For English, we are learning about Auteur theory and about directors who are auteurs
What is Auteur Theory?
There are three circles to the auteur theory, the first one is about the film techniques that are used to create a film. He states that this is not that important as “Technique is simply the ability to put a film together with some clarity and coherence. Nowadays, it is possible to become a director without knowing too much about the technical side, even the crucial functions of photography and editing. An expert production crew could probably cover-up for a chimpanzee in the director’s chair” (Sarris, 1962) and in his opinion, the way to tell if there is a chimpanzee in the director’s seat or a human being is watching more than one film that they have made and seeing the similarities between the movies and that leads us to the second circle.
The second circle is about the style of the director, this can be seen through all his movies. The idea of this is you can watch one movie and draw parallels to other movies the director has done in talking about the film Every Night at Eight Sarris states “if I had not been aware if Walsh in Every night at Eight, the crucial link to High Serra would have passed unnoticed. Such are the joys of the auteur theory.” (Sarris, 1962) any director can have recurring themes in his movies but it takes an auteur to put himself in the movie and use his life experiences to influence decisions and this leads us to the third and final circle of the auteur theory.
The third circle is -as Sarris mentions- interior meaning. “The corresponding role of the director may be designated as those of a technician, a stylist, and an auteur … In fact, the auteur theory itself is a pattern theory in constant flux. I would never endorse a Ptolemaic constellation of directors in a fixed orbit.” (Sarris, 1962) This shows that without the interior meaning, auteur theory isn’t complete. It’s to say that without putting your soul into the movie you have not become an auteur.
Sarris, A. (1962). Notes on the auteur theory in 1962. The Film Artist, 561-564.
This is a collaborative essay with Rosa Cameron of 13Ca.
The information shown above is from this site: https://dramaandfilm.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2011/06/Sarris-Notes-on-the-Auteur-Theory.pdf
