What separates a film-maker from an auteur is that films should not be a simple re-telling of an established story, that is what Truffaut describes as a “metteur en scene”, someone who simply dresses the scene rather than providing a unique creative input. Therefore in Truffaut’s perception, what makes an auteur is someone who has a unique and creative style and has a specific vision in the film in which they wish to create.
George Lucas
George Lucas falls under this category in the fact that his Star Wars franchise was of his own unique creation and how he had a specific vision in what his galaxy far far away was going to be viewed by the audience, however he does not use innovative cinematic techniques. However Peter Wollen talks of the director being a catalyst and utilises all key aspects of film techniques to create a specific theme or motif, which Lucas does, using the advancement in computer and CGI technology to create his specific vision, which was primarily used with the final 3 Star Wars films from 1999 onwards and used in the 2004 re-release of the original trilogy.
EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE
Episode IV: A New Hope is a cultural phenomenon in the sense that Lucas utilises basic technology, primarily models of star-ships and moon bases to create a new perception in science-fiction, which until then had been of poor creation and execution in film-making. The infamous attack on the Death Star in the film’s final act using these methods made the experience more exhilarating and able to capture the audience, making them feel that they were witnessing something truly amazing.
Creating humanoid aliens such as C-3PO, Chewbacca and Darth Vader with elaborate costume and make-up, along with utilising model sets, Lucas is successfully able to make a film that appears to not only look as if it is set in the future, but make a film appear timeless.
EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE
Episode I: The Phantom Menace is the first of the franchise in which Lucas is fully able to show the audience his vision using CGI, many of the establishing shots of planets in the film such as Naboo, Tatooine and Coruscant are shot at an extremely wide angle to showcase the full spectacle of the planet.
This allows action scenes, such as the pod race on Tatooine and the final battle against the Trade Federation more spectacular and engaging to the audience.
EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH
By the final instalment Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Lucas has been able to combine both visual amazement with classic storytelling as not only does Lucas visually capture and engage the audience with spectacular scenes such as the opening battle, to the montage of the Jedi Knights being massacred but also capturing the human story, enforced through composing, Lucas is able to show how Anakin succumbs to the dark side, ultimately becoming Darth Vader, a character that he is destined to become.
So by creating a world that millions of fans has embraced, engaged and understood must be signs that George Lucas has a specific vision “style” that captures the imagination of the audience and takes us on an adventure of a lifetime!
BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES: For more information on Star Wars History visit here.
Created in 1903 by Edwin S Porter, this film is largely recognised as the first "feature length film" at just twelve minutes long. This film created a significant impact upon society in regards to the American film industry, using cinematography and editing techniques such as cross cutting, that was rarely used before. The film's iconic ending shocked audience's at the time by breaking Stanislavski's fourth wall, engaging with the audience rather than keeping the audience as observers. This film helped to encourage filmmakers to be more creative with the camera as well as display the advances in movie-making technology at the time.
This controversial classic from D.W.Griffith tells the tale of two families and their struggle through the time period of the American Civil War, with the evidential rise of the Klu Klux Klan. Again using the cross cutting technique, allowing multiple stories and actions to take place within the one film, this film aided in creating new methods of storytelling. However the controversy of racism remains an issue, as this film aids in the glorification of The Klu Klux Klan who are the heroes of the story. The fact the issue of the story has been a topic of debate for almost one hundred years shows that the strong political message was clearly portrayed by Griffith, allowing directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Roman Polanski and Martin Scorsese to create messages through strong graphic storytelling.
In the early stages of movie-making, European movies (seen as artistic) were experimenting with the latest advances in photography creating a motion picture, creating a narrative story through images taken at approximately sixteen frames per second. This film is one of the earliest films created, being one of the first films to create a narrative, as well as the earliest examples of special effects, as shown through the iconic image of "The Man In The Moon" (see below).
This film not only created an escapism, being a film to explore science fiction, but also started the idea of filmmakers to create a clear and concise narrative and utilise this new concept of motion picture to create a new method of storytelling.
In the early ages of motion pictures, with the absence of audio, silent film ruled. However, as shown with the past examples, early films largely focused on straight storytelling, creating a clear narrative for the audience to engage in. This film marks two things, firstly the arrival of silent comedies and (most importantly!) the debut of Charlie Chaplin, commonly seen as one of, if not the greatest silent comic in history. At a time of war, comedy was seen as an escape from the horrors of the real world. This defining film shows the start of the silent comedy era, which made actors such as Chaplin and Buster Keaton reach such an iconic status in the early ages of cinema.
This film is perhaps the most defining moment in the early stages of cinema in the early Twentieth Century as this film marked the birth of motion pictures containing sound, or a “talky” as they were more commonly known. This began the Golden Age of Hollywood, actors being hired for their singing and speaking capabilities, not necessarily being hired for their acting abilities as body language was now no longer necessary. The iconic singing within the film was a first of its time and allowed films to begin creating soundtracks and changing the concept of modern cinema at the time.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
BAILEY, A., 2007. Cinema Now. Cologne, Germany: Taschen
MONACO, J., 1981. How To Read A Film, New York, NY: Oxford University Press
Welcome to the birth of my Cinema and Society page. Over the next few weeks I will be looking at various pieces of cinema and how, through various cinematography and psychoanalytical methods, films create meaning and can have an impact on our society, through technological advances in film or change our culture entirely!
