Auteurism, in essence, is a theoretical belief discussed and critiqued by cinephiles that explores a director’s influence on their own films. In other words, “the auteur was the artist whose personality was ‘written’ in the film.” It gave credence to the imagination of the director and explored their unique and personal interpretation of a story. The theory gained traction in the 1950s, woven in to the pages of Cahier du Cinema, where the concept of the auteur began being discussed by the French New Wave. Auteur theory was formerly considered as a means to identify the author that wrote the script but, in time, the French critics broadened their scope of discussion to examining as a whole the influence of the artist that created the film. Widely considered as the best-known film theory it is hardly surprising to be asked to discuss it in terms of the best-known national cinema. Hollywood’s unceasing advancement in film and television has led to the emergence of some of the greatest auteurs of all time. Individuals that have not only left their marks on their films but in doing so have left a mark on the camera reel of history.
In considering the role that auteurism has played we must begin by exploring the past, and the directors that have shaped the Hollywood as we know it. Men such as Walt Disney, Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock played crucial parts in determining the precedents set for their successors. It’s fair to say that Walt Disney paved the way for animation – his endearing and courageous characters captured the hearts of children across the world for generations. It is also fair to say that the character of Mickey Mouse may well be one of the most iconic children’s characters of all time. It is clear to see that the projection of personality in to his work is the source of Disney’s success. Renowned by his fans as “a beloved purveyor of innocent imagination, uplifting fantasy, and moral instruction,” and like a true auteur, these attributes can be found in the characters he produces. In any case, the roll Walt Disney had in cementing the concept of auteurism was crucial and through his work he became a figurehead for recognition of good directorship.
Aueteurism defines not only the director’s input on the personality of a film’s characters but also on the genre of the film. Charlie Chaplin’s unparalleled ability to inspire a comedic tone in the majority of his films is a perfect example of an auteur. Kyp Harness believes that there is no one “more accomplished, more supernaturally gifted and ethereally graceful, more sublimely comical and connected to the root and heart of all laughter than Charlie Chaplin.” A man so dedicated to his art form that critics across the globe hailed him as a genius , and continue to do so. To explore the role auteurism had in Hollywood it therefore becomes essential to research Chaplin’s impact. From the outset of his career Chaplin was challenging social perceptions. His first feature film The Tramp focuses on the inequity of the class system. As Chaplin, himself, was brought up in poverty and hardship, it is clear to see that his personification of the tramp was personal. Becoming a prime example of an artist’s perspective shining through in to his work, The Tramp was a forerunner for a discussion about unfair perceptions. At the time of production in 1914 a tramp was considered a villain – a pest to society. However, through Chaplin’s persuasion the audience doesn’t react as they usually would but instead becomes endeared and enthralled by this mischievous character. Even a modern audience, accustomed to direct humour and clear-cut dialogue, can appreciate the silent buffoonery of his character. Lovable and fascinating, Chaplin incredibly “came to win the audience's sympathy for an unlikely leading man.” His impact on Hollywood was incomparable. “He had full body control, and his gestures – the mere flick of his fingers, the tiniest glint of his eye – conveyed more thought and emotion than pages of dialogue from the most profound of writers.” Not only could he alter the emotions of his audience through his body language, but he could directly in-force a new viewpoint on real-life matters. Simply, his role in Hollywood and in the inclusion of an artist’s own attitude cemented his name as being one of the greatest auteurs of all time.
If we are to discuss the directors influence on their films, we must examine their overall involvement. To submerse oneself in one’s work would be considered essential in producing a piece indebted with one’s personality. In short, to become an auteur a director can’t merely direct. They need to involve themselves deeply with various other aspects of production. Alfred Hitchcock, possibly one of the most famed directors of all time, was a major proprietor of this. He took a key creative role in every area of his films production: from sets and costume, to script, cinematography and editing, and music. This concept was unusual in the studio system of the time where most directors simply acted as stage managers rather than artists. Hitchcock, however, was anything but a mere stage manager. He controlled the entire outcome of his films and for it left a very distinct signature on each one. It is also a belief that an auteurs films are not radically different from one another; they portray the certain traits of their director and in doing so, usually, show an abundance of similarities. We can see this with Hitchcock’s dark and twisted stories. With films such as Psycho, The Birds and Vertigo, it is clear to see that he has a certain thematic preference. Such films “leads us to the culminating fact of Hitchcock’s universe: the transcendence of physical conflict over psychological and even moral confrontation of evil.” His psychological drama’s make it very clear that he had a major focus surrounding the “tension between order and chaos…[and] this helps explain the perceptual and emotional properties of his films.” That being said, it is obvious that Hitchcock is the definition of an auteur. The definition of a director that pours so much of his personality in to every single one of his films and in doing so, has created some of the greatest pieces of our generation.
To develop an understanding of how auteurism had a role in Hollywood we have to explore its legacy. It certainly isn’t enough to just initiate a new way of thinking but there is a need to facilitate it in order to leave a lasting impact. With a new-found leniency brought about by the New Wave and the collapse of the Hayes Code, directors found it easier to truly express themselves for their art. This advanced approach to film-making has only gained traction over the years and can be seen to be implemented throughout modern cinema. A man whose work is deeply interesting in exploring this idea is Tim Burton. His films such as Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, all follow such a clear thematic path. These dark and twisted fantastical horrors exemplify Burton’s eccentricity and in doing so, perfectly showcase his personality. Burton even said himself, “movies are like an expensive form of therapy for me.” Simply, concreting the idea that he pours his personality on to the screen and, thus, becomes a clear-cut candidate for an auteur of the New Wave.
A director that, without doubt, has become the modern-day example of an auteur is Wes Anderson. His distinctive visual style with “a high degree of formalism (emphasising colour, line, shape and texture) informs his films. Every shot is carefully staged and arranged, and the periphery of the frame is just as important to what’s occurring in its deep centre.” Deeply interested by the camera’s ability to skew an audience’s perception, “what Anderson creates visually in his films is a magical realist world in which adult characters are in part rendered youthful or juvenile simply by the childlike brushstrokes that better paint their arrested lives.” It seems, however, that in doing this Anderson tends to value the style of his films over their substance.
This prospect of contention is not an issue for another New Wave example of auteurism – being the Coen Brothers.
“As filmmakers, Joel and Ethan Coen find a sweet spot between technical and thematic predictability and subversive originality. There are many visual approaches, character archetypes and themes that link their films, yet they still manage to construct works that are original and unpredictable, especially when those works are expected to fit inside the mould of a certain genre.”
Their 1991 film, Barton Fink, exemplifies this notion. It’s original visual style and somewhat confusing narrative mesmerizes its audience. The mise-en-scene alone provides a distinctive foundation for the Coen Brothers; the Hotel Earle and its clear personification of Hell itself, lays the groundwork for this psychological drama. The heat, the desertion (we only ever see Barton, Charlie and the hotel employees), the motif that Chet comes up from the ‘underworld’ and the repetition of the number six in triplicate as Barton boards the elevator is paramount to the Hellish symbolism of the film. Adding to this, it seems as though as the buildings structure gets worse, (for example, the excruciating heat and the wallpaper peeling off the walls) as does Barton’s mental state. The heat could also be noted as a precursor for Charlie’s fiery departure. In regard to Charlie, the Coen Brothers truly persuade the audience to believe that he is just an every-day man, we even develop a level of sympathy for his plight. In the end, despite his killing streak and clearly maniacal behaviour this sympathy remains in the background, he has been built around us as a good man and, as is human nature, we want to believe this is so. It is interesting to develop this idea that an audience can be so easily manipulated by the effects of good directorship but in turn, I suppose it is a credit to their craft and a true mark of an auteur to be able to dictate the perceptions of their film.
To conclude the role auteurism had to play in Hollywood was paramount in the creation of new, original material. It gave a voice to directors and a personality to films. It could be argued that the whole concept of auteurism doesn’t suit Hollywood, and that you would find “stronger empirical connection to the more artisanal modes of filmmaking practise which characterize art and avant-garde cinemas.” However, in my opinion, the adoption of this theory by Hollywood in face of this adversity makes it even more impressive that individual creativity could persevere and blossom. A film without an auteur lacks clarity and resolve; it lacks heart. Therefore, I think the auteur theory has been the most beneficial concept in the advancement of film.