What makes an Auteur?

In Film Essays and Criticism,  Arnheim (1997) suggests that there are several debates regarding the idea of the auteur of a film. First of all, whether film is the work of only one individual or is it a collective work, a collaborative effort. Secondly, if we agree that there is an auteur of a film, who shall we give credit to? The answers to these questions rely on the viewer’s interpretation of what film means, with considerable amount of evidence sustaining both ideas.

At the beginning of the filmmaking, cinema was considered an art, “offering the individual the freedom of personal expression.” (Buscombe, 1973) Film critics like Francois Truffaut(1954) and Andrew Sarris (1962) considered that the director of a film is the true auteur, with examples such as Hitchcock and Hawks. This idea is reinforced by Hillier (1986) who suggests that the director may have little control over choice of subject and cast, or over the script, however the director is expressing his individuality thru controlling what will appear on the screen. “the originality of the auteur lies not in the subject matter he chooses, but in the technique he employs, i.e., the mise-en-scène , through which everything on the screen is expressed.… As Sartre said: "One isn't a writer for having chosen to say certain things, but for having chosen to say them in a certain way." Why should it be any different for cinema? “(Hillier, 1986, p. 142).

Thus, an auteur is someone that has a differentiating style, almost instantly recognizable and which creates a film in which he expresses his personality.

Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is a film director, screenwriter and film producer. His debut movie is PI(1998), followed by

Requiem for a dream(2000),

The Fountain(2006), 

The Wrestler(2008) and 

Black Swan(2010).

The World of Aronofsky

PI is a psychological thriller, the title referring to the mathematical constant pi. From the beginning of his career, Aronofsky`s protagonist has an obsessive pursuit of ideas that later on leads to severely self-destructive behaviour. Extreme paranoia, hallucinations, and social anxiety disorder are the main characteristics of the protagonist.

Pi, Source http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQYYGwYTPuY

 

His second movie, Requiem for a dream, is disturbing to watch with piercing and darkly visual effects that create the world of four characters with a drug addiction. Even from this point we can see part of the signature of Darren Aronofsky, the theme of self-fulfillment. 

Requiem for a dream, Source http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgo3Hb5vWLE

 

Black Swan, his latest movie, is a psychological thriller in which the main protagonist, a ballerina, is sacrificing her physical and mental health for art and personal fulfillment. The film has a strong impact on the viewers with shocking visual images such as bone cracking and blood. The inspiration for Black Swan was the world of ballet he was exposed to growing up thru his sister. 

Black Swan, Source http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jaI1XOB-bs

Darren Aronofsky can be definitely named a real auteur. The viewers , to a certain degree, know what to expect when watching one of his movies.

His themes are dark, provocative and controversial. There is a strong, psychological meaning produced with each of his movies. In addition, taboo subjects such as drugs, violence, sexuality, body disorders, sexual harassment are transformed into art. 

Moreover, Darren Aronofsky has a very unique stylized mise-en scene, with fast motion images and sound effects that enhance a certain action. 

Close ups of characters are often used even though we are not yet familiar with the protagonists. Moreover, the characters in the movie are inspired by his own experiences and life.

In addition to the play of lighting and his very fast pace of editing, his style introduces the viewer in a world of chaos. The viewers are itoxicated by the images, trapped in the lighting and irritated by the sound. They have been trapped in the world that is suffocating, the world of Aronofsky. 

The ending is also part of his signature. The viewers always expecting for more clarifying information, while the lack of it creates extreme controversy.

To conclude, all this elements show that Darren Aronofsky is an auteur, a director with his uniqueness in creating film, no matter of the budget of the movie, the plot, the actors.

Reference List


Books and journal articles

• Arnheim, R. (1997). Film Essays and Criticism . Madison : The University of Wisconsin Press.
• Buscombe, E.. (1973). Ideas of Authorship. Oxford Journals. 14 (3), p. 75-85
• Caughie, J. (1981). Theories of Authorship. 2^nd Ed. 2^nd Ed:Routledge & Keger Paul Ltd.
• Moreno, M. C.. (2009). Body politics and spaces of drug addiction in Darren Aronofsky`s Requim for a dream. GeoJurnal. 74 (x), p. 219-226O

Online Sources

• Soghomonian, T. . (2010 ). Darren Aronofsky Discusses BLACK SWAN at Length in Paris. Available: http://collider.com/darren-aronofsky-interview-black-swan-paris-godzilla/64506/. Last accessed 3rd March 2012. 
• Zeitchik, S.. (2010). `Black Swan's' passionate dance. Available: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/09/black-swan-natalie-portman-mila-kunis-aronofsky.html. Last accessed 1st March 2010.

---