At its most uncritical, auteurism becomes a form of cult worship or even romantic heroizing.
Producing case studies, and studying directors considered to be auteurs will allow us to evaluate the concept of authorship….
- It will allow us to see why people consider them to be one…
- It will allow us to see why people would consider them (or others) not to be one…
- It allows us to evaluate and explore how authorship is not black and white, and is open to interpretation...
Hitchcock (Vertigo) Reading
Click here for the reading from today's starter task.
Additional Reading
The Guardian - Hitchcock/Truffaut review – two great directors meet again
In 1962, director François Truffaut conducted a series of in-depth interviews with Alfred Hitchcock, published in a lavishly illustrated book, which became something of a film-makers’ bible. Truffaut’s aim was to reclaim Hitchcock as an artist – an “auteur” rather than just an entertainer. Kent Jones’s documentary, which draws on audio tapes of those conversations along with new interviews with Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Wes Anderson et al, is no less evangelising, arguing that Truffaut’s book should be viewed and valued on a par with his movies. The documentary certainly makes for fascinating viewing; although most cineastes will already know the source text inside out, it’s great to hear audio of these exchanges, and the new interviews that make up the bulk of the film are entertaining, erudite, and (most importantly) refreshingly enthusiastic.
The Guardian - Breaking bad: Hollywood wakes up to the power of dark, dangerous women
Alfred Hitchcock pretty much dedicated his career to putting his leading ladies through the wringer, and duly subjected Joan Fontaine, Ingrid Bergman and Kim Novak to the sort of carefully calibrated mistreatment guaranteed to make them look more alluring than ever. This tendency reached its apex in The Birds, where Tippi Hedren starts off as the epitome of cool blonde chic (impeccable coiffure, spotless suit and pearls) and ends up decoiffed, streaked with blood, her nylons laddered – a traumatised victim of assault. Hitchcock is clearly getting off on it. Male directors, few of them attractive physical specimens themselves, like nothing better than to knock perfect leading actresses off their pedestals.
Section B Past Paper Question
Construct 2-3 PEEL paragraphs to the below question.
“The director is the true author of the filmmaking process.” Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement.
2-3 paragraphs that support the premise of the question. The director IS the true author.
Challenge
2-3 paragraphs that disagrees with the premise of the question. The director IS NOT the sole author.
Additional Reading
Alfred Hitchcock pretty much dedicated his career to putting his leading ladies through the wringer, and duly subjected Joan Fontaine, Ingrid Bergman and Kim Novak to the sort of carefully calibrated mistreatment guaranteed to make them look more alluring than ever. This tendency reached its apex in The Birds, where Tippi Hedren starts off as the epitome of cool blonde chic (impeccable coiffure, spotless suit and pearls) and ends up decoiffed, streaked with blood, her nylons laddered – a traumatised victim of assault. Hitchcock is clearly getting off on it. Male directors, few of them attractive physical specimens themselves, like nothing better than to knock perfect leading actresses off their pedestals.
Section B Past Paper Question
Construct 2-3 PEEL paragraphs to the below question.
2-3 paragraphs that support the premise of the question. The director IS the true author.
- Start the essay by outlining what authorship is.
- Support this by using film theorists who would agree with this statement.
- Support this with direct quotations from film theorists. (Truffaut? Bazin? Leenhardt? Sarris?)
- Give examples from your case study to support this (at this stage, Hitchcock)
Challenge
2-3 paragraphs that disagrees with the premise of the question. The director IS NOT the sole author.
- Start by identifying who else should be acknowledged in the filmmaking process
- Support this by using film theorists who would disagree with this statement.
- Support this with direct quotations from film theorists. (What did David Kipen say?)
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