auteur theory

English

Popularized by American film critic Andrew Sarris (1928–2012).

auteur theory (uncountable)

(film) The view of film as an art form with an original and personal stylistic vision, especially in contrast to collective authorship in the studio system. [from 1960s]
- 1986, Aaron Sultanik, Film, a Modern Art, Associated University Presses, →ISBN, page 83:
  The intense degree of controversy that surrounds a discussion of the auteur theory as formulated by Truffaut and that has affected every level of “movie talk” from cocktail party gatherings to doctoral reviews can be partly assuaged in considering Bazin's role in the evolution of the politique des auteurs.
- 2019, Peter Wollen, Signs and Meaning in the Cinema‎^[1], Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:
  At this point, it is necessary to say something about the auteur theory since this has often been seen as a way of introducing the idea of the creative personality into the Hollywood cinema.