Director Auteur

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