Francois Truffaut once said, “There are no bad or good movies. Only good and terrible directors.” This essay will examine writers like Truffaut and Sarris to discover the theories and corrections of modern cinema in the past. The essay will examine film as a form of expression, examining each element and the director’s approach from within the film.

Wes Anderson, a visual filmmaker and director, is an auteur due to his style of production. The film’s overall theory, including the theorists that introduced the concept of authorship. Also, an auteur is able to affect the film narrative and can make a difference between genres. The differences between blockbuster Hollywood films and Wes Anderson. The auteur creates original works of art and retains them, along with the inner meaning. They also possess their own style and are technically competent. When a director expresses their full artistic ability by obsessing about details and expressing their personal style, they are referred to as an auteur. Films can have distinct authors who provide an identity to those contributing to the text. “Become as flexible and subtle a language as written”. The film is positioned as an art form while being organized into a literal genre. It has become more difficult to define the term auteur and who it is, as the film industry and the people’s view of art have changed.

Everyone involved in film production during the studio era worked under contract, even the director. They were required to adhere to the style and guidelines of the studio. The studio owned the stars and decided what films they would be in. It has changed, evolved and been challenged. Hollywood theater is not considered art, but rather entertainment. Studio chose director for film they thought was best but gave strict instructions on how to follow script, respect production elements and give no control. A film’s auteur could be either the scriptwriter or the filmmaker who made the movie, since the director lacked a unique vision. When we speak of auteurs we are referring to directors that take over all aspects of the film production from casting up to the final product. This is what studios used do. Directors are often in charge of other aspects like scriptwriting. This shift has led to a distinct divide between Hollywood blockbusters that are standard and those with a unique style.

Andrew Saris, in 1962, introduced the term auteur. At the time it was radical to involve the director so much and to consider film as art. There was an alternative “cinema du auteur”, which consisted of directors who were more personal and wrote their scripts. Sarris argued that it’s a group process, but’meaningful coherences’ are more likely if the director dominates. The director of a movie is more likely to make a meaningful film. Diverse theorists discover new ways to view and analyze film. Theorist Roland Barthes researched narrative and Anthropology. He said that a story would have five codes. These codes defined the meaning and type of text, such as open or closed. The 5 codes were: action, enigmata, referential, and symbolic. Barthes refers to the narrative, characters and unity in a movie. This is the classic story, ‘Excessively evident cinema’. The cinema is a collection of signs that guide the viewer through the story towards its inevitable end. Barthes says that humans need to be able to relate a film’s structure in order to comprehend it. This is the Hollywood style, not that of an auteur. The film doesn’t follow a linear narrative. The spectator does not always know what will happen next.

Andrew Sarris describes his theory that the director is the major creative force in a film. “I will now abbreviate the phrase ‘la Politique des auteurs’ to ‘auteur theory’ in order to avoid any confusion.” It was an established movement during the French New Wave. Francois Truffaut had been a critic of French culture for many years, but Truffaut also attacked French cinema due its art and vision. The theory that supported the idea of directors being auteurs is reflected in the auteurs today, who are not the classic Hollywood directors. They make less expensive films and have a more personal touch. “becomes an equally flexible and subtle way to write as a written langage”. The film “Tout va Bien”, a French/Italian 1972 film by Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Pierre Goin and others, demonstrates the collaborative nature of film. It is also a work that was driven by its directors. ‘No bad or good movies, just good or bad directors’? Could the word’movie,’ be used as a creative medium that is shared by all involved? Art is something that should be appreciated by everyone. The quality of a movie depends on all the people involved. Everyone should be given credit. In the case of films, the director is responsible for the overall direction and drive.

Wes Anderson is a well-known American filmmaker who is known for his distinct optical style, clear genre and his ability to make films in the modern auteur role. His filmmaking allows an audience to consider whether this is his view of life. Anderson’s movies are full of comedic dryness as well as emotional and visual details. You will feel immersed in the action on screen if you have a favorable audience. Anderson’s movies are meticulously planned. The films of Anderson have a striking correlation which makes each one feel like a single film. However the stories and approaches are very different. A director’s signature is his style. In the first place, he should be able to see his palettes for the world he is building and how they are muted and absorb pastel colors. Even without watching the film or reading any information about it, you can tell it’s Anderson. M.Gustavo portrayed by Ralph Fiennes describes his own life as a long and frivolous shindig’. Andersons reflects his description in M.Gustavo scene with pinks and regular deliveries to the bakery. The colors also give the impression that you are outside in nature, at one with it. Moonrise Kingdom is set on a small island off the coast New England in 1960s. This film is based in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Blue is also a primary colour. This shows a darker aspect of Moonrise Kingdom, as the characters fall from the tower and their shadows clasp hands. It is also visible on the badscouts’ uniform. MoonRise kingdom scene when Suzy is found with Sam, they hug as a way to protect their self and show a mass of mustard yellows.

As a rule, Anderson uses symmetry in his movies. It is how he engages with the audience. His symmetrical pictures surround and take over the vision of the audience while encouraging them to concentrate on a single thing and centralize it. This action will also draw an audience to his films, which are a mixture of suspense and action that can be hardly predicted. By utilizing cinematography, a camera can travel across a room like an eye. This action enhances the style and inspires audience emotions for the film. Andersons use of slow motion is to support his approach. It includes angles such as bird’s view and tracking. Visual explanations are also used to explain the plot in detail. The music sets the mood. Anderson uses music to add to the plot. He also directs it to reflect the characters. Fantastic Mr. Fox blows his trademark whistle to show he has done a good job.

Rope states in Fantastic Mr. Fox that music is a mood-setter and sets the tone. Anderson’s auteurism is supported by the constant cast and character types that subconsciously reflect each film style. It is clear that he pays attention to every detail. He casts actors who are suited to his dialogue and knows their strengths. Owen Wilson is in six films by the auteur, but he also co-wrote three of them. Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe are in Anderson films frequently and in most cases never. Owen Wilson appears in Wes Andersons movies. Artists should ideally use the medium and all its elements to achieve a purposeful expression. Anderson makes use of all the elements that would be used in a studio to create his work. He is a real auteur. His attention-to-detail when using Lady Nash perfume as M.Gustavo’s distinctive smell, which led to his being caught later in film. One feels as though they must closely watch each movement to gather all information. Are these films for children or adults? They could be considered both, since they are interconnected and encompass both.

Wes Anderson’s character are a little out of the ordinary for a Hollywood classic, but they have a lot in common with characters from Moon Rise Kingdom. A director has to have a signature style over the course of several films. This includes bright color palettes, adventurous music, visually stimulating camera angles, and comedic performers. All these factors contribute to his artistic and filmmaking approach and show his creativity and individuality. Overall, the set of features gives the impression that the film is a fantasy for children. The mature undertones that are woven into the plots of these films give them depth and a new perspective. Anderson’s appeal is not clear. Wes Anderson is a filmmaker who loves the process of creating and does not just concentrate on the story. This image shows the details in the characters of his films. The textures are vibrant and interesting. Auteurs revolutionized the way movies were viewed. “Interior Meaning is extrapolated out of the tension between director’s personalities and their material'” Saris said. The director must push his vision to make it more meaningful. Wes Anderson is a contemporary auteur who follows his vision, supports theorists and also leads his own genre-method. Francois Truffaut said that there was no such thing as a bad movie, but there were only bad directors. If a person likes Wes Anderson’s films they will probably always like them. His vision is constant and does not change. The correct theory is that film is a collaborative, controlled medium. In real life there is no director, only a group of people who are in control. The auteur theory also states that the films with the greatest cinematic success will have the unmistakable stamp of their director. This is Anderson’s approach. It’s all about how the audience reacts to the genre, the director, or their personal taste. The answer is subjective, but it’s safe to say that a director in the auteur category is usually a great director. They take full control and give full direction. They know what they’re doing.

Film is subjective. People choose films based on ratings, popularity or choice. They may also select a film based on how they interact with it. Truffaut said it was the fault of the director if there were a lot people who disliked the film. If the majority of a film’s direction is by one person, and that film ends up being bad, this reflects poorly on the director and makes it appear as though it was also a poor movie. “The cinematography is not an art. It’s an Art. It is not teamwork. It is not team work. Film is art. It is collaborative, but it’s also individual. It is led by a person. This person is the artist.

Cites

Andrew, D. (1984). Concepts in Film Theory. Oxford University Press.

Business Insider provides news and analysis about the topics that matter most to their readers. They offer information on current events, trends, and the latest developments in various industries. Their content is created by a team of experienced journalists and editors. (2019). Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, the actors who appeared in most Wes Anderson’s films. [online] Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/actors-in-most-wes-anderson-movies-bill-murray-owen-wilson-2018-3?r=US&IR=T

Caughie, J. (1989). Theoretical approaches to authorship. Routledge.

Film Inquiry is a web magazine that discusses movies. (2019). A Quick Guide To Auteur Theory | Film Inquiry. [online] Available at: https://www.filminquiry.com/quick-guide-auteur-theory/

Grant, B. (2008). Authors and authors Malden, Mass. Publications by Blackwell

IMDb. (2019). In the stop-motion animation movie Fantastic Mr. Fox, an anthropomorphic fox outwits three farmers who are determined to get rid of him and his family. [online] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432283/

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