What is an Auteur?
"Auteur" is the french word for "Author"- The auteur is the primary author of the film. An auteur is a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal and unique stamp. Because an auteur uses their personal and unique styles in their films, when someone watches another one of their films, they will immediately refer to that film maker.
Why is Hitchcock considered an Auteur?
What makes Alfred Hitchcock an auteur is that he uses his own unique styles in his films, so if someone were to watch a film that he made, they would instantly know that he made it, because he always sticks to those styles. Hitchcock also tends to collaborate with the same people in many of his films, such as using the composer Bernard Herman for the music in a lot of his films. By working with the same people, Hitchcock created a consistancy in his films which could be necessary for auteur-ism.
Alfred Hitchcock said-"Self-Plagiarism is style."
Alfred Hitchcock said-"Self-Plagiarism is style."
What are Hitchcock's personal and unique styles?
One example of a style that Alfred Hitchcock uses in his films is his cameo appearances. When the audience notices him in a film, they know that he made it because he has done that before, and it is his style.
Another example is the way the camera takes on human qualities in Hitchcock's films. It moves like a person's eyes, which makes the audience feel like they are involved in uncovering the mystery in the story.
Hitchcock also tends to use silent scenes in his films, to convey the story without dialogue. Many times, this will include point of view shots to let the audience see what the character is seeing.
Another example is the way the camera takes on human qualities in Hitchcock's films. It moves like a person's eyes, which makes the audience feel like they are involved in uncovering the mystery in the story.
Hitchcock also tends to use silent scenes in his films, to convey the story without dialogue. Many times, this will include point of view shots to let the audience see what the character is seeing.