TCF112/Auteur Theory

France, post-WW II (1945-)

• US films released in France, part of new explosion of film interest.
• Three Godfathers of Auteur Theory
  1. Henri Langlois
     • Cinématheque Française
     • Film screenings provided film education
  2. Alexandre Astruc
     • Critic
     • Caméra Stylo (stylus)
     • "camera pen"
  3. André Bazin
     • Founder/editor of Cahiers du Cinéma
     • Realist theorist
     • Nurtured young Cahiers critics who would become directors in the New Wave (Nouvelle Vague)
       • Included: Jean-Luc Godard, Eric Rohmer (edited Cahiers), François Truffaut
     • Truffaut: "A Certain Tendency in the French Cinema" (1954)
       • Attacked "Tradition of Quality"
       • Proposed "politique des auteurs"
         • "policy of the authors"
         • director = auteur/author
     • 2 types of directors
       1. Auteur
       2. Metteur-en-scene

Auteurism in US

• Andrew Sarris, "Notes on the Auteur Theory" (1962)
• Two Principles of Auteurism
  1. Director = auteur of a film
  2. Film history should be seen as a history of auteurs.

Films by one director should show consistencies in theme/narrative/visual style.

• Sarris, 'The American Cinema' (1968)
  • Index of films/directors
  • Analyses of directors

Alfred Hitchcock

• Theme
  • "Master of Suspense"
  • Rational/order vs. Irrational/chaos
  • Wrong Man
    • Innocent appear guilty
    • Guilty appear innocent
    • Catholic guilt
  • Voyeurism
• Narrative Structure
  • "Wrong man" on the run, linked to a woman
• Style (visual/sound)
  • Extensive use of storyboards
  • High angle
  • National Landmarks
  • Promoted own image
    • E.g., In famous cameos