Andrew Sarris’ “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962"

What I find most interesting about the auteur theory discussed in Andrew Sarris’ article, “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962” is that it does not contain any specific guidelines. Because the establishment of the theory was never definitive, several individuals interpreted it in various ways and, as a result, individuals today are able to apply it in numerous ways. Though to this day, most directors take the majority of the credit for films that are produced, the auteur theory recognizes the many other positions held when creating a movie. Therefore, it does not just acknowledge the direction as the main author of a film, but rather includes the film production as an “operation of decipherment.” 

The theory also acknowledges the distinguishable character of the director, an element that viewers see throughout many films today. For instance, esteemed director, Quentin Tarantino, has a particular style of direction that he incorporates into all of this movies. Though an individual may not know a film he/she is watching was directed by Tarantino, after watching it, it is not difficult to identify the work with pre-existing knowledge of Tarantino’s style. Lastly, interior meaning is an element of the auteur theory as this form of meaning is incorporated inside the cinema as the director incorporates the film’s overall meaning into each scene of the film, though obvious or not. This is likely the most important elements of the theory because without a director’s fully thought out intentions within each shot, the film may consist of redundant scenes therefore reducing its overall quality.