Auteurism

Auteurism originated from the French New Wave and stands for 'Authorship' in French. The term came about in the 1950s. The chief pioneer in this new field of study was film-maker Francois Truffaut.

This new theory was pivotal in defining a director's role and place in film-making. Previously, the film industry was seen as being simply that: an industry that produced on schedule, following formulas for creating the various types of movies that entertained the most. Films were first looked upon as a medium meant to entertain the masses and deliver a brief, but enjoyable escape from reality. Directors were not tasked with being creative or inventive. Their job was formulaic.

This boring reality took a turn when Auteurism began to shine.

Over the course of the semester, I've come to understand that this new theory suggested that a more creative or sophisticated role for a director was called for. It brought about a whole new way of analyzing films and understanding them. Films would no longer be stamped out to fit a predetermined category or type of movie. Directors who embraced this idea could very well look upon their films as works of art, as opposed to another entertainment flick fresh off the assembly line.

Auteurism empowered directors to take a more creative approach, to consider their work as a medium worthy of delivering thoughtful messages or thought-provoking ideas. It meant that a director's role became more personal, more akin to that of an artist. They could take their creativity and transform movies into their own personal vision.