Film Theory: The Auteur Theory

When we look at the auteur theory we have to keep in mind that a film is a collaborative medium. Many creative minds put their input in making the film, and not just the director.

We should not disregard the importance of the writers, cinematographers, actors, editors, crew… Instead, we will regard the director as the conductor of this team and the decision-maker. This is why the auteur theory considers a film as the product of the director.

History of the Auteur Theory

Auteur theory came to light in the 1950s in France. Although the term has been circulating in film studies long before that. During the Second World War, American films were banned in France due to the German occupation. But after the war ended, American movies flooded the French cinemas. At that time, French film critics were hungry for good cinema and began studying French and American films.

These critics (of the film magazine cahier du cinema) accused French films of depending only on the script and disregarding the visual element of cinema. They considered that these movies have low artistic value and that they lack social realism.

Critics were also fed up with movies produced and written by the same old filmmakers (They called these movies: Cinema de papa).

In response to this situation, the Cahiers group considered “better” movies that have unique visual style and that hold ideological and psychological baggage to be auteur cinema.

They argued that just because American directors had little say over the production process, this did not mean that they could not have the auteur status. So they had a special recognition for directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hawkes, John Ford, and Samuel Fuller.

Another form of auteurism is the total author where directors have complete authority over their movies.

Examples are Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda in France, Wim Wenders, Margarethe von Trotta in Germany, and David Lynch in the United States.

List of Auteur Directors

• Alfred Hitchcock
• Howard Hawkes
• John Ford
• Samuel Fuller
• Jean Vigo
• Jean Renoir
• Jean-Luc Godard
• Agnès Varda
• Rainer Werner Fassbinder
• Wim Wenders
• Margarethe von Trotta
• Orson Welles
• Stanley Kubrick
• David Lynch

When you watch the films of these directors you will easily recognize a unique style in all their movies. You can probably know a Hitchcock film without reading his name on the credits.

When does a Director become an Auteur?

There is no list that the movies of a director should fulfill in order to be considered an auteur. In order to apply this theory, we should study every director separately. I will try to make a checklist or criteria to label auteur films, but this list is not exclusive, and not all films have to contain all these elements.

Elements of the Auteur Movies/Directors

• Movies of the director have a unique and distinct style
• The movies of the director share similar themes
• The director is the screenplay writer
• Films are independently produced (not studio films)
• Movies depend heavily on visual style (camera language)
• Movies communicate philosophical, psychological, or social ideologies

Alfred Hitchcock: Theme Auteur

Let’s see then why Hitchcock is an auteur director.

First, all his films follow the same genre: Thriller. The suspense became Hitchcock’s signature in movies. All the movies directed by Hitchcock have psychologically complex characters, and we expect twisted ending in the resolution. Concerning the themes of the movies, Hitchcock films usually center around ordinary characters who are wrongfully accused. The director also has a special interest in the mother-son relationship.

Let’s examine some of Hitchcock’s famous films and see how this pattern exists in most of his movies:

Shadow of a Doubt: The routine of an ordinary family is disrupted when trouble comes with Uncle Charlie when he visits them.

Vertigo: The main character (Johnny) is accused of the murder. In fact, Johnny couldn’t save his partner and the woman he was assigned to follow because he actually couldn’t save them due to his fear of hight.

North by Northwest: The police and criminals are both following the main character (Roger Thornhill) because each side thinks he is someone else. then, there is the “Mother”. the first person Roger calls when he gets arrested is Mother, only to discover later that she is anything but affectionate to her son.

Psycho: The ultimate representation of the unhealthy mother-son relationship.

Easy Virtue: John’s mother does not approve of his wife. The mother believes that the wife is hiding a secret, and will do whatever she can to reveal the truth.

Jean-Luc Godard: Style Auteur

All the French New Wave directors are considered auteur. After all, the auteur theory was popularized by the filmmakers and critics of this wave. In an article about auteurism, I can not but talk about the French Director/writer/critic Jean-Luc Godard.

He made many great films that defined the auteur theory and the French New wave. His films are still enjoyable and worth watching till now. Some of Godards movies include Breathless (1960),  Le Mépris (1963), and Pierrot le Fou (1965).

We can recognize the signature of Godard in all his movies mainly through his unique and innovative style. Godard’s filming tends to disregard the rules of filmmaking. So he uses jump cuts heavily in his films. He also relies mostly on a hand-held camera. His movies are mostly shot in real locations using natural light.

But the most important thing in Godard’s films (as an auteur) is: Drawing attention to the cinematic artifice.

This means that Godards (and all French New Wave filmmakers) have no problem in reminding the audience that they are watching a film. This can be done by talking about cinema or revealing the filming process. So his characters may directly address the camera or are filmmakers themselves.

We can recognize a recurring theme in Godards movies.

His themes mostly reflect the existential crisis and the boredom of the youth. And this is not only reflected in the story and the characters of the film, but also the style. These themes can be explored through the non-motivated dialogue and the non-linear and fragmented narrative of the film.

Practical uses of the Auteur Theory

• Study the whole filmography of a director instead of singular films
• A tool to understand the personality and philosophy of the director through his or her movies
• Help to point out unique cinematic techniques and to label them (Hitchcockian style or Tarantino style) in order to be re-used by other filmmakers
• Relate the movies and themes used by a director to his or her personal life

Criticism of Auteur Theory

Many critics and readers are against this theory. They think that the auteur theory is useless and does not qualify as a theory. This point of view has many arguments that seem to be logical.

First, why should all the credit go the one person (The director)?

That is, as we all know, any film is the product of many people. Screenplay writers can have their own consistent style, so why can’t they be considered film auteurs?

Actors, directors, editors, cinematographers, special effect artists all have a significant input in a movie, they have their own style. Can’t they all be auteurs?

Then, why in the first place should there be a signature style in all the movies of an “auteur director”?

After all, a good film should stand on its own. So why should we study the whole filmography of a director who might have good and bad movies in his/her showreel?

Learn more about the Auteur Film Theory:

YouTube Video: The Origins of Auteur Theory by Filmmaker IQ (Recommended)
Book: Postmodern Auteurs: Coppola, Lucas, De Palma, Spielberg and Scorsese (Recommended)
E-Book: Auteur Theory and My Son John (Film Theory in Practice)

The 5 act structure:

1. The inciting incident
2. The lock-in
3. The first culmination (or midpoint)
4. The main culmination
5. The third act twist

These five points are moments that change the momentum of your story.

This narrative structure helps screenplay writers turn the events in the script in a dynamic way. Often by setting the protagonists of the story down a new path or changing their objective.

There are exceptions to every rule but understanding how to use these five moments in your screenplay to help you build the necessary turning points can be key!

1. The Inciting Incident

The inciting incident occurs in the middle of the first act and at the end of your first sequence. It is the first moment that shakes up the status quo.

Before this moment, your protagonist has existed in their own world. But at this point in the story, conflict or big decision presents itself.

The character would not have to decide on what to do next or figure out how to solve the problem. But the audience would start suspecting that there is a big decision coming along the way.

To make this clear consider the movie: The Graduate

Mrs. Robinson asks Ben (a recent college graduate) to give her a ride home where she convinces him to come inside her house and then attempts to seduce him. She then stands in front of him naked and makes it clear that she is sexually available for him. Here, Ben did not give a clear decision about what he wants or what he is about to do… he just nervously tries to escape the room.

At this point, Ben has not entered into a relationship with Mrs. Robinson. However, the door has been open to that very opportunity.

We still have more to come in the first act, but we won’t be surprised when he later makes the call and begins the affair.

2. The Lock-in

The lock-in is the moment at which your protagonist can no longer return to the status quo. Backing out is impossible.

Often the character is literally locked up with handcuffs, stranded, or abducted.

The door which was open to the protagonist earlier at the inciting incident now slams closed behind your character.

This would not only establish your protagonist’s objective but also will drive them forward into the second act.

For example, In the Matrix, Neo meets Morpheus who explains The Matrix is a false reality. Morpheus then holds out two pills: if Neo takes the blue pill he’ll wake up in his bed and believe whatever he wants. But, if he takes the red pill, then he’ll stay in Wonderland and Morpheus will show him how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

Here is the inciting incident.

As we move to the lock-in, Neo takes the red pill.

Clearly, Neo is now locked in. There is no going back. He has liberated himself from the false reality of the matrix.

3. The First Culmination / Midpoint

About halfway through every screenplay, your protagonist achieves their first major success or failure.

This is the midpoint of the 5 major plot point structure.

When the midpoint is a success, then it’s an achievement of a smaller goal on the road to the main objective.

Alternatively, when this culmination (or midpoint) is a failure, it moves your protagonists even farther from their objective.

In Forrest Gump, Forrest accidentally ends up on the stage as part of an anti-war rally and is asked to speak to thousands of people filling the National Mall. Even though the microphone cuts out during a speech, Jenny hears his name and yells out from the crowd. Forrest and Jenny run to each other reuniting in the reflecting pool to the cheers of thousands.

Despite all of his other accomplishments, this is the high point in forest life because, in the end, all he really ever wants is Jenny. She was lost but now she’s found.

4. The Main Culmination

The main culmination can be thought of as the climax of the film.

It is the highest or lowest point for your protagonist so far.

The Climax is usually represented through a major success or failure that brings your character’s second act objective to a close and propels them towards a new goal in the third act.

for example, in The Shawshank Redemption: Andy Dufresne asks the warden to help him get another trial and promised that he won’t reveal the money laundering schemes that he set up for him. The warden reacts by throwing Andy in solitary confinement. Now not only is Andy refused the opportunity to prove his innocence but in the immediate aftermath of this scene, the warden sends the only inmate who can testify in Andy’s behalf to his death sentence.

This is the lowest low for Andy Dufresne. He really is an innocent man and now he has no hope to ever breathe the air beyond Shawshank Prison.

5. The Third-act Twist

The third-act twist occurs approximately halfway between the main culmination at the end of your story.

It is the bone thrown in front of the protagonist to help him achieve his third act objective. This is the moment that changes the trajectory of the character in the final act.

This third act twist is different from the other 5 major plot points because it actually changes the plot.

In Scorsese’s Goodfellows, Henry meets his best friend Jimmy in a diner only to realize that Jimmy plans on having him killed. This unexpected turn of events then forces Henry to cut a deal with the authorities where he rats on his friends and enters the witness protection program.

Importance of the 5 plot points

These 5 major plot points are the building blocks behind three-act structure and sequence construction. Mapping out these points early in your screenplay development process will go a long way to help navigate the writing of your script. 

You can check out the article about the 13 beats of the script that expands on these 5 plot points in more detail.

First, what is a Western?

What is the Western movie genre?

The basic theme of western films revolves around conflicts between the civilized whites and the savage Native Americans (the others).

The plot is basically about establishing and maintaining the order on the frontier.

The western hero is a courageous, masculine, moral, and self-sufficient man that faces the villain in a good v/s bad scenario in order to re-establish the order of law.

The typical setting of a western is the American west.

These films usually include elements such as galloping horses, fights, strong and brave cowboy characters.

Western Movies and Western Culture

Bazin pointed out that those ingredients of the western formula can be recognized as signs and symbols of western reality. 

In that sense, an important function of the movie genre is to shed light on contemporary problems or ideologies.

For example, the cowboys with guns represent the fascination with violence.

The western hero encompasses the idea of the last gentleman.

Following the lead of Bazin, the western movie genre can be linked to the contemporary climate and it would be logical to assume that the American western film come as a response for the chaos and violence in the country where the westerner character takes upon himself to re-enforce the law in order to neutralize the chaos of America.

 

Stagecoach

Stagecoach is a western directed by Jon Ford in 1939. The movie portrays the trip of a group of characters on a stagecoach across the frontier.

This movie entails the values of the American nation and the history of pre-World War II. The movie resonated with a problematic of racial representation and the fear of the other.

Analyzing the film symbolically, the Native Americans symbolize the enemy or the other. The group of people from various social backgrounds represent American society.

 

Little Big Man

Little Big Man is western that responds to the modern age. It was directed by Arthur Penn in 1970.

The movie tells the story of Jack Crabb (played by Dustin Hoffman), who was adopted by the Native Americans.

Little Big Man came after the Vietnam War, and it could be argued that it was a response to this historical event.

For example, the cowboys fighting the Indians represent the American and Vietnamese soldiers.

The director broke the rules of the classical western in his anti-western film.

The Hollywood standards of the genre were reversed. In Little Big Man, the Native Americans or the “others” were portrayed as the good guys.

This was by showing them as peaceful and civilized people who are facing systematic extermination by representatives of the US government.

Thus, Little Big Man is a metaphor of imperialism and echoed the value crisis in western countries. 

 

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men is Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen in 2007).

The movie is about Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) who finds a case of money in the desert and decided to keep it.

A killer named Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) locates Moss and his money and tries to hunt Moss down.

Whilst all this is going, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is overseeing the investigation and begins to see the country in a different light than it once was.

Although the movie still possesses main aspects of the western film such as the setting, and its association of savagery with the racially other, and having the American white male as the protagonist, it diverges from the traditional conventions of the genre by tampering with the expected ending of the western formula.

The hero does not win in the end and the villain gets away!

These deviations from the western formula can be read to be echoing dominant contemporary ideologies such as the war on terror, and the struggle and defeat of the civilized in the face of the uncivilized other.

Conclusion

Genre theory tells us that genres can tell many things about the culture and society of the country that they originated in.

By studying western movies, and analyzing them (Okay.. maybe over-analyzing), we can understand how these movies might be critiquing the society or echoing its concerns.

So, The western genre, in general, is a representation of the chaos and violence in our culture, and the ideology of saving the uncivilized other by that restoring the order of law.

Western movies can be studied in this sense:

Stagecoach represents American society on a stagecoach.

Little Big Man represents the Vietnam war and challenges the concept of racism.

No Country for Old Men represents the struggle and the war on terror.

In every entry we will talk about:

• Why are these directors important
• What is the director’s style
• The most important movie in the director’s filmography
• Why you should watch this movie

Note: movies are listed in random chronology and not according to their importance.

1. The Godfather (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)

Francis Ford Coppola is a major film figure especially in Hollywood in the 1960s and 1970s. He is one of the greatest American directors.

The director is best known and appreciated for directing The Godfather:

A trilogy that defined the gangster genre and mafia movies.

The Godfather is an essential film for any cinema lover to watch.

You most probably have already watched it, but a list of must-watch movies could not be complete without The Godfather.

The Godfather is a very good example of how cinematography (lighting and framing) can help in telling the story and establishing the style of a movie.

The director (and of course cinematographer Gordon Willis) used dark lighting to create a dark, uncomfortable, and sinister feel.

Concerning framing, the characters were positioned within the space of the frame to communicate where the characters stand in particular situations.

Coppola used this framing technique in a natural way so that the audience would not feel that the frames are artificial.

2. Citizen Kane (Dir. Orson Welles, 1941)

Orson Welles (1915-1985) would be the first director to come to mind when creating a list of directors and movies that film students should watch.

He changed the way movies were shot at his time.

Welles is considered one of the greatest and most influential directors of all time.

Of course, we can debate and elaborate on this statement, but this is not the place for our personal preferences.

Anyway, Welles is an American director, screenplay writer, producer, and actor. He is an excellent introduction to classic Hollywood cinema.

Orson Welles is most known for his innovative narrative techniques and use of dramatic lighting,

His greatest accomplishment is of-course, Citizen Kane:

Orson Welles co-wrote, directed, produced, and starred in this movie.

Many critics consider Citizen Kane as the greatest movie ever made. (We say its great.. but the greatest?! debatable)

Before this movie, movies were shot using static camera (fixed shots). Citizen Kane changed this perception and many directors started using moving shots and high and low camera angles.

Its influence is still present in today’s cinema.

3. Seven Samurai (Dir. Akira Kurosawa, 1954)

The first Japanese director to have international acclaim and success among both film critics and the audience.

Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) is among the most important director in the history of cinema.

His filming style is a trademark. Kurosawa often bridges Japanese and Western themes in his movies.

That’s why the international audience relates to his movies.

If film students wanted to get introduced to the director’s work, we recommend starting with Seven Samurai.

This Japanese movie by the great Kurosawa is one of the first action movies. It has some action sequences that we still consider great even in comparison to recent movies.

Seven Samurai laid down the fundamental structure of the action film genre.

On top of that, it is a highly entertaining movie that almost anyone can enjoy.

4. Breathless (Dir. Jean-Luc Godard, 1960)

Jean-Luc Godard started as a film critic in the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema. He used to criticize the French mainstream cinema.

Later, Godard and some of his fellow cretics started directing movies of their own rather than just complaining.

Those filmmakers expressed their philosophies about life and art. By that, they changed cinema as people knew it at their time.

Godard is one of the most influential French directors. He is a pioneer in the French New Wave film movement in the 1960s.

Experimenting with: film narrative + continuity +camera angles + movements = Godard

To better understand Godard’s experimental directing techniques, and to have an idea about the movies of the French New Wave, look no further than the movie: Breathless.

Not a movie that can be enjoyed by all people, but it is undoubtedly a must-watch for people who appreciate the art of film.

If you are a film student or a film lover, then you are expected to have seen Godard’s Breathless.

Breathless is a very well crafted film. It gives a unique experience of watching movies.

Godard broke the “rules” of cinema to make a statement about the innovation and renovation of the film industry.

Finally, this movie is the go-to film to give examples of jump cuts: an editing technique that Godard was one of the first to use in cinema.

5. Rope (Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1948)

No list of influential directors and must-watch movies can be complete without a movie by Alfred Hitchcock: the founder of the modern horror genre.

Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) is an English director and screenplay writer. He is the most studied director in the history of cinema.

Many books and retrospectives researched his persona and directing style.

Hitchcock has a unique directing style.

Basically, his camera movements feel as if it is the point of view of a person who is looking at the characters in the movie.

Let’s get technical: We call his camera work voyeurism or the gaze.

From the French word voyeur which means looking at or peeking. We now refer to this type of camera movement as the Hitchcockian style.

Many critics refer to Hitchcock as the master of suspense.

When you hear Hitchcock, you would think of his cameo appearances in almost all his movies.

Of course, Psycho is the most known movie. Read Psycho – A Timeless Classic

But film students should be familiar with Rope as well.

Rope is Hitchcock’s first colored movie. And like most of his movies, Rope belongs to the psychological crime thriller genre.

Film students must watch this movie because it is distinct in Hitchcock’s filmography.

The movie takes place in real-time. Meaning that the events of the movie don’t jump in time.

Rope was also filmed as a one long shot.

It was actually shot in 10 takes that were designed to look like a single shot with editing techniques.

6. Pulp Fiction (Dir. Quentin Tarantino, 1994)

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most influential, maybe the most influential, directors of our age.

The American director, screenwriter, and producer is an icon of post-modern cinema.

Tarantino is most known for using graphic violence and for his unpredictable scripts, and for the long dialogue scenes.

All Tarantino movies include references and homages to other movies.

We can recommend many great movies by Tarantino… Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Natural Born Killers, Django Unchained… Just to name a few.

Yet, for this list it was natural to choose Pulp Fiction:

Pulp Fiction is Tarantino’s masterpiece.

The movie got great critical praise. A large number of the audience also love this film.

When talking about post-modern cinema, Pulp Fiction would be the first refrence to come to mind.

Tarantino used non-linear storytelling. That is changing the chronological order of events.

Although the audience needed to figure out the order of events, the movie remained (somehow) easy to understand and very entertaining.

It combined gory violence with comedy and features great dialogue and acting.

Obviously, Pulp fiction was not the first movie to use these techniques, but it can be considered the most popular one of its time (and probably till now).

7. 8 ½ (Dir. Federico Fellini, 1963)

The most celebrated Italian director and one of the most important film figures of all time.

Frederico Fellini (1920-1993) is an Italian film director and screenplay writer. He is a major influence of the Italian neorealism film movement.

Fellini is most famous for his directing style that blends fantasy and dream like sequences with normal and real-life situations.

His movies require a selected taste in arthouse cinema in order to be fully appreciated and understood the way they are intended to be.

Among his well known movies: Roma, La Dolce Vita, and La Strada.

Those are all very good movies. But for a list of movies that film students (and film lovers in general) should watch, we couldn’t but have 8 1/2 among the selected movies.

This masterpiece is considered a celebration of cinema.

The movie is about a director making a movie, and the title refers to the number of films the director has made until that point.

Simply, 8 ½ is the best film on the subject of filmmaking.

It is a must-watch for anyone interested in making a professional career in movies.

Add to that, 8 1/2 is a great introductory to Italian cinema, especially Italian neorealism.

8. Taste of Cherry (Dir. Abbas Kiarostami, 1997)

Kiarostami (1940-2016) is a main figure in the Iranian New Wave.

He is one of the masters of modern cinema.

The Iranian director gained big international praise from film critics, film scholars, and the audience.

Many of his fellow directors expressed their appreciation for his work and honored him. Among these directors: Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, and Martin Scorsese.

Kiarostami’s trademark: poetic dialogues and a documentary filming style in his narrative movies.

When you watch his filmography, you can sense that the writer/director is most interested in political and philosophical issues.

Among his watch-worthy movies: Close-up, and Shirin. But his most popular movie is Taste of Cherry:

Taste of Cherry follows the principles of the Iranian New Wave by rejecting the Western “rules” of cinema.

So, the movie does not have a beginning, middle, and end. No character arc. No ending or closure.

Film students must watch this movie to witness a great example of realism and the documentary style of filming.

You must know that because this movie comes from Iran (a highly conservative Islamic country).

The mastery of Kiarostami is presented by touching on subjects that are taboo in the country and that would result in banning the film.

Therefore, the movie has “hidden” meanings and can be open to interpretation with topics of suicide and homosexuality.

We should warn you though: if you are not familiar with arthouse cinema, Taste of Cherry can be the opposite of entertaining (we don’t want to say boring). But filmmakers and film lovers would know what to appreciate about it.

9. Hiroshima Mon Amour (Dir. Alain Resnais, 1959)

Alain Resnais (1922-2014) is a French Director. He is a name that film buffs and film students should know about specifically for his filming techniques.

He is known for using an unconventional narrative technique and for dealing with difficult themes such as the consciousness, the imagined past, and troubled memory.

These themes and style made many critics criticize Resnais’s movies as being emotionally cold where the filming technique overthrows the characters of the movies.

Although Resnais refused to label himself as a French New Wave director, his movies still align with the philosophy of this film movement.

From his long filmography, you can consider watching Providence and Last Year at Marienbad.

But when you want to get introduced to this director, we recommend to start with his most acclaimed movie: Hiroshima Mon Amour:

Resnais’ revolutionary work of art in cinema is manifested in Hiroshima Mon Amour through the use of time.

The film is about a romantic affair that has little to do with the bomb (The atomic bomb in Hiroshima) while having this historical event present in the background of the events.

10. Blue Velvet (Dir. David Lynch, 1986)

Davide Lynch is an American filmmaker. He is the most popular surrealist.

Film students who want to have an idea about film styles and about the directors that left their mark in the history of cinema need to be introduced to this auteur director.

David Lynch would be the first director that comes to mind when it comes to contemporary surrealistic cinema.

Lynch is most known for using disturbing and mind-bending visuals.

When you watch a movie for Lynch, you should feel the movie rather than understanding it.

This is because his movies seem to be interested in the idea and the visuals more than the story.

Some of his work: Twin Peaks (TV series), The Elephant Man, and Dune.

They are all good movies, but we choose Blue Velvet as a must-watch movie that film students should be familiar with.

Blue Velvet is a very good introductory for David Lynch and is actually one of his greatest works.

It is considered a masterpiece for mixing dream (actually nightmares) with reality with subconsciousness. And the movie is particularly important for its use of symbolism.

11. 12 Angry Men (Dir. Sidney Lumet, 1957)

Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) is an American director.

Best known for: Strong skills in directing actors.

Maybe Lumet’s work did not change or collaborate in the art of film to the extent that the other directors on this list did. But his directing style is a very good example of classical Hollywood naturalism or realism.

Mainly, his camera movement are very subtle that the audience would not feel the presence of the camera.

His editing honors realism by having invisible cuts. This draws as little attention as possible to the presence of the camera.

His most famous and must-watch movie is 12 Angry Men:

12 Angry Men is a must-watch for filmmakers because it gives an example of how to make a movie compelling using dialogue.

The film is essentially just 12 men arguing around a table for 90 minutes.

The greatness of this film lies in the use of a single location setting. Add to that excellent acting and directing.

12. A Clockwork Orange (Dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1971)

Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) is one of the few directors who don’t need proof to call an artist and a master of cinema.

Most probably, cinema lovers and film students who are reading this post are already familiar with the director and his work.

We are sure you have already watched at least one of these movies: Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shot, Full Metal Jacket…

Kubrick stands as one of the most influential and intelligent filmmakers our world has yet produced.

No where is this better demonstrated than in A Clockwork Orange.

 

This is one of the most controversial films on this list because of its violent and sexually explicit scenes.

A Clockwork Orange displays the director’s unique style in using tracking shots, symmetry, music, and stylistic directing and acting.

When watching this film pay attention to how Kubrick expresses ideologies through his cinematography and script.

13. Fargo (Dir. Joel & Ethan Coen, 1996)

The most famous and influential directing Duo.

Joel and Ethan Coen or as you may know them: the Coen brothers.

These American directors work with different film genres and usually mix comedy with gory violence.

The brothers have co-directed many movies that are both entertaining and have artistic values such as The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and Burn After Reading.

And of course: Fargo (the movie)

Fargo is an important film to watch in the crime genre. That is because at its time it challenged the elements of the crime/action genre.

The movie combined action, comedy, suspense, violence, drama…

The story follows a pregnant woman dealing with dangerous and incompetent men. At that time almost all action movies were lead by male actors.

Fargo is a great example of how to create round or three dimensional characters. The characters are believable and real and not designed just to serve that action in the narrative.

14. In The Mood for Love (Dir. Wong Kar-Wai, 2000)

This Chinese director is one of the most important figures in the Hon Kong cinema. He is also among the influential directors worldwide.

Wong Kar-Wai has a distinct style.

The director is known for the use of non-linear narratives. Visually, his movies have strong and saturated colors, and he depends on slow motion in many of his scenes.

Also, music plays an essential role in Wong Kar-Wai’s scenes. Atmospheric music is usually in the background and used to highlight the emotions and the general mood.

The director concretely established his filmmaking trademark in his best movie (in our opinion): In The Mood For Love

 

Aspiring filmmakers must-watch In the Mood for Love to get introduced to the Chinese cinema and the unique style of Wong Kar-Wai.

This movie is special because of the tone its sets, its use of color, cinematography, and framing.

Notice the use of frame in frame in most of the shots of the movie.

When you want an example of camera language, In The Mood for Love would be the go-to movie.

Trivia: The director and actors improvised most of the movie while filming. It took 15 months to finish shooting. The script and dialogues were changing on set.

We will not elaborate because we don’t want to ruin the experience. You can read this article after watching the movie.

15. Biutiful (Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2010)

Alejandro González Iñárritu is a Mexican film director and screenwriter.

Inarritu is recognized internationally. He was the first Mexican director to be nominated for the best director in the Academy Awards.

He is known for telling international stories about the human condition.

A sample of his work: Babel, Birdman, and The Revenant.

There are many excellent movies in the filmography of Inarritu that may be more popular than the movie we choose: Biutiful

 

The director offers his audience an entire created world, personal and distinctive. Biutiful is his most accomplished film so far.

The movie is most appreciated for how it portrays the city of Barcelona, and how the director uses tragedy in poetry filmmaking.

16. Dancer in The Dark (Dir. Lars von Trier, 2000)

The Danish director Lars von Trier could be one of the most important art-house film directors in our modern history.

He is the most controversial director on this list.

The movies of Lars Von Trier mostly tackle subjects of mental health, sexuality, and existential issues.

He has directed many important movies such as Dogville, Antichrist, and Melancholia.

We think film students must watch all these movies. But, for this list, we decided to recommend Dancer In The Dark.

If you are familiar with the director you could say that he has better films than Dancer in The Dark.

We agree… But we chose this movie to be on this list because of its uniqueness.

Dancer in the Dark is a tragedy as tragedy movies can be. It is also a musical.

Filmmakers should experience this movie to see how 2 very different genres can be combined.

It is also a great example of how to use music to help tell a story.

17. Persona (Dir. Ingmar Bergman, 1966)

One of the greatest directors in motion picture history. Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007) is a Swedish director and writer.

Among his influential films: Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal…

For this list we choose Persona:

Persona is one of his most known and most beautiful movies directed by Bergman.

Film students must watch Persona because it is the best example of the use of close-up.

Notice how the director uses Close-up shots to tell the story and give his scenes a new layer of meaning.

What is also special about the movie is it’s framing:

Bergman cast two similar-looking actresses. and used this resemblance to visually demonstrate the film’s approach to the subject of identity and the psychological state of the characters.

For example, the director films half of the face of the main character with half of the face of the other.

The resulting half-and-half face turned out to be one of the most memorizable shots. The beauty of this shot is that it visually represents the psychological state of the character.

More of these signature shots are there in the movie.

In another shot, he filmed one character in profile, and one face on to the camera. Other times the faces overlap.

Film students, consider this movie as a master class on how you can express the state of teh characters and the theme of the movie visually.

18. Bicycle Thieves (Dir. Vittorio De Sica, 1948)

Vittorio De Sica (1901-1974) is an Italian director and actor. He is a major figure in the Italian neorealism film movement.

He directed many outstanding films, but none with a greater impact on cinema than Bicycle Thieves.

Vittorio de Sica’s 1948 classic Ladri di Biciclette, or Bicycle Thieves is a great example of Italian neorealism.

All the characters are played by people who are not professional actors.

The movie is filmed in real locations (not sets).

And, the traditional storyline of Hollywood movies is absent. Meaning that there is no beginning, middle, and end in the traditional sense.

Critics consider this a communist film: It is both art and politics.

19. All About My Mother (Dir. Pedro Almodóvar, 1999)

Almodovar is considered one of the most internationally successful Spanish filmmakers.

He is the director of women.

His films always explore issues such as sexuality, transgender, and women’s life.

The movies of Almodovar all share complex narratives, melodrama, and popular popular songs.

His trade mark strong colors (especially red) and elaborate sets.

Some of his important films: Talk to Her, Bad Education, Matador.

For this list we choose the movie: All About My Mother

We think that All About My Mother is a good film to watch as an introductory to Almodovar.

The movie is entertaining, and all Almodova’s signatures are there. From the melodrama genre to the bright colors, shiny sets, sexual themes, and unconventional comedy.

20. Taxi Driver (Dir. Martin Scorsese, 1976)

Martin Scorsese is one of the most influential living directors.

He is well known for his duo with Robert Di Nero and later with Leonardo Dicaprio.

Scorsese is known for his risky experiences in directing many genre films. But the trademark of the director is still the gangster and crime movies.

He tends to explore recurrent themes in most of his movies. Most importantly: The Italian-American identity and Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption.

To name some of his important films: Gangs of New York, Raging Bull, The Wolf of Wall Street…

For this list, we think film students must watch Taxi Driver:

Taxi Driver is an American cult film.

The film won several awards, including the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and four Oscar nominations.

Watch this movie to experience mastery in acting, and character building.

Pay attention to how the director explored and presented themes of loneliness and remorse.

Also, if you paid attention to details and symbolism, you can find many hints and symbols to Christianity. Then you will be able to “read” the movie on a deeper layer.

For example, all fairy tail movies share the same genre ingredients:

Familiar characters: Or what we call “stock characters”. In this case, these are the princess, the prince, the evil queen…

Similar setting: Usually is land far away…

Familiar narrative and ending: typically, fairy tails are stories about a protagonist (usually the princess) who has a problem because of the antagonist (evil queen). Along the way the princess falls in love with prince charming who helps and saves her where they live happily ever after in the end.

So, how to identify the genre of a movie?

There are hundreds of genres. We can classify movies according to many variables:

Production value: Indi, Blockbuster…
Artistic value: commercial, art-house…
script: fiction, documentary

Concerning fiction movies, there are mainly 3 ways to identify the genre:

1- Theme: If the theme of the movies revolves around crime, then it’s a crime or gangster genre. If it’s funny hen it’s a comedy…

2- Presentation: music and dance? It’s a musical… Low key light and black&white? It’s a film noir

3- Plot Pattern: the movie starts with a crime and ends with solving the crime? You knew it… Its a detective genre

Okay, we identified the genre. But you may be asking now… What is the purpose of film genres in the first place? And why are they so important?

You are right to ask.

Actually, film theorists debated the importance of the movie genre a long time ago.

What are film genres used for?

To help the audience choose a movie.

Because genre films share many similar characteristics, the audience may prefer movies belonging to a certain genre more than the others. This helps you choose what movie you want to watch.

To have expectations.

We all expect to see epic war fights in a war movie or to laugh in a comedy. So in a way genres are a promise from the filmmakers to deliver certain scenes or emotions to their audience.

To predict.

We said before that genre movies share a predictable resolution. The viewers can predict that the main characters will end up together in a romantic comedy for example. This creates anticipation when watching the movie. You would be thinking: I know they will end up together… But how would they manage to fix this problem that pulled them apart?

To track market tendencies.

Film producers and industry analysts use these genres to track what is popular at the time so they can make more commercially successful movies with the same formula.

To interpret.

Movie critics use genres to analyze and interpret movies. they track the development of the genre and criticize the predictability.

To theorize.

Film scholars and theorists look at genres with a sociological and cultural lens. They consider popular genres to mirror the thoughts and ideologies of the culture. This point of course needs to be elaborated. In the final post of this Film Genre series, we will be discussing this genre theory in detail.

In the coming posts:

This is the first of a series of posts where we’ll be discussing different movie genres, their ingredients, formula, and reviewing movies of TV shows belonging to the genre.

What is the horror film genre?

I know its self explanatory… But I’ll say it anyway… Horror movies are movies intended to scare who is watching them :O

The ingredients of the horror genre:

The villain

Can be a monster, alien, ghost, human…

The hero

This is usually the protagonist who is pursued by the villain.

The hero is naturally in immediate life-threatening danger because of the villain.

The First Victim

The character that dies first. The death of this character is the event that shows the evil and cruelty of the villain.

Music

A main ingredient in the horror genre.

Music is used to build tension, suspense, and to set up an unsettling mood.

Lighting

Darkness is horror’s best friend.

Dim light, low exposure, and high contrast lighting are essential ingredients of the horror genre.

Camera Movement/ Angles

Horror movies are usually filmed with hand-held camera.

Mainly, POV (point of view). The camera usually moves and follows the characters to give a panic feeling.

Peeking shots are also used by having an object in the foreground. This gives a creepy feeling that the characters are always being watched.

Horror movies also depend heavily on close up shots. These kinds of shots help the audience feel with the character. But most importantly, close-ups don’t give much information. This increases the element of scare and tension.

For example, if the character is alone in the woods.. and we are only seeing her in close up, the audience won’t know if the “monster” is near or not. This makes the audience on their toes the entire scene.

Setting

The climax of most horror movies take place at night or in a low-light interior place.

Violence

Gory violence is a main component of horror.

Sex

Almost all horror films include graphic sex scenes. I don’t have an explanation… but sex seems to go well with the genre.

The formula of the narrative of a horror film would be like this:

Characters in their ordinary life.. everything is going normal until the villain enters the scene and turns things upside down. All the main characters are in immediate danger.. the protagonist manages to survive till the climax. In the climax, the final fight begins. Sometimes it can be the final escape. The movie ends with the protagonist free. The villain may dead.

In some cases evil wins… the villain defeats the characters. In other words, wait for the sequel.

Next, I want to discuss a horror film. The first thing that comes to mind is a movie for the master of horror: Alfred Hitchcock.

Yet, I decided to talk about a more “recent” movie that deserves to be discussed because it is somehow different from other movies in the genre.

Next: Review of The Silence of the Lambs