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auteur theory

 
Dictionary: auteur theory
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n.
Belief in the primary creative importance of the director in filmmaking, often combined with a critical advocacy of the works of certain strong, distinctive directors. Also called auteurism.


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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: auteur theory
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Theory that holds that a film's director is its "author" (French, auteur). It originated in France in the 1950s and was promoted by Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard and the journal Cahiers du Cinéma. The director oversees and "writes" the film's audio and visual scenario and therefore is considered more responsible for its content than the screenwriter. Supporters maintain that the most successful films bear the distinctive imprint of their director.

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more

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