Is the tradition of the director as auteur in film-making coming to an
end? Is there room for individual style within modern film-making? - By Yoni Cohen, OUDF401
This essay will analyze if the traditional role
of the director as auteur in film -making is approaching the end of an era,
whether there is room for individual flow and style with film-making in todays
world, and compare the old and the new status of film artist in todays day and
age.
The term ‘Auteur’
is a French word used to describe an ‘Author’.
Like an author, the director of a film is solely responsible for the
copyright of the film itself. He/she has such a major influence into the theme
and ideas placed into the film created, it’s to be
considered original and only shaped by their ‘identity’. In the book ‘Fundamentals of Film Making’ it’s said ‘Directors who have consistent styles and
themes are called auteurs. As we have seen, a film crew involves many people
who contribute and influence the end product; however, auteur theory claims it
is the director who makes the crucial choices that determine the way the film
appears on the screen’. (Barnwell, J, 2008, 192). A director is considered
an artist, and artists interpret their own ideas, feelings and influences, and
mix it into a painting. However, it’s considered to be a lot more complex than
other types of work. ‘The relationship
between an artist and a work of art, is not as straight forward as the
relationship between a painter and a painting, or a write and a work of
literature’. (Sellors, CP, 2010, 7) This can be looked at in a number of
ways, for instance if the director has difficulty at his painting techniques or
writing skills, it may be less complex than writing a book. It is to be said by
the online dictionary of Merriam-Webster "a view of filmmaking in which the director is considered the primary
creative force in a motion picture."(Merriam-Webster, Author Theory, 2012) A car wouldn’t start
without it’s engine, and the engine wouldn’t be placed in the car by the
clicking of fingers. The director’s influence, organization and ideas maybe the
driving force of the film, but the film wouldn’t be created without it’s
engine.
Alfred
Hitchcock is a classic example of a director auteur. “Some of these directors have been given the status of auteurs, which
elevates them to ‘film artists’… Alfred Hitchcock… (And others)… have all, been elevated to this pinnacle of directional acclaim because
of the stamp of individuality each weaves into the fabric of his films”. (Sellors,
CP, 2010, 6) Hitchcock
was extremely well known during his time of film making and was utterly
convinced the audience were there to only view him. He made plenty of cameo
appearances mainly at the beginning of many of his films such as Lifeboat (1944), Rope (1948), Dial M for
Murder (1954),) and Family Plot (1976). “He eventually began
making his appearances in the beginning of his films, because he knew viewers
were watching for him and he didn't want to divert their attention away from
the story's plot.” (Alfred Hitchcock, Copyright ©
1990-2012 IMDb.com, Inc., online available at:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/bio) This shows that there was room for
individual style within film making at the time because towards the early parts
of the 1900’s it seemed extraordinary and almost un-heard of for a director to
be cameo in his/her own film. This shows Hitchcock placed his whole identity
into his films and virtually made his work, his.
The
background of auteur theory is that a group of cinema critics sat down and wrote
a famous French magazine called ‘Cahiers du cinéma’, who then went onto argue that the
directors personality should be reflected in his or her work for the audience
to see and feel. Hitchcock being one of the more well known crowned with the
title. Film criticism still goes on today and the debate of auteur theory is
one that isn’t set to die out. Since early 1950’s It’s been recognized that
movie making had been an ‘industrial process’. ‘However, they proposed an ideal to strive for,
encouraging the director to use the commercial apparatus as a writer uses a
pen, and, through the mise en scène, imprint his or her vision on the work
(minimizing the role of the screenwriter). Recognizing the difficulty of
reaching this ideal, they valued the work of directors who came close.’ (Author
Theory, Feb 2012, Wikipedia, online available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auteur_theory).
This ultimately allows more creative
freedom for the director but limits the roles in the structure of film-making. Yet
the downside of this can cause hidden roles and people receive less credit than
perhaps deserved.
On one hand, it can be argued that the
tradition of the director as auteur is coming to an end. One reason for this is
that an extremely influential film director, Clint Eastwood, tells us that over
the last 5 decades how his philosophy wouldn’t have worked with working on his
own. How there is very little room for individual style, “When I
went into directing,” he says,
“I brought to it the philosophy that a
director needs a lean, creative, hand-picked crew – large enough to do the job
but small enough so that everyone has a sense of participation and constant
involvement”. (Allison, D (Oct 2003) Clint Eastwood, online available
at: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/eastwood).
This context can be conveyed as Eastwood being humble and modest about his
work, knowing he’d worked with a lot of great people and has helped him and
been influenced down the road of success. It’s said that after only a couple
more films, Spielberg will be drawing a curtain on his film directing and
heading down the route of painting. Whilst he and Scorsese grow older it seems
their highlight in the film making business will eventually come to an end at
some point in the near future, and less films with the director auteur status
by the big guns are being released at a slower pace. “While two of the most famous directors of all time are reaching the end
of their careers (Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese), both are still coming
out with a film every few years.” (Glick, J (March 24 2011) Hollywood on the Hill David Fincher: The
Auteurs of Today online available at: http://www.maroon-news.com/arts-features/hollywood-on-the-hill-david-fincher-the-auteurs-of-today-1.2122640#.T3MF2pgs23V). Once the legends in
film-making stop directing, will there be few better movies than the likes of
Pulp Fiction, Avatar and Goodfellas?
On the other hand, it can be argued that
the tradition of the director as auteur isn’t coming to an end. There are many
reasons for this. This style of
consistency in director auteurs has followed the footsteps of Alfred Hitchcock
playing major roles in film making today. History tells us that we have always
had influential director auteur’s that are known all over the world, James
Cameron, Woody Allen, theres never been a period in time since the term
‘auteur’ came about that the director auteur has died out. Today, David Fincher is the latest director to be spoken
of reaching the pinnacle, and to achieve auteur status, joining the likes of Woody
Allen and Steven Spielberg. Taken from the same article by Josh Glick, he goes on to say, “Today's generation
of directors is filled with talent such as Matthew Vaughn, Wes Anderson, Darren
Arnofsky, Quentin Tarantino and Zack Snyder. The films that Tarantino has made,
whether it be Kill Bill or Inglorious Basterds, are each stamped
with his own style” Glick, J (March 24 2011) Hollywood on the Hill David Fincher: The Auteurs of Today online available at: http://www.maroon-news.com/arts-features/hollywood-on-the-hill-david-fincher-the-auteurs-of-today-1.2122640#.T3MF2pgs23V). However, whereas
Fincher, whose trade mark is known for his dark, low key lighting in his films
ending most the time with a killing, or attempted suicide. Christopher Nolan is
also regarded today on IMDB as one of the greatest directors today. His unique
and individual style would great him with the auteur status. By watching his
films It’s easy to tell, as he regularly ‘Begins his movies and introduces his main
characters with a close up of their hands performing an action.’ (IMDB, (Copyright © 1990-2012) Alfred Hitchcock, online available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/bio). It’s not a regular occurrence to see that in films but it works for
Nolan and that’s his style.
Overall, It’s easy to see why the question is being raised that director
auteurs are coming to an end. Not all great directors have their specific
individualities, there are so many great ideas floating around and when money is paid by a production company who have a vision but no
technical ability to produce a film, get hold of a script and treatment to hand
to a director, he almost becomes their puppet. Money talks a lot more nowadays
than it did when Hitchcock was running the shows. Many director auteurs sell
their scripts with themselves as they have the creative eye and desire to push
their movie in their vision with their identity. However, my opinion and
conclusion lay towards the fact there are still many great director auteurs
writing, thinking and currently shooting films, using techniques we are yet to
witness. With the likes of 3D and now 4D technology now available to us, plus
the softwares now installed for students, it’s only hard to think that the
influences of Nolan, Fincher, Cameron, Wolberg and many more wont be inspiring
so many people. In-fact, with TV and internet, I believe it’s only growing more
and more popular, and the traditional role of director auteur in modern film
making is far from drawing to a close.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Allison, D (Oct 2003) Clint Eastwood, online available
at: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/eastwood/, Accessed March 2012
Barnwell,
J (2008) Fundamentals of Film-Making, London: AVA
Ezra,
E (2000) Georges Melies, Manchester: Manchester University Press
Glick, J (March 24 2011) Hollywood
on the Hill David Fincher: The Auteurs of Today
online available at: http://www.maroon-news.com/arts-features/hollywood-on-the-hill-david-fincher-the-auteurs-of-today-1.2122640#.T3MF2pgs23V, Accessed March 2012
IMDB, (Copyright © 1990-2012) Alfred Hitchcock,
online available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/bio, Accessed March 2012
Krohn,
B (2010) Masters of Cinema; Alfred Hitchcock, Revised English Edition, Paris:
Cahiers du cinema Sarl
Merriam-Webster (2012) Author
Theory, online available at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auteur%20theory, Accessed March 2012
Purves, J, Christopher Nolan, online available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0634240/bio,
Accessed March 2012
Ryan, S,
(2009) Auteur Theory, online available at: (http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/siryan/screen/auteur%20theory.htm,
Accessed March 2012
Sellors,
CP (2010) Film Authorship Auteurs and Other Myths, London: Wallflower
Tebbetts, G, (Aug 26 2010)
Chiyoko, a film director is like a painter, online available at: http://animaybe.blogspot.com/2010/08/chiyoko-film-director-is-like-painter.html,
Accessed March 2012
Wikipedia, (May 2011) Auteur Theory, online available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auteur_theory,
Accessed March 2012
