Week 11: Auteur Theory

The Auteur Theory1. a single “author” is the primary creative force behind a text
2. the body of work by that “author” expresses the author’s distinctive vision of the world
• Formalized by French cinephiles and critics of 1940s and 1950s
• Alexandre Astruc, Birth of a New Vanguard -- The Camera-Stylo (1948)
• François Truffaut, A Certain Tendency of French Cinema (1954)
• Challenged the prevailing view of the aesthetic superiority of European Cinema over American
• Focused on the artistry of Hollywood movie making
Oeuvre – the lifework of an artist

Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
• Born within a samurai family.
• Influence of father (military, disciplinarian), and brother Heigo (worked as a benshi – narrator for silent movies)
• Art/Literary influences: Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Van Gogh
• Japanese Cultural Influences: traditional theatrical forms of Kabuki, Noh

Sampling of Films Discussed/Explored:
• “Rashomon” (1950)
- Receives Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival (1951)
-Academy Award: Best Foreign Language Film (1952)
• “Seven Samurai” (1954)
- jidai-geki (period drama, heroic epics)
-heroism, sacrifice in war
-Great acting and realistic portrayal of the battle scene, especially for a 1950's film
• “Kagemusha” (1980)
-futility and waste of life in war
• “Dreams” (1990)
-Traditional fables/Buddhist stories
-Uses costumes of Noh & Kabuki theatre
-Influenced by West (Van Gogh)
-Strong metaphor of death throughout "dreams"; evil can be overcome by becoming one with nature

I have to say that even though the auteur theory exists, and directors like Kurosawa, Hitchcock and Eastwood are undeniably talented, I don't think it is fair to say that they are the sole proprietors of the success of their so called films. It takes an extremely large and talented team to make as good as movies as they do/did, and these "auteur's" would not be able to do it without the brains and man power of their team.