Auteur Essay
By Eniola Ijalana
Intro
In the French language, the word ‘Auteur’ is translated ‘Author’ in the English language. The auteur theory was developed in 1950 by French directors and critics like Francois Truffaut. The theory is also linked especially to the French New Wave.
The auteur theory gives a lead to understanding of characteristics that identify the directors as an auteur. For example “A director’s film shows the director’s creative vision.
The New Wave (French: La Nouvelle Vague) is a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s.
- were linked by their self-conscious rejection of the literary period pieces
- made in France
- written by novelists
- is an example of European art cinema
The auteur that I decided to research for is Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan is a film director,film producer and a screenwriter. By making his first movie in 1998 the following to his most successful one yet ‘The dark knight’ in 2008, Christopher Nolan is one of the most successful directors of the 21ST century.
Body of work
Christopher Nolan is best known for creating ‘The Dark Knight trilogy’ from 2005-2012. The Dark Knight is one of popular works having 1.5 billion dollars. He brought his own style into the worktable by projecting a comic book hero into a real fictional world.
Theme/Style
For the general mood of the trilogy, it brings that gothic feeling to the film that emphasis and focus Batman’s personality. I got the idea from Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989. Tim Burton is mostly famous gloomy film for a director so that also makes him an author. He also made Batman films (1989-1997) shortly before the released date of Batman begins in 2005.
Characteristics Signature
Batman/Bruce Wayne- During the day, a billionaire playboy who runs WayneTech in the heart in a fictional place called Gotham City. At night, a heroic vigilante who protects his city with justice and vengeance that fights beside him.
The Joker- Christopher Nolan done an excellent job for giving the role to the late Heath Ledger to play as The Joker. He brings the intense scene of humour to terrorised Gotham and Batman at the same time. His famous quote was “WHY SO SERIOUS’ (the message in the film)
Sound & Music Editing
Sounds and music are important when it comes to films. In the interrogation scene, the conflict between Batman’s and The Joker emotions change the mood and pasted of the music.
The first sound was the drum being repeated, which it can hear a couple of times when Batman hit The Joker. I think that the drum is like a heart getting faster as the scene. It begins at 1.30 then the sound becomes louder and fades out. Nolan wants the audience to become excited of the breaking point of scene of how the film is going to continue.
There was a high-pitched sound between 3.40-3.43. It came after when The Joker “You’re gonna have to play my little game if you wanna save one of them.” The music becomes louder and higher as the scene proceeds. The Joker’s Plot, Batman has to choose either to save Harvey Dent (Two-Face) or Rachel. This is like a two-way crisscross plot line in film.
Conclusion
I wrote key notes of what Christopher Nolan an auteur
- plays a key role
- grabs the audience attention immediately
- bank robbery scene in the dark knight
- the plane hijack in the dark knight rises
- nolan doesn’t believe in slow introducing
- adrenaline packed
- Make iconic scene at the beginning in the film
- usually starts with extreme long short to capture the scene and area
- does this by panning towards action/an important character
- the dark knight- camera pans through a city’’s skyline to a particular window
- the dark knight rises- camera tracks a plane what is flying over
Eniola Ijalana 