auteur theory

noun

1. (in film criticism) a theory that the director is the chief creator of a film and gives it an individual style that is evident in all aspects of the finished product.

Word History and Origins

Origin of auteur theory¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

In the 60 years since the arrival of the auteur theory on the shores of America, all that has changed, and “Hitchcock/Truffaut” was at the crest of the wave.

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For better or worse, here is the first full argument for the “director as auteur” theory in classic Hollywood film.

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It imported the auteur theory from France to the U.S.

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He adheres to the pervasive, pernicious auteur theory, which insists that even non-writing directors are the “authors” of their movies.

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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.

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