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

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

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From New York Times

It’s also another annoying example of the outdated auteur theory in that you use the possessive “Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’” when it is based on a novel by none other than Stephen King, which was adapted by Kubrick and Johnson and acted brilliantly — so it never belonged to Kubrick alone.

From Los Angeles Times