Auteur

Auteur Theory

What is Auteur?

• Someone who makes a signature contribution to a film
• Someone who has a recognisable creative fingerprint
• Someone who is credited as 'author' of a film
• Someone who's aesthetics choices are recognisable in a film

What makes an auteur?

• An auteur is recognisable by the artistic or aesthetic choices they make
• Aesthetic choices cannot be seen through one film but a whole body of work
• An auteur work always has a deeper personal or interior aspect to it, such as - themes they explore, types of characters that fascinate them or particular relationships that they return to time and time again

Identifying features of an auteur

Any use of film form can be used by auteur's to create specific aesthetics

• Particular use of cinematography
• Particular use of sound
• Particular setting or location
• Specific aspects of mis-en-scene

Characteristics of Orsan Welles (OW) Aesthetic

• The use of - deep focus, wide angles, deep staging, real location settings, diegetic sounds, use of locals in scenes, poetic realism, long shots with no edits e.g opening of double indemnity.
• OW did not like shooting close ups except for BCUs which were distorted by wide angle lens to give unsettling effect
• Use of surreal and distorted reflections to create a feeling of unreality e.g funfair and hall of mirrors scene.

Aesthetic Disputes and Control

• The studio (Columbus) took control of 'Lady from Shanghai' and inserted many closeups against OW's wishes
• Also inserted sound stings against OWs wish
• Forced OW to return from location of film and reshoot the opening scene of LFS in a studio setting. (OW hated the opening scene)
• Hall of mirrors and funfair scene was drastically cut as Columbia thought the audience would be put off by distortion