Write:
In my introductory paragraph,
Explain auteur theory in my own words and why this is a useful approach to the study of film.
Tip: review Chapter 8.3
in Film: From Watching to Seeing for a clear definition of auteur
theory and why auteur theory is one useful approach to the study of
film. Do I think the director is the sole owner of a film’s success or
its failure?
Describe, using Chapter 8 of the text as a reference, the criteria for what makes a director an auteur.
Tip: review Chapter 8.3
in Film: From Watching to Seeing for a clear guide to Andrew Sarris’s
criteria for auteur theory. Remember to evaluate specific examples from
your chosen director’s films to decide whether or not they meet the
criteria.
Identify a director who meets the criteria posed by auteur theory.
Please use Jordan Peele for this essay. Thank you.
Summarize briefly the ways in which Jordan Peele meets the criteria using examples from at least two of the director’s films.
I chose You and you can choose other of his film for example.
Develop a thesis statement that focuses
on how your chosen director and their films meet the criteria posed by
auteur theory and advances the possibilities of storytelling through the
medium of film.
Example: In her films The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette,
Sofia Coppola demonstrates that she belongs among the list of auteurs
for her elaborate costuming, consistent use of light and color, her
reliance on actor Kirsten Dunst in the lead roles, and telling stories
that focus on young women coming of age amidst formidable obstacles.
In the body of my paper,
Apply the lens of auteur theory in
breaking down the Jordan Peele’s technical competence, distinguishable
personality, and interior meaning using specific examples of their work
(e.g., particular scenes or plot components).
Tip: use at
least one paragraph for each criteria (or two paragraphs for each
criteria, one for your analysis of each of two films) to analyze
specific techniques and themes that demonstrate how your director meets
the three criteria of auteur theory.
Analyze the specific ways in which
filmmaking techniques, consistent themes, and storytelling distinguish
your chosen director as an auteur among their peers.
Example: the elaborate costumes
in Coppola’s Marie Antoinette help to establish the period in which the
film is set, and go beyond it by drawing particular attention to the
extravagance and excess of Pre-revolutionary France. The ornate and
colorful dresses worn by Kirsten Dunst’s Marie Antoinette allude to the
equally colorful cakes, for which she is infamous, having said, “let
them eat cake.”
Evaluate your chosen director’s ethos, that is what they have to say about complex social and cultural issues.
Tip: the ethos is the director’s
characteristic spirit, evidenced by their beliefs and aspirations. A
director’s ethos is directly connected to the type of stories they tell
and what they intend to communicate in telling those stories.
In the conclusion of my paper,
Connect each element of your analysis to show how your chosen
director meets the three criteria of auteur theory and what this
director’s body of work has to say about social and cultural issues.
Tip: my
conclusion should restate my thesis and remind the reader which
specific examples demonstrate how your chosen director meets—or doesn’t
meet—the criteria of auteur theory and remind us why auteur theory is a
valuable tool for film analysis.
Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice
Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your
introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that
indicates the purpose of your paper.
For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions
Links to an external site., refer to the Writing Center resources.
Must use at least two scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources
