audience think Thorwald is capable of
In the film industry, there are directors who merely take someone else’s vision and express it in their own way on film, then there are those who take their own visions and use any means necessary to express their visions on film. The latter of these two types of directors are called auteurs. Not only do auteurs write the scripts from elements that they know and love in life, but they direct, produce, and sometimes act in their films as well. Three prime examples of these auteurs are: Kevin Smith, Spike Lee and Alfred Hitchcock.
What makes a producer’s style unique? How does a producer’s style distinguish itself from others’ styles? In Tim Burton’s imaginative productions, Alice in Wonderland, Edward Scissorhands, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, one is able to identify Burton’s distinct style when peeling back the layers of his films. Summarizing these films, in Alice in Wonderland, a young woman is transported to the mystical wonderland, where she must defeat the forces of evil along with a journey of self-discovery. Next, in Edward Scissorhands, an unfinished project is discovered and integrated into the everyday lives of people in a nearby suburban town. The film shows how Edward, an unfinished man, tries to live an ordinary life and make deal with his attraction towards Kim. Finally, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a story of a boy from an impoverished family who has come upon the chance to visit Mr. Wonka’s candy factory. In these three films, Burton’s cinematic style can be depicted through his frequent use of front and back lighting and low angles to show the opposing forces between good a...
...ormation of novel to film, sees Hitchcock’s responsibility as auteur. Suggesting Hitchcock as ‘creator’, attributes to Vertigo’s “perfection” (Wood, p.129) as Wood argues. Stylistic features known classically to Alfred Hitchcock movies is also what defines Hitchcock as a classic auteur, his style generates a cinematic effect which mixes effectively with his use of suspense. In returning to Cook’s discussion, she references Andrew Sarris, who argues that the “history of American cinema could be written in terms of its great directors,” (Cook, p. 411) showing the legitimacy of authorship in popular American cinema. Ultimately Cook goes on to address the changes in authorship from the 1950’s until today, featuring developments in authorship within Cinema. Overall, both Cook and Wood presented a balanced discussion on the legitimacy of Alfred Hitchcock’s auteur status.
The auteur theory is a view on filmmaking that consists of three equally important premises: technical competence, interior meaning, and personal signature of the director. Auteur is a French word for author. The auteur theory was developed by Andrew Sarris, a well-known American film critic. Technical competence of the Auteur deals with how the director films the movie in their own style. Personal signature includes recurring themes that are present within the director’s line of work with characteristics of style, which serve as a signature. The third and ultimate premise of the Auteur theory is the interior meaning which is basically the main theme behind the film.
Rear Window and the works of Hopper are both required with confinement. Disregarding its blended utilize land setting, Early Sunday Morning does not pass on a warm, fluffy feeling of group. In like manner, in Rear Window, the inhabitants of the lofts are confined from each other. Apartment Houses is additionally for the most part viewed as another antecedent to Rear Window. Large portions of Hopper's night settings portray scenes from New York City and Night Windows is no special case. The lady in this work of art is totally unconscious of the stage she is on and the front line situate its eyewitness involves. Its semi-sexual story is resounded in Rear Window, and it catches strikingly the experience of living in New York: the a large number
Rowe, Lawrence. "Through the Looking Glass: Reflexivity, Reciprocality, and Defenestration in Hitchcock's"Rear Window"." College Literature 35.1 (2008): 16-37.
An inner courtyard becomes a large stage that serves the director to show a portrait of human relationships. Angles and perspectives put the audience in a place where it is not normally found. Hitchcock with his camera can get in someone's personal life and invade their privacy. With Rear Window it makes the public more aware of itself as an observer. This displaces and transforms the public into a player into the action since across his look, the observer assumes the responsibility of the characters and believes an experience different from any other film of their
Stam, Robert & Pearson, Robertson., ‘Hitchcock’s Rear Window: Refluxivity and the Critique of Voyeurism’ in Deutelbaum, Marshall & Poague, Leland A. ed., A Hitchcock Reader (John Wiley & Sons: 2009).
The Alfred Hitchcock film; Vertigo is a narrative film that is a perfect example of a Hollywood Classical Film. I will be examining the following characteristics of the film Vertigo: 1)individual characters who act as casual agents, the main characters in Vertigo, 2)desire to reach to goals, 3)conflicts, 4)appointments, 5)deadlines, 6)James Stewart’s focus shifts and 7)Kim Novak’s characters drives the action in the film. Most of the film is viewed in the 3rd person, except for the reaction shots (point of view shot) which are seen through the eyes of the main character.(1st person) The film has a strong closure and uses continuity editing(180 degree rule). The stylistic (technical) film form of Vertigo makes the film much more enjoyable. The stylistic film form includes camera movements, editing, sound, mise-en-scene and props.
As a filmmaker, whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production, Alfred Hitchcock implied a great deal in the motion pictures that he made.
All directors of major motion pictures have specific styles or signatures that they add in their work. Alfred Hitchcock, one of the greatest directors of all time, has a particularly unique style in the way he creates his films. Film analyzers classify his distinctive style as the “Alfred Hitchcock signature”. Hitchcock’s signatures vary from his cameo appearances to his portrayal of a specific character. Two perfect examples of how Hitchcock implements his infamous “signatures” are in the movies, A Shadow of a Doubt and Vertigo. In these movies, numerous examples show how Hitchcock exclusively develops his imagination in his films.
minds of a new day, people waking up on a summer morning. We know it
Hitchcock has characteristics as an auteur that is apparent in most of his films, as well as this one.
Alfred Hitchcock’s unique sense of filmmaking and directing has allowed him to become a very famous and well known film maker of his time. He uses similar recurring themes, elements, and techniques in many of his films to engage the viewers in more than just the film, but the meaning and focus behind the story.
Think about your favorite movie. When watching that movie, was there anything about the style of the movie that makes it your favorite? Have you ever thought about why that movie is just so darn good? The answer is because of the the Auteur. An Auteur is the artists behind the movie. They have and individual style and control over all elements of production, which make their movies exclusively unique. If you could put a finger on who the director of a movie is without even seeing the whole film, then the person that made the movie is most likely an auteur director. They have a unique stamp on each of their movies. This essay will be covering Martin Scorsese, you will soon find out that he is one of the best auteur directors in the film industry. This paper will include, but is not limited to two of his movies, Good Fellas, and The Wolf of Wall Street. We will also cover the details on what makes Martin Scorsese's movies unique, such as the common themes, recurring motifs, and filming practices found in their work. Then on