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Flow of Ideas: articles - Hitchcock: classic auteur |
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| ‘For the Cahiers auteur critics Hitchcock was the classic auteur’ (The Cinema Book). What makes Hitchcock a ‘classic auteur’? Is the concept of authorship useful to our understanding and appreciation of cinema? Essay by Gregory Rikowski The term ‘auteur’ dates back to the 1920s and the term ‘author’s film’ has grown partly in a response to the French Film art cinema movement that began in 1908 (Hayward, 1996, p.31). The Cahiers auteur claims that Hitchcock was a classic auteur (Cook, 2007, p.398). There are several reasons that make Hitchcock a classic auteur. Firstly there was the effect he had on not only the British film industry and silent films but also on Hollywood. He made a great contribution in all of these areas which led to him being a highly recognised and significant director. Auteurs are known for creating artistically something new and refreshing. In his films Hitchcock’s ability to create suspense using music mixed with dramatic climax was important in terms of him becoming successful globally and artistically. The cinematic visual style form he used was a key feature which was important and demonstrated Hitchcock’s style and motives. He has artistically changed the way in which film is shown as he influenced the horror, thriller genre. I will discuss these and other reasons as to why Hitchcock is considered a classic auteur. In this essay I will also be arguing why I think the concept of authorship is useful to our understanding and appreciation of cinema. Authorship is useful in our understanding because it emphasises the director’s style and his motives. It gives credit to the authors’ work. To be considered an auteur you must have a unique, individual style of filmmaking. An auteur is the creator of a film in terms of it being a work of art. To be an auteur you need to focus on ways which will surprise people and ways which will break film conventions. So to appreciate an auteur means you are appreciating someone who is innovative and expressive. In Vertigo (1958) for example there was a scene in the middle of the film where it shows a static mid shot of James Stewart who is driving. The camera then switches to his point of view and we see the road in front of him. Moving roughly half a minute longer into the film he enters a church and the camera is placed with a mid shot of him entering. Then we have a long shot of the hall in the church from his point of view. He soon enters a garden as the camera looks up at him from a very low point as it moves more upward. It is a mid shot of him. As he starts walking towards a woman the camera then starts to track with Stewart. This visual quality indicates many different types of shots and positioning. This shows a lot of innovation and an experimental taste. He makes the shot in this film just long enough for you to appreciate his intentions. Hitchcock has been recognised for combining artistic ambition with commercialism which is known as ‘art cinema’. (O’pray, p.2, 2003). The concept of authorship is also useful because it brings a distinction between directors and true auteurs (Cook, 2007, p.390). Auteurs such as Hitchcock try their best to create a film which suits their interests, desires and character but also interests the mass audiences. Truffaut and the Cahiers said that the ideal way to direct should be the same way that a writer uses a pen - i.e. by imprinting his or her own vision on the work (www.nationmaster.com). It is useful, indeed crucial to understand the concept of authorship. Without appreciating authorship you are not appreciating film in its fullest sense and the involvement of the author. This concept brings life into film and gives it more of a varied dimension. If the term ‘authorship’ was not understood then film would be more of a profit making medium, without the proper understanding of creative interest and innovation. It would be considered more of a commercial investment than an individual at work. The 1960s was a period when ‘classic auteurs’ were starting to make a name for themselves. Young directors were experimenting, trying new and different ways of changing film. Alfred Hitchcock is thought of as an auteur. The French new wave also influenced many directors’ that led to them being considered as auteurs’. This includes directors such as Jean-Luc Goddard, Francois Truffaut and Claude Chabrol. The Cahiers auteur critics say that Hitchcock was a classic auteur: ‘‘A master of cinematic mise en scene who created an unmistakable and homogeneous worldview, controlling the audience so that they were completely at the mercy of his intentions’’ (Cook, 2007, p.398). Hitchcock did this in several ways. Firstly he films in a way that makes us have a certain degree of sympathy. It is a point of view which is subjective and personal (Wood, 1989, p.306). In Psycho for example we follow the story of Janet Leigh throughout the first part of the film. Because of the fact that we follow her and we can hear what she is thinking, this makes us empathize with her. One scene in particular shows the camera in a static state and films her from a close up in front of her whilst she is driving. We start to feel uncertain and anxious especially because of the fact that she gets followed by a police officer and we see her problems emerge. We are engaging with Hitchcock’s intentions, to make us feel for her and to identify with her. Hitchcock in this way creates a very powerful atmosphere in much of his films. He creates a powerful effect by using suspense, identifying with characters, empathising and the classic point of view shot which he often uses. He also makes the audience engage with his films because of the way innocent people get caught in certain circumstances that are beyond their control. The Birds (1963) is a good example of this because the whole idea of birds taking over the world is beyond our control and brings in elements of the horror genre. He plays with our emotions and goes beyond our general expectations. Another one is the way in which the viewer is feeling anxious that may or may not be solved by the narrative (Cook, 2007, p.401). This is a key part of Hitchcock which changed film; his ability to make the audience engage with the narrative. As a result Hitchcock creates an effect of uncertainty: he makes us feel as though everything may fall apart (Wood, 1989, p.306). What makes Hitchcock a distinct auteur is the purity of his style and his individual way of filming. This makes him an identifiable director that makes viewers establish his individual style. Hitchcock was one who appreciated aesthetics and creativity as a pure visual form. ‘‘I don’t remember too much about The Farmers Wife, but I know that filming that play stimulated my wish to express myself in purely cinematic terms’’(Truffaut, 1984, p.65). Hitchcock is also thought of as a classic auteur because of the cinematic way of filming and the effect he brings. His style creates a cinematic effect which mixes successfully with his use of suspense. When Hitchcock films there is a feeling of smoothness and precision which cinematically he tries to perfect. This is shown in his film Vertigo and Topaz (1969) where the films try to engage with the audience visually. He does this by placing the camera in different angles and in different heights. We have a mixture of long shots, medium shots and close ups. He uses cinematic devices such as the point of view shooting which he has been better known for (Wood, 1989, p.306). The consequence of this effect was to make the audience feel in a particular way. This is how he plays with the viewers feelings; by putting yourself in someone’s position which makes you feel in a certain way depending on their journey in the film. He also uses techniques such as the zoom-in with his camera which increases his intended dramatic effect (Cook, 2007, p.399). In conclusion the concept of authorship is indeed useful to our understanding and appreciation of cinema. Firstly it gives the director credit for the amount of work that the person has put into the film. It can also help to distinguish between director’s who simply direct by mastering the film techniques, to those who are considered ‘auteurs’. It gives us a clearer understanding of the author’s work. Finally this concept gives film more of a varied dimension that can help to analyse film better. Hitchcock is considered highly as a ‘classic auteur’ for several reasons. His way of filming was revolutionary to the horror/thriller genres that changed film. He was well known for controlling the audience so that they were at the mercy of his intentions. Hitchcock makes us empathize and identify with his character which makes the viewer heavily engaged with his films. He does this in a very powerful manner. The style is pure and distinct which makes him an identifiable director. Hitchcock is also considered to be an auteur because of the cinematic visual style he creates. His use of zoom-in and his use of edits heighten the dramatic cinematic effect. So globally Hitchcock is acknowledged for the significant contribution he had on film and is considered as well as some others as a ‘classic auteur’. References Books Cook, Pam (edited by) (2007) The Cinema Book Third edition. BFI, London Hayward, Susan. (1996) Cinema Studies Third edition. Routledge, London and New York. Truffaut, Francois (1984) Hitchcock Paladin, London Wood, Robin. (1989) Hitchcock’s films revisited Columbia University Press, New York. Websites Auteur Theory Encyclopedia: Auteur theory Filmography Hitchcock, A. (1960) [2005] Psycho (Bonus Material): Universal Studios Hitchcock, A. (1958) [2005] Vertigo (Bonus material): Universal Studios Hitchcock, A. (1963). The Birds Hitchcock, A. (1969). Topaz This essay was originally written for the ‘Introduction to Cinema’ course, part of a Certificate in Higher Education, that Gregory Rikowski studied for 2007-2009, at Birkbeck College, University of London, December 2008 © Copyright, Gregory Rikowski, January 2009 Print Friendly - Print Friendly with links |
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