"What the auteur theory argues is that any film, certainly a Hollywood film, is a network of different statements, crossing and contradicting each other, elaborated into a final 'coherent' version."
I think that statement pretty much sums it up. In Wollen's article, he draws upon the auteur theory and the many implications from which it derives, everything from the creative vision of the director to the breakdown of codes and even a conscious effort on the part of the spectator to understand the meaning of the text. I like how Wollen used lots of examples, particularly Hawks' films (because we have already viewed one of his films, making it all the more easy to identify those structures of auteur theory).
I also enjoyed the beginning part of the article where Wollen put the auteur theory into a historical context. In this way, I think it is easier to track the roots and development of such a critical piece of film analysis and makes it not only more thorough, but also more conclusive.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I also enjoyed the beginning of the Wollen article.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this article was paired with "Some Like it Hot", I think it would be more suited to be paired with a movie such as "Psycho". Hitchcock is the ultimate example of a director having complete control over his film.
The autuer theory is a huge part of film development, with cutting down the background politcs of the industry, the film message becomes more pure and more digestable.
The autuer theory allows for film to become a serious work of literature.