The Auteur Theory

In this reading Wollen describes the auteur theory which is a way that directors use motifs. I enjoyed this reading because motifs are my favorite film element that we have discussed. When we watch films in class I am constantly trying to look out for the motifs and have begun to do the same when I watch movies in my free time. After learning their significance through class I realize how much they add to the film as a whole and allow the viewer to deeper understand the characters and the overall meaning of the film. I thought it was interesting how Hawk's films were analyzed in this reading to have a homosexual motif and how he sees an all male community as an ultimate. Also, the fact that in his films there is rarely any married life in contrast to Ford which always includes domestic scenes was insightful into understanding that all films meanings are different even when they seem to be in the same genre or have similar film elements. The auteur theory suggests that the viewer has to work at reading the text and I think through the films viewed in this class combined with the viewing notes we, as students are understanding of this theory.