Why the auteurist theory has become so important to film analysis - Essay Example

?Running Head: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Discussion Questions Discussion Questions 7. Much in the same way people have favorite who create certain expectations from their writing, we have the auteurist theory in film. Explain why the auteurist theory has become so important to film analysis. What are some arguments against auteurist theory? How does auteurist theory affect the way that films are marketed? How does it affect the way that films are analyzed by critics and audiences? Please use an actual film/director/marketing campaign to illustrate your points. The theory of auteurism has been viewed as a one of the most useful approaches to writing about films. Simply put, the auteurist theory in cinema is based on the idea that there should be identified a single creator of the film, with his own visionary approach – just as we identify an author for any work of art or literature. While within the auteurist theory film critics attempt to identify the film’s author, the theory also aims at to study the whole body of work produced by one specific author, like, for example, studies devoted to Alfred Hitchcock. While critics of the second half of the 20th century recognized the theory very useful due its librating effect – it allowed applying their initially naive suggestions about the role of authorship in a particular movie, it has acquired a more post-structural shape of late. To illustrate, within the latter the auterurist theory allows examining the work of a certain director not as the expression of his genius, but as the site where a biography encounters a historical moment, an institutional context, and, lastly, an intertext (Stam & Miller, 2000, p.6). The usefulness of this theory is also determined by its practicality since it requires focusing on just one person. One of the major arguments against the auteurist theory is that it is believed that movies have nothing in common with any other form of arts, e.g. paintings. Rather they are viewed as results of collaborative efforts by a number of artists. It is argued that one person cannot be credited with so much influence and importance that he/she is recognized the sole author of a movie. Another argument is that it is virtually impossible to identify a sole author since critics are not a part of films’ development and assess the movie’s auteur by a mere guess. Plus, the criticism of the auteurist theory deals with its suggested impact on boosting some director’s egos and reducing the role of input by other members of the crew. Therefore, the criticism may be rely too much on a personality of a director ignoring the contribution of other people. For example, in a marketing campaign of the Psycho film (1960), directed by Alfred Hitchock, it was mentioned that that was the film by Hitchcock, which was intended to make people see the movie, although the most famous scene in the film, the shower scene, has been recognized the result of creative collaborative work with Saul Bass. The Jaws is cited as a good example of the misunderstanding rooted in the auteurist approach. While the plot was conceived by Peter Benchley, an author of the related novel and a co-author of the screenplay (along with Carl Gottlieb), the film was shot by Bill Butler, edited by Verna Fidelis, and filled with compositions by Joh Williams, attributing the authorship of The Jaws to one single director seems unfair and not objective. Of course, “Steven Spielberg’s film” sounds goof for a marketing campaign, since it advertises the film by the use of the famous name, yet it is hard to disagree with Goldman who asks, “How in the world is Steven Spielberg the “author” of that? ” (Goldman, 1983, p.101). 8. After watching three of the ten movie clips listed in the Multimedia section, below, describe how they fit into a specific genre (or subgenre). What elements of the film are characteristic of that genre? How does it fulfill the expectations of that genre? How does it play against these expectations? I have watched two movie clips from the film The Mummy (1999) and one from The Psycho (1960). While The Mummy is believed to be both an adventure and a comedy horror film, it certainly displays features of these genres. The first clip I watched was the scene when three heroes find a sarcophagus, which is buried at the very base of Anubis. This extract is may be clearly referred to the adventure genre. The latter involves heroes’ explorations of some exotic location in a an active and energetic manner. In the clip, the location is truly exotic – it’s an archeological dig at the old Egyptian city of Hamunaptra. Besides, the whole dig is an adventure. As for the second clip, it is a “Goodbye Benny” scene, when the adventurers are trying to escape from the Imhotep’s palace which is about to entrap them. In this clip, the genre of adventure is complemented by some horror elements, especially when Benny faces millions insects ready to attack him. Besides, the scene obviously has a touch of comedy. A comic element is Benny’s facing an insect in a closed palace: the signal it makes and Benny’s reaction in particular. Just to draw a parallel, horror films seek to evoke the emotions of fear or any other negative emotions, which is the case in the scene with the insects. What I actually felt was not just fear, but an overwhelming sense of disgust. As for comedy, it, on the contrary, aims to evoke laughter due its comic elements. Presumably, at the moment when the first insect “greets” Benny and, afterwards, when he turns his head and sees the swarms of them approaching him, one should have laughed, looking at Benny’s face. Yet, this scene was hardly comic for me, so the signal made by an insect, a suggested comic element, played against the genre of horror and, in my view, shouldn’t have been there. The third clip, the “Peeping on Marion” scene from the Psycho (1960) is evidently typical for a psychological thriller and an horror movie. It shows Norman peeping into the keyhole how Marion is undressing and putting on her bathrobe. The ominous music and the way his eye is shot in a close-up, as well as the clear difference between Norman’s trained and slow manner of peeping and Marion’s quick movements while she’s doing usual things suggest that something bad will happen and predict horror. Just as thriller films use the techniques of creating suspense and revolve around the danger faced by the protagonist, in the “Peeping on Marion” scene the elements of danger and suspense are evident. They really fulfill the expectations for the genre of a thriller. 9. Just as some books are preserved and regarded as having had obvious effects on society (such as Lolita, Lord of the Flies, and Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984), there have been a number of films that we look back upon which have clearly had cultural resonance, or became part of a social dialogue we’re perhaps still engaged with today . Our text tells us that “the impact of these movies is mostly unintentional” and that there is debate about whether the movies caused a societal shift, or if a change in the culture caused the movie to be created . The text also says that the exact nature of this exchange “is up to you to decide.” For this Discussion, please provide detailed examples of at least two films you have seen that you feel have either influenced society, or were directly influenced from an event that we collectively experienced. Keep in mind that some of the films are documentaries, and have different structures and intentions than a typical narrative film. The two examples of the films that I believe have had a direct impact on the society are the 2004 American documentary “Supersize Me” and the 1935 German documentary “Triumph of the Will” (“Triumph des Willens”). Directed by Morgan Spurlock, Supersize Me revolves around the effects of the experiment Spurlock carries on as he makes himself eat only McDonalds food three times a day for the whole month. Just as the experimental period comes to an end, it appears that Spurlock’s health has drastically deteriorated. He gained about 13 per cent of body mass, developed high levels of cholesterol, damaged his liver, etc. In addition, his psychological condition went worse as he started suffering from mood swings and depression. This film influenced thousands of Americans, in my view, for many of whom fast food is the first choice when hungry. They developed a more careful attitude to what they eat and how much they eat (Spurlock regularly ate supersize meals). In addition, Mc Donald’s appeared to develop a healthier menu with more emphasis on salads, calories, and health benefits. As for the second film, “Triumph of the Will”, it is a documentary whose primary aim is to promote Nazi principles. It’s a propaganda film that revolves around the idea of Germany becoming a strong state and Germans a unified and powerful nation. Directed by a German actress Leni Riefenstahl, it aimed at grouping Germans around a new Chancellor Hitler in the time of great political instability. It consists of many extracts of speeches that Hitler gave at various congresses, parades, etc, as well as images that promote the idea of politically unanimous, military strong Germany based on firm foundations of the Christian religion. The film was a great success in Germany, Austria, and even in France, USA, Sweden, etc. It certainly impacted the German society of that time, if to take into consideration Hitler’s success as a generally admired leader and the success of his party, which was not so popular before the film, among both young and older people. 10. 10- Reviews for movies are readily available through newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other print sources. Metacritic.com provides full reviews for a multitude of movies. Find a review for a film, preferably one that you have seen. How is the reviewer approaching the film. To what degree does the review acknowledge the public perception of the film? What evidence does each review provide to illustrate main points and claims? Do any words or phrases capture the essence of the reviewer’s attitude toward the film? Additionally, please share with the class exactly which sources you rely on, as a member of the general audience, to evaluate whether or not you will see a movie. I found a review of The Mummy (1999) published in the San Francisco Chronicle. The reviewer is approaching the film in a positive manner. It illustrates its strongest points with the emphasis on the comic nature of the movie. In particular, the performance of Brendan Fraser is assessed as successful: “he's got the flair and know-how to bring it off”; same about plot, and special effects. I have hardly found any references to public perception of the film, rather I have found the review to be aimed at forming the public opinion. To achieve his goal, the author uses a lot of illustrations from the film that may capture public attention, as well as direct quotes of the heroes’ words. He/she briefly summarizes the plot, and comments on the actors’ performance in a totally positive manner: “has a winning touch”, “takes advatage”, etc. I hardly found any criticism at all, except for, probably, the phrase “timeworn material”. It hints at the fact the mummy topic has already been widely explored in cinematography. Having read this review, one will definitely wish to watch “The Mummy”, since the whole review looks like a big advertisement. In my humble view, the reviewer should better put some truly critical remarks so that the audience could be prepared for seeing some things that are not so great (e.g. the overuse of special effects, or some unfitting phrases in the screenplay). References 1. Goldman, W. (1983) Adventures in the Screen Trade. New York: Warner Books. 2. Movieclips.com (2012) Retrieved from http://www.movieclips.com. 3. N.a. (1999) The Mummy: Comic Horror. San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/05/07/DD107278.DTL 4. Riefenstahl, L. (Director) (1935) Triumph of the Will. Retrieved from The Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com. 5. Spurlock, M. (Director) (2004) Supersize Me. Samuel Goldwyn Films. Retrieved from The Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com. Read More