Andrew Sarris: Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962- Dave Katzman

Andrew Sarris’s, Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962 helped explained many aspects of what it means to be an auteur.  Many of the ideas he explores I was familiar with, however, he elaborated upon these ideas and made the characteristics of what it means to be an auteur clearer to me.  His discussion of how a creative voice can shine through the film’s studio interference made me think of a number of directors who I felt showed a clear style and vision in all of their movies.  Directors such as Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and Terrence Malik came to mind instantly.  I believe that these three directors are clearly auteurs after experiencing a number of their works. What I found more difficult to decide was if directors such as Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, and Jeff Nichols are auteurs.  All three directors do not have a very obvious style about it terms of relating to formal elements.  However, a close analysis of all of their films certainly represents core similarities.  For instance, Spielberg loves to focus on small town America during times of great mystery, and Fincher loves to represent distant characters living in desolate environments.  I believe that a similar thread that unities all of a director’s films classifies these directors as auteurs as well.  This same idea applies to directors such as Paul Thomas Anderson and Guillermo del Toro.