auteur theory
noun
: a view of filmmaking in which the director is considered the primary creative force in a motion picture
Examples of auteur theory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In film theory, auteur theory speaks of directors who make movies that are unmistakably theirs.
—
Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2023
For more than half a century, a coterie of critics and filmmakers has been making the case for what’s known as auteur theory: the idea that great directors are the central creative forces behind their films, shaping them just as authors shape their books.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
A lot of very dumb things have been said about the auteur theory in recent years, all of which ignore its beautiful central tenet, which is that some filmmakers’ sensibilities shine through their work no matter the material.
—Vulture, 7 Sep. 2023
There may be no greater refutation of the auteur theory — the notion that a great film is the product of a single directorial genius — than the number of fine movies that were assembled by scrabbling, sometimes squabbling parties, operating with no clear end in sight.
—Louis Bayard, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2023
In an interview in Sight & Sound’s September issue, Tarantino compared Claude Chabrol to Truffaut (who, it must be said, popularized auteur theory).
—Vulture, 28 Aug. 2022
The critic Richard Schickel appears to explicate a version of auteur theory as a way of praising famously independent-minded directors, like Capra and Welles.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2022
This way of working is probably influenced by the fact that in France, independent filmmaking usually has to do with the politics of auteur theory.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 26 May 2022
According to DuVernay’s politically correct auteur theory, filmmakers are distinguished by their ethnicity and gender.
—Armond White, National Review, 23 Mar. 2022
Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2023
For more than half a century, a coterie of critics and filmmakers has been making the case for what’s known as auteur theory: the idea that great directors are the central creative forces behind their films, shaping them just as authors shape their books.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
A lot of very dumb things have been said about the auteur theory in recent years, all of which ignore its beautiful central tenet, which is that some filmmakers’ sensibilities shine through their work no matter the material.
—Vulture, 7 Sep. 2023
There may be no greater refutation of the auteur theory — the notion that a great film is the product of a single directorial genius — than the number of fine movies that were assembled by scrabbling, sometimes squabbling parties, operating with no clear end in sight.
—Louis Bayard, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2023
In an interview in Sight & Sound’s September issue, Tarantino compared Claude Chabrol to Truffaut (who, it must be said, popularized auteur theory).
—Vulture, 28 Aug. 2022
The critic Richard Schickel appears to explicate a version of auteur theory as a way of praising famously independent-minded directors, like Capra and Welles.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2022
This way of working is probably influenced by the fact that in France, independent filmmaking usually has to do with the politics of auteur theory.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 26 May 2022
According to DuVernay’s politically correct auteur theory, filmmakers are distinguished by their ethnicity and gender.
—Armond White, National Review, 23 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'auteur theory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Auteur theory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auteur%20theory. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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