Auteur theory

• Initially outlined by French film critic Francois Truffaut and Andre Bazin in the film journal Cahiers du Cinema
• It emerged in the 1960s
• It's the theoretical approach that says the director is the major creative force behind a film (auteur=author)
• Bazin and Truffaut (1950s)

  • Films should be celebrated for their innovative/stylised use of mise-en-scene, cinematography or sound
  • The director was the film's ultimate auteur
  • The auteur's individual stamp was often visible in films made by that director
• Andrew Sarris (1960s)

  • 'Auteur theory' coined by Sarris in 1962
  • Used it to describe directors working outside of the restrictive studio system and directors who remained faithful to the screenplay
• Three parts of Auteur theory:


  • Techniques- director must have a proficient command of the film medium
  • Personal style- should be a recognizable style or thematic consistency, as it makes them distinct
  • Personal meanings- should convey deeper, personal themes and insights about the human condition (characteristics and key events of the human life)