Auteur Directors

[EMO_of_LiGHT]

I am currently enrolled in a college course analizing the works of Alfred Hitchcock using Auteur Theory. We've just recently gotten an assignment where we must analize a different directors work using said theory, but when I resolved to start working on it, I couldn't force myself to pick one director out of the many astoundingly exelent auteurs out there. Can anyone recomend their favorate Auteur Director and say just what exactly is so awesome about them so that I can make up my mind?

 

[tigermilk]

Scorsese: Visual motifs (common red glow) that can be linked to him being a fan of the work of Carvaggio. His catholic upbringing often comes through in his work, as does his outsider status which also reflects his childhood/adolesence.

Kubrick: Reoccuring motif of individual against a far greater power.

I'm looking intodoing my MA thesis on auteur theory but would rather not go into details of my choice of director.

Have you had to read Foucault or Barthes on authorship, both well worth reading if you are looking for literary sources for discussions of authorship.

EDIT: What directors have you been thinking about?

 

[EMO_of_LiGHT]

Scorsese: Visual motifs (common red glow) that can be linked to him being a fan of the work of Carvaggio. His catholic upbringing often comes through in his work, as does his outsider status which also reflects his childhood/adolesence.

Kubrick: Reoccuring motif of individual against a far greater power.

I'm looking intodoing my MA thesis on auteur theory but would rather not go into details of my choice of director.

Have you had to read Foucault or Barthes on authorship, both well worth reading if you are looking for literary sources for discussions of authorship.

EDIT: What directors have you been thinking about?

I haven't read those, but I'll give them a look.

I've actually thought of Kubrick and Scorsese, along with Tim Burton, Clint Eastwood, Hayao Miyazaki, Akira Kurosawa, Ed Wood, M. Night Shayamalan, Mel Brooks, Milos Forman, and John Hughes, just to name a few.

 

[tigermilk]

Of the ones I am familiar enough with to offer an opinion they look like good choices, evidence enough for any of them to be cited as auteurs. Personally I would die of boredom writing about John Hughes, but each to their own I suppose. Russ Meyer, John Carpenter and Woody Allen may be worth considering all have multiple contributions to their films. For example Woody Allen scripting and starring in a number of his films means his creative input is far more pronounced. Also arguably all Russ Meyer films are pretty much the same so you know pretty much immediatly you are watching a Russ Meyer film. Tarantino of course is a very obvious choice.

 

[EMO_of_LiGHT]

Of the ones I am familiar enough with to offer an opinion they look like good choices, evidence enough for any of them to be cited as auteurs. Personally I would die of boredom writing about John Hughes, but each to their own I suppose. Russ Meyer, John Carpenter and Woody Allen may be worth considering all have multiple contributions to their films. For example Woody Allen scripting and starring in a number of his films means his creative input is far more pronounced. Also arguably all Russ Meyer films are pretty much the same so you know pretty much immediatly you are watching a Russ Meyer film. Tarantino of course is a very obvious choice.

I know what you mean about Meyer's films. Hitchcock and Miyazaki have also been repeatedly accused of making the same movie over and over again, but they do a good job anyway, so I may not mind all that much. I leaning toward Forman right now, since I don't think anyone else in my class will think of him.

 

[tigermilk]

Of the ones I am familiar enough with to offer an opinion they look like good choices, evidence enough for any of them to be cited as auteurs. Personally I would die of boredom writing about John Hughes, but each to their own I suppose. Russ Meyer, John Carpenter and Woody Allen may be worth considering all have multiple contributions to their films. For example Woody Allen scripting and starring in a number of his films means his creative input is far more pronounced. Also arguably all Russ Meyer films are pretty much the same so you know pretty much immediatly you are watching a Russ Meyer film. Tarantino of course is a very obvious choice.

I know what you mean about Meyer's films. Hitchcock and Miyazaki have also been repeatedly accused of making the same movie over and over again, but they do a good job anyway, so I may not mind all that much. I leaning toward Forman right now, since I don't think anyone else in my class will think of him.

i was going to say if you want your essay to stand out you may want to steer away from Tarantino and possibly Kubrick and Scorsese in terms of the fact they will probably be used a lot (or not depending on the class, but they are obvious choices).

Forman of course there is the issue of American and "foreign" films to discuss, and 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest' being a much debated loved and hated literary adaptation means there is a lot of spectrum for discussion there.

 

[fullbleed]

Terry Gilliam would be good I think, there's always a very distinct and recognisable feel to his films in the mise-en-scene particularly the locations and costumes. Time Bandits, Brazil and 12 Monkeys would be a good place to start.

One could also argue Francis Ford Copolla, there's no denying that he's a great film maker and I think he's an auteur.

Guillermo del Toro as well could be considered in a similar vein to Terry Gilliam with very gothic styles to his films and a clear recognisable vision to all his films.

 

[EMO_of_LiGHT]

Of the ones I am familiar enough with to offer an opinion they look like good choices, evidence enough for any of them to be cited as auteurs. Personally I would die of boredom writing about John Hughes, but each to their own I suppose. Russ Meyer, John Carpenter and Woody Allen may be worth considering all have multiple contributions to their films. For example Woody Allen scripting and starring in a number of his films means his creative input is far more pronounced. Also arguably all Russ Meyer films are pretty much the same so you know pretty much immediatly you are watching a Russ Meyer film. Tarantino of course is a very obvious choice.

I know what you mean about Meyer's films. Hitchcock and Miyazaki have also been repeatedly accused of making the same movie over and over again, but they do a good job anyway, so I may not mind all that much. I leaning toward Forman right now, since I don't think anyone else in my class will think of him.

i was going to say if you want your essay to stand out you may want to steer away from Tarantino and possibly Kubrick and Scorsese in terms of the fact they will probably be used a lot (or not depending on the class, but they are obvious choices).

Forman of course there is the issue of American and "foreign" films to discuss, and 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest' being a much debated loved and hated literary adaptation means there is a lot of spectrum for discussion there.

Those are some of the reasons I'm really leaning towards using him. Another thing is that I actually speak his native Czech, so I could potentially do a more in depth analysis of his early work.

 

[tigermilk]

Of the ones I am familiar enough with to offer an opinion they look like good choices, evidence enough for any of them to be cited as auteurs. Personally I would die of boredom writing about John Hughes, but each to their own I suppose. Russ Meyer, John Carpenter and Woody Allen may be worth considering all have multiple contributions to their films. For example Woody Allen scripting and starring in a number of his films means his creative input is far more pronounced. Also arguably all Russ Meyer films are pretty much the same so you know pretty much immediatly you are watching a Russ Meyer film. Tarantino of course is a very obvious choice.

I know what you mean about Meyer's films. Hitchcock and Miyazaki have also been repeatedly accused of making the same movie over and over again, but they do a good job anyway, so I may not mind all that much. I leaning toward Forman right now, since I don't think anyone else in my class will think of him.

i was going to say if you want your essay to stand out you may want to steer away from Tarantino and possibly Kubrick and Scorsese in terms of the fact they will probably be used a lot (or not depending on the class, but they are obvious choices).

Forman of course there is the issue of American and "foreign" films to discuss, and 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest' being a much debated loved and hated literary adaptation means there is a lot of spectrum for discussion there.

Those are some of the reasons I'm really leaning towards using him. Another thing is that I actually speak his native Czech, so I could potentially do a more in depth analysis of his early work.

That would certainly add something, perhaps asking questions of an auteurs vision when subtitles/dubbing (looking at it from a solely English speaking perspective) are used is hindered. Namely often exact sentences can't be translated from one language to another. Also as you say he is a director unlikely to be used. Can't say I am familiar enough with his work to cite any authorial traits.

 

[tigermilk]

Off topic I know, but it is just coming up to 10pm here, I have a fuckload of reading on auteur theory and authorship for a seminar tomorrow (5 articles each about 40 pages including a piece by the not exactly accessible Foucault) I am tired I have been preparing all day for a job interview tomorrow. Well this is what I get for leaving things to the last minute and just wanted to whine about it and this seemed an appropriatte place!

 

[thylasos]

I personally think Vēra Chytilová and Du?an Makavejev are pretty awesome.