Reconsidering the politique des auteurs: a practice-based exploration

Abstract

This project reconsiders the politique des auteurs, especially the genesis, purpose and significance of that critical policy and method for film practice and criticism as conceived by François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, Jacques Rivette, Eric Rohmer and others in the pages of Cahiers du Cinéma during the 1950s. The hypothesis that the politique introduced a heuristic method for directorial personal expression is explored. Also considered are: the question of whether the designation auteur is solely within the means and authority of the director, or if the other creative collaborators, in particular the script-writer, might be designated a cinematic auteur, and, how specifically cinematic authorship might be constructed, or individual authorship might be achieved, within the collaborative process of filmmaking.

Date of Award	Mar 2010
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton