AUTEUR FILMMAKERS

What does ‘Auteur’ Mean?

For those who don’t understand the term ‘Auteur’ it simply means (In Film Criticism) a well-known film director that has simply put into his work similar themes that would let the audience know that it’s their work. A personal vision that the director shares with the world that reflects of his/her own personal life, adventures, struggles that they’ve often carried with them throughout their lifetime. Through their eyes there films are treated like a work of art, and they as the artists feel they need to spread their identity throughout their collage. We’ve been studying the art of the auteur of many successful film directors like for example ‘Wes Anderson having most of his films sharing the theme of family, the dysfunctional type or the type that are seeking to reconnect with one-another, Shane Meadows, Kathryn Biglow and Steven Spielberg are also well know directors who’s professional work has always recognized for its distinct personal style of film.

Your Chosen Film Director

In the rest of my essay I will be exploring the art of Steven Spielberg’s themes in his movies and I will in contrast compare his films to those like Kathryn Biglow who may in contrast share the same artistic vision. And also those who’s argued that the famous Steven Spielberg may no longer be an Auteur.

The reason for why I have chosen Steven Spielberg as my Auteur is simply because in an extraordinary way his movies never see to bore me, I’m always kept of the edge of my seat. As he takes his audience through a journey along with the characters. Spielberg often deals with several recurring themes, having to deal with ordinary characters coming in contact with peculiar beings (Artificial Intelligence) or finding themselves put in bizarre circumstances that they’re able to overcome. A good example of this ‘Saving Private Ryan’ in the beginning of the film you would of never realized or guessed the outcome he adds so many twists that your left dumbfounded and in that last moment you think its ended but something astonishing occurs again he leaves the factor of surprise to open the world he leaves us wondering and thinking.

A strong unswerving theme that is recognized in his films has been more persistent than others and has been seen throughout most of his work is the tension of a parent – child relationship. Parents (often his father) are reluctant, absent or ignorant. In one of his most successful films ‘Hook’ peter banning starts off as the typical parent-married-to-his-work figure that often neglects his child that only wants to be noticed but through the course of the movie he makes it as his first priority to gain respect from his child that he’d lost. Also the perceptible absence of Elliot’s father in the blockbuster film E.T as this theme always a big part in his movies, cause it allows the audience to understand the characters and story in more depth. His films always seem to have a clear narrative structure, a clear motive, a clear drive that always seems to hit home with connecting with his audience. But in some cases there are of course some exceptions; Brody in ‘Jaws’ is a faithful family man while in contrast John Anderton in the famous “Minority Report” is left devastated after the disappearance of his son.

This subject is arguably the most autobiographical aspect of Spielberg’s films, since Spielberg personally was affected by his parents’ divorce as a child and by the absence of his father and just so easy his personal life is reflected into his work he incorporates, fade’s and creates great movies. Furthermore into this subject matter, protagonists in his films often come from families with divorced parents, most noticeable in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (protagonist Elliot’s mother is divorced) and Catch Me If You Can (Frank Abagnale’s mother and father split early on in the film).

Unlike Steven Spielberg that’s been questioned by the world of film about his current title of an auteur another director that has been recognized as an auteur is the famous Kathryn Bigelow that has been at the top of her game dazzling the world with two Oscar winning Hollywood blockbuster films ‘The Hurt Locker’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ both of which consist of the same themes but it’s her spirit and her distinct signature on her films that we grasp onto for example she makes the most out of her trademark POV (point of view) perspectives to give it a dramatic effect also allowing us the audience to be sync with the characters (the chase scenes in Point Break). frequently using slow motion.

Many directors have a unique selling point, have a unique motive that are portrayed in their films. And in the development of the marketing campaign, the use of the same advertising company to get the buzz around, the use of the same director of photography that shares a similar vision to that of the director all combine into the artistic vision that the director shares. In my own critical belief i do believe Steven Spielberg’s oeuvre is of an auteur just because of the fact that fans of his work as well as fans of the film industry will be able to recognize his work wherever it is placed, whether it is a short film, documentary common themes will still be portrayed across his work.