Compare how far your chosen films reflect the auteur signature features of their filmmakers.

Both Casablanca and Bonnie and Clyde have differences in the extent in which they reflect the auteur signatures of their filmmakers. Casablanca was produced during the Golden age of cinema where the production company developed a house style in which all their films followed. This resulted in the the production company becoming the auteur rather than the director due to the lack of creative freedom the director was given. This heavily contrasts from Bonnie and Clyde, where Arthur Penn had a large amount of creative freedom which is shown through the clear auteurship throughout the film and the links to the French New Wave style as well as the independent cinema style. This difference in freedom between the directors in both films results in Casablanca reflecting the style prevalent in the Golden age of cinema whereas, Bonnie and Clyde shows freedom from a narrative and technical standpoint.

Casablanca is a romantic drama directed by Michael Curtiz and released in 1942. The film follows both Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Isla Lund (Ingrid Bergman) as the protagonists, following their dynamic and interesting relationship. This film is representative of the style found in the ‘Golden Age of Cinema.’

During the ‘Golden age of Hollywood’ the production companies became auteurs due to their unique and recognisable styles. This differs from the directors as they had little or no auteurship as they had little creative freedom. Casablanca can be shown as a product produced by an auteur institution because of Warner brother’s house style which is present throughout the film. Casablanca’s auteurship is first shown during the opening scene where the Warner brothers logo is shown which is an auteur feature in their films. Jack Warner encouraged projects against European fascism and Nazi Germany and critiqued these heavily, which can be shown as prominent within his films. This is especially shown in Casablanca as Jack Warner produced the film in order to promote America into joining the war showing it as a reflection of the auteur signature features of the house style rather than the filmmaker.

Max Steiner was an American theatre, film and music composer. He worked in England, in broadway and then he moved to Hollywood. There he became one of the first music composers for film. He composed films for Warner Brothers from 1937 to 1953 therefore developing Warner Brothers auteur style which is present throughout Casablanca. Steiner’s involvement in Casablanca creates an aesthetic from the score which suites the film effectively which is shown to be the case in many other Warner Brothers films showing its a product produced by an auteur institution. Steiner’s score can be shown to influence the viewer through his compositions. This is present during the opening scene of Casablanca as when the man has been pickpocketed the score turns darker and more dramatic in order to influence the audience and to show Casablanca as a dangerous place. Another example of this is towards the end of the film as when the protagonist is victorious the French National Anthem is played showing a patriotic and hopeful aesthetic. This therefore connects the audience to the film resulting in an engaging film. The repeated use of these techniques by Max Steiner in many films shows Casablanca as a product of an auteur institution rather than a specific filmmaker.

Hal B. Wallis was a film producer in America who produced Casablanca. He also produced many other major films for Warner Bros meaning he was in control of choosing the casting. Casablanca can be shown as a product produced by an auteur institution because of this as the cast would be very similar for many different Warner Brother films due to the stable of actors that they have. This stable is recognisable to Warner brothers and therefore presents Casablanca as part of an auteur institution rather than that of a filmmaker’s.

Casablanca was directed by Michael Curtiz who was recognised as ‘one of the most prolific directors in history.’ He directed many films in the silent era and many others in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Curtiz was initially a ‘well-known director in Europe when Warner Bros invited him to Hollywood in 1926. Over his Hollywood career he directed 102 films (most of them at Warner Studios). Casablanca is represented as a product of an auteur institution as Curtiz’s directing style has had a huge influence on Warner Brothers as an auteur institution. Curtiz’s auteurship is shown as he helped Warner Brothers develop their house style through his visual style that he introduced into Hollywood using a range of ‘artistic lighting, extensive and fluid camera movement, high crane shots, and unusual camera angles’ presenting Casablanca as reflecting the auteur signature due to these features in the film.

Warner Brothers auteurship is shown as many of there films takes place in exotic locations. Audiences prefer to see films that are located in unknown places and therefore they are shown off by Warner Brothers. This can be shown as Rick’s diner is an expansive set which is common in many Warner brothers films which suggests Casablanca as a product of an auteur institution. Additionally, the streets of Casablanca show a stark contrast to life in America with the camera craning down to show the suburban town in the opening sequence showing Warner Brothers using an exotic location to engage the audience and presenting them as part of an auteur institution rather than a specific filmmaker’s as it’s the house style which results in these uses of sets and exotic locations.  

Overall, Casablanca is a product produced by an auteur institution which is shown as many of the elements of filmmaking within Casablanca are representative of the general style of WarnerBrothers studios. Casablanca is extremely recognisable as a product of WarnerBrothers Studios because of elements such as cinematography, sound and the general production of the film and the people involved presenting it as a product of an auteur institution.

The invention of the television can be shown to have majorly effected the market for theatres as people started to prefer television over the cinema. This increase in competition along with the antitrust regulations meant there was far less money filling the industry creating a decline in profits. This therefore led to the rise of independent cinema presenting the clear contrast between the styles of Casablanca and Bonnie and Clyde and reflecting their different auteur signatures.

Despite Bonnie and Clyde’s attitudes towards realism the film still has many subtleties of the French New Wave style. Warren Beatty, who took the role of producer was interested in the French New Wave and therefore originally approached directors of this movement for the film showing its strong auteur influence. This influence would be present throughout the entirety of the production of Bonnie and Clyde and would influence Penn’s conception of the of the film. The film uses techniques from French New Wave for the characteristics of the characters as well as utilising fast cuts and changes in music to spontaneously shift the tone. There are similarities between Bonnie and Clyde and the French New Wave film Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless as they both feature anti hero protagonist’s who are arrogant and rebellious. Both protagonists are very masculine and have a sexual facades, where their characteristics of confidence and brutality (which attracts the audience) are the very flaws that lead to their downfall. This demonstrates Bonnie And Clyde reflecting auteur signatures due to the clear effect that these auteurs from the French New Wave had on the production of Bonnie and Clyde.

Bonnie and Clyde took a lot of influence from many French New Wave directors who looked passed the rules set by the Hollywood filmmakers to create a new style of cinema. The style they used often utlised lightweight cameras which were far smaller and often unattached from a tripod. This new handheld style bought a new life and more energy to the films. They used non-linear narratives and fragmented editing which was an ‘exciting contribution’ to the industry. Bonnie and Clyde used techniques such as hand hold shots to allow for more natural movements and flexibility throughout the scene which was aided by the technological advances made by the French New Wave directors showing that Bonnie And Clyde is an example of a product produced under the influence of auteurs. Additionally techniques such as improvised plot and dialogue, shooting on location, jump cuts swell as using available and natural lighting as well as direct sound are all elements developed from the French New wave which were utilised in Bonnie and Clyde and therefore presenting it as reflecting the auteur signature features of it’s filmmaker.

Bonnie and Clyde’s inspiration from the French New Wave can be shown through the films biographical genre and humanistic characteristics. This is similar to Francois Truffaut’s first full length film was ‘The 400 Blows’ which was a deep autobiographical film which’s style is recognisable in his later films as humanistic. The inspiration that Bonnie and Clyde took from Truffaut’s style shows it as being a reflection the auteur qualities of its filmmaker and the influence that it took from other auteurs.  

Bonnie and Clyde can be shown to have taken influence from Alain Resnais who was a French screenwriter and director whose career lasted over 60 years. His work questioned and broke the traditional linear storytelling as it moved between ‘blurred characterisation and jumped between plots and subplots, memories and fictions.’ His work presented the art of filmmaking using narrative techniques to create ‘perfectly lucid and completely impenetrable’ films which pushed the boundaries. Bonnie and Clyde can be shown to have taken influence from this as in the ‘meeting family sequence’ the film shows a dream-like sequence to show a moment of hope for Bonnie as she can see family members and friends again with little threat. This can be presented to be a dream or simply Bonnie’s imagination which is shown as the wide apertures used create a glowing affect along with the filter used to represent a dream like state. This therefore shows Bonnie and Clyde’s overall influence from Alain Resnais as this is a unique narrative technique which is similar to some of his ideas from the French new Wave and shows auteur qualities.

Bonnie and Clyde has a clear influence from direct cinema as it pushes against the grain offering harder and more edgy stories contrasting with Hollywood’s ‘happy endings.’ Towards the late 1980s Americas industry for independent cinema began to grow in a few ‘major American cities’ and then became a far stronger presence in Americas public culture. Independent films are often distinguishable from films produced by a large production company as their style and their content present the filmmaker’s artistic vision and not the production companies vision. Bonnie and Clyde took influence from this style of independent cinema as it followed the artistic vision of Arthur Penn as well as Warren Beatty showing the auteur signature features of their filmmakers.

Overall, while comparing both Casablanca and Bonnie and Clyde it can be argued that they are clear reflections of the auteur signature features which is shown by the house style which is prominent in Casablanca, compared to the influence of The French New Wave and independent cinema throughout Bonnie and Clyde. Additionally, the purpose of making the films differ due the contexts that they were made as Bonnie and Clyde was made as a representation of their lives and Casablanca for a political agenda. In this way it can be shown that both films are the products of different goals and ambitions and their stylistic qualities differ because of differences in the use of an auteur filmmaker or the lack of one in the case of Casablanca.

Unconventional Auteur: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942)

Research and write about how Casablanca is an example of a product produced by an auteur institution.

During the ‘Golden age of Hollywood’ the production companies became auteurs due to their unique and recognisable styles. This differs from the directors as they had little or no auteurship as they had little creative freedom. Casablanca can be shown as a product produced by an auteur institution because of Warner brother’s house style which is resent throughout the film.

Casablanca’s auteurship is first shown during the opening scene where the Warner brothers logo is shown which is an auteur feature in their films. Jack Warner encouraged projects against European fascism and Nazi Germany and critiqued these heavily, which can be shown as prominent within his films. This is especially shown in Casablanca as Jack Warner produced the film in order to promote America into joining the war showing it as a product of an auteur institution.

Casablanca is an example of a product produced by an auteur institution which is shown through Max Steiner as the composer. Max Steiner was an American theatre, film and music composer. He worked in England, in broadway and then he moved to Hollywood. There he became one of the first music composers for film. He composed films for Warner Brothers from 1937 to 1953 therefore developing Warner Brothers auteur style which is present throughout Casablanca showing it’s a product produced by an auteur institution.

Hal B. Wallis was a film producer in America who produced Casablanca. He also produced many other major films for Warner Bros meaning he was in control of choosing the cast. This therefore shows Casablanca as a product produced by an auteur institution as the producing and the cast would be very similar for many different Warner Brother films.

Casablanca was directed by Michael Curtiz who was recognised as ‘one of the most prolific directors in history.’ He directed many films in the silent era and many others in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Curtiz was initially a ‘well-known director in Europe when Warner Bros invited him to Hollywood in 1926. Over his Hollywood career he directed 102 films (most of them at Warner Studios). This therefore shows that Casablanca is the product of an auteur institution as Curtiz’s directing style has had a huge influence on Warner Brothers as an auteur institution. Curtiz’s auteurship is shown through his visual style that he introduced into Hollywood using a range of ‘artistic lighting, extensive and fluid camera movement, high crane shots, and unusual camera angles’ showing Casablanca as a product of an auteur institution.

Warner Brothers auteurship is shown as many of there films takes place in exotic locations. Audiences prefer to see films that are located in unknown places and therefore they are shown off by Warner Brothers. This can be shown as Rick’s diner is an expansive set which is common in many Warner brothers films. This therefore shows Casablanca as a product of an auteur institution. Additionally, the streets of Casablanca show a stark contrast to life in America with the camera craning down to show the suburban town in the opening sequence showing Warner Brothers using an exotic location to engage the audience and presenting them as part of an auteur institution.

Steiner’s score can be shown to influence the viewer through his compositions. This can be shown during the opening scene of Casablanca as when the man has been pickpocketed the score turns darker and more dramatic in order to influence the audience and to show Casablanca as a dangerous place. Another example of this is towards the end of the film as when the protagonist is victorious the French National Anthem is played showing a patriotic and hopeful aesthetic. This therefore connects the audience to the film resulting in an engaging film. The repeated use of these techniques by Max Steiner in many films shows Casablanca as a product of an auteur institution.

Second version –

You cover all the right material, James, but this feels a bit clunky and formulaic. You mention the name of an individual, give a sentence of explanation, then say “this can be seen in…” and then more or less repeat that for every paragraph. You should be trying to mount a convincing argument that culminates in the conclusion that while individual contributions helped shape the film it is their work together, under the leadership of Jack Warner, that can be considered the “auteur” element. Looks a bit Band 3, right now, but you should be able to whip it into shape…

During the ‘Golden age of Hollywood’ the production companies became auteurs due to their unique and recognisable styles. This differs from the directors as they had little or no auteurship as they had little creative freedom. Casablanca can be shown as a product produced by an auteur institution because of Warner brother’s house style which is present throughout the film.

Casablanca’s auteurship is first shown during the opening scene where the Warner brothers logo is shown which is an auteur feature in their films. Jack Warner encouraged projects against European fascism and Nazi Germany and critiqued these heavily, which can be shown as prominent within his films. This is especially shown in Casablanca as Jack Warner produced the film in order to promote America into joining the war showing it as a product of an auteur institution because of this.

Max Steiner was an American theatre, film and music composer. He worked in England, in broadway and then he moved to Hollywood. There he became one of the first music composers for film. He composed films for Warner Brothers from 1937 to 1953 therefore developing Warner Brothers auteur style which is present throughout Casablanca. Steiner’s involvement in Casablanca creates an aesthetic from the score which suites the film effectively which is shown to be the case in many other Warner Brothers films showing its a product produced by an auteur institution. Steiner’s score can be shown to influence the viewer through his compositions. This is present during the opening scene of Casablanca as when the man has been pickpocketed the score turns darker and more dramatic in order to influence the audience and to show Casablanca as a dangerous place. Another example of this is towards the end of the film as when the protagonist is victorious the French National Anthem is played showing a patriotic and hopeful aesthetic. This therefore connects the audience to the film resulting in an engaging film. The repeated use of these techniques by Max Steiner in many films shows Casablanca as a product of an auteur institution.

Hal B. Wallis was a film producer in America who produced Casablanca. He also produced many other major films for Warner Bros meaning he was in control of choosing the casting. Casablanca can be shown as a product produced by an auteur institution because of this as the cast would be very similar for many different Warner Brother films due to the stable of actors that they have. This stable is recognisable to Warner brother and therefore presents Casablanca as part of an auteur institution.

Casablanca was directed by Michael Curtiz who was recognised as ‘one of the most prolific directors in history.’ He directed many films in the silent era and many others in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Curtiz was initially a ‘well-known director in Europe when Warner Bros invited him to Hollywood in 1926. Over his Hollywood career he directed 102 films (most of them at Warner Studios). Casablanca is represented as a product of an auteur institution as Curtiz’s directing style has had a huge influence on Warner Brothers as an auteur institution. Curtiz’s auteurship is shown through his visual style that he introduced into Hollywood using a range of ‘artistic lighting, extensive and fluid camera movement, high crane shots, and unusual camera angles’ presenting Casablanca as a product of an auteur institution. 

Warner Brothers auteurship is shown as many of there films takes place in exotic locations. Audiences prefer to see films that are located in unknown places and therefore they are shown off by Warner Brothers. This can be shown as Rick’s diner is an expansive set which is common in many Warner brothers films which suggests Casablanca as a product of an auteur institution. Additionally, the streets of Casablanca show a stark contrast to life in America with the camera craning down to show the suburban town in the opening sequence showing Warner Brothers using an exotic location to engage the audience and presenting them as part of an auteur institution. 

Overall, Casablanca is a product produced by an auteur institution which is shown as many of the elements of filmmaking within Casablanca are representative of the general style of WarnerBrothers studios. Casablanca is extremely recognisable as a product of WarnerBrothers Studios because of elements such as cinematography, sound and the general production of the film and the people involved presenting it as a product of an auteur institution.

Warner Brothers – Institution as Auteur

Warner Brothers house style

Auteurs weren’t encouraged by the studio system however, the studio acted as if it was an auteur in its own right. There was a time in which Warner brothers differentiated them selves from other rivals, specialising in unique genre styles. They ‘made it big’ with their ‘big-screen realism’ from the 30s under the influence of production chief, Darryl F Zanuck and after, his successor, Hal B. Wallis. This therefore influenced a range of gangster films and crime dramas, giving Warner Brothers a unique style.

These films started to develop a ‘house style’ with “urban settings, snappy dialogue and a brisk pace, with scripts and performances that never strayed into sentimentality.” Their were an example of Warner brother auteur as they didn’t rely on ‘handsome, young men’ as starts in the films but instead they used acts that looks like ‘the unremarkable guy next door.’

Jack Warner was known for being a notoriously difficult boss who relentlessly worked actors with lower salaries than that of the other studios. He is known for recruiting many of the Warner Bro’s stars and promoting the ‘hard-edged social dramas; which the studio had become known for. He encouraged projects promoting the Democratic President Roosevelt’s ‘new deal’ agenda. He was very against European fascism and Nazi Germany and critiqued these heavily, which can be shown as prominent within his films.

Hal B. Wallis was a film producer in America. He’s most known for producing ‘Casablanca (1942), The adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and The Grit (1966).’ He also produced many other major films for Warner Bros. He received 19 nominations in the Academy Award for Best Picture as a producer.

Michael Curtiz was a film director who was recognised as ‘one of the most prolific directors in history.’ He directed many films in the silent era and many others in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Curtiz was initially a ‘well-known director in Europe when Warner Bros invited him to Hollywood in 1926.’ Curtiz had directed 64 films in Europe and when he joined Warner Bros. helped them soon become the fastest growing studio. Over his Hollywood career he directed 102 films (most of them at Warner Studios). He directed 10 actors to Oscar nominations. He was nominated 5 times and won twice. Best Short Subject Sons of Liberty) and Best Director (Casablanca). He introduced a visual style to Hollywood using a range of ‘artistic lighting, extensive and fluid camera movement, high crane shots, and unusual camera angles.’ He was versatile as he could adapt to many styles. These include, ‘melodrama, comedy, love story, film noir, musical, war story, Western, or historical epic.’

Arthur Edeson was a cinematographer who’s career ran throughout the silent era and into the Golden Age of Cinema. His work included films such as ‘The Thief of Bagdad (1924), Frankenstein (1931), The Maltese Falcon (1941), and Casablanca (1942).’ He was known for being one of the founders of the ‘American Society of Cinematographers’ and was nominated foe the Academy Awards three times throughout his career.

Max Steiner was an American theatre and film, music composer. He worked in England, the in broadway and then he moved to Hollywood. There he became one of the first music composers for film. He composed in more than 300 films, he won three academy awards and was nominated for 24. Some of Seiner’s notable works were ‘King Kong (1933), Little Women (1933), Jezebel (1938), and Casablanca (1942).’ He was awarded the Golden Globe Award for best Original Score.’

Component 2b – Auteur Essay

“Experimental film is often the result of an auteur challenging established conventions with fresh ideas.” With reference to your chosen film option, how far do you agree with this statement?

An auteur is an artist or film director who uses subjective and centralised control in which to apply aspects to creative works. An auteurs work is often very stylised making it easy to identify the director from examples of their work. The Auteur theory, introduced by film critic Andre Bazin stated that a film’s unique and creative qualities derive from the director’s style as the creator. Tarantino can be considered an Auteur due to his highly distinguishable films. Pulp Fiction’s gritty violence and enthralling character development effectively shows Tarantino’s ability to subjugate the audience and presenting his unique and recognisable style of filmmaking while doing so.

An example of Tarantino’s auteurship is shown through the large amounts of detailed yet encaptivating dialogue. Contrasting from other directors, Tarantino utilises scenes designed to present relatable yet somewhat irrelevant information intertwined with essential dialogue which the remainder of the film relies upon. This therefore creates a connection between the audience and the characters showing Tarantino’s auteurship and how this leads to a greater final product. This is most prevalent in the introduction with Jules and Vince as they have conversations surrounding topics such as Amsterdam and Macdonalds which may seem irrelevant but allows the audience to relate to them so when their professions are revealed they are still shown as the protagonists. While doing this it also provides the audience with vital information such as the introduction of Marsellus and Mia.

A feature which shows Tarantino’s auteurship is the large and recognisable cast. This is shown within Pulp Fiction and many of his other films as it helps draw people to see the film. Tarantino is a well known and highly respected director which combined with a popular cast results in the most commercially successful film possible. The use of a well-respected cast results in the assurance that the characters are going to be played to the highest quality resulting in the best overall product. This concept is shown throughout the entirety of Pulp Fiction as the cast is made of popular actors such as Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Tim Roth. This shows Tarantino’s auteurship due to his repeated use in actors such as Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman and Tim Roth.

Tarantino portrays a retro-aesthetic throughout many of his films showing an example of him being an Auteur. This is presented throughout Pulp Fiction as it shows a 50s aesthetic throughout many scenes. This is most present within the diner which’s architecture is representative of a past time as well as the classic film posters and cars hinting to a vintage aesthetic. This may be to provoke a sense of nostalgia in order for the audience to have positive associations with the film. This can be representative of Tarantino using his auteurship to challenge established conventions with fresh ideas due to the returning influence of artistic movements such as comic illustration, pop-art and photomontage which Tarantino uses to create unique mise-en-scene resulting in an increase in the audience’s attention. A retro-aesthetic can also be shown when Butch and Fabienne ride off on a chopper as an example of the retro feel achieved by Tarantino.

Tarantino can be considered an auteur due to the exaggerated violence shown in his films. Although violence is common to be shown in films Tarantino’s use can be shown to be over the top and excessive to provoke shock upon the viewer. This is shown throughout the entirety of Pulp Fiction most notably in the chapter which introduces Vince and Jules. When the teenagers are shot by Jules he shoots him an excessive amount of times which isn’t needed however creates effect upon the audience. Another time this is shown is when Vince shoots Marv as this surprises the audience in this overly gruesome scene perfectly showing Tarantino’s auteurship.

Another presentation of Tarantino as an auteur is his use of past rock music in his films. This is present throughout all his work but is particularly prevalent in Pulp Fiction. This can be seen as most effective in the dance scene between Mia and Vince as the song has romantic undertones which effectively creates tension due to the consequence of Mia and Vince as love interests. Tarantino’s use of this music is often essential to provoke the audience into reacting in a certain way. As well as Pulp Fiction this technique is a large part of films such as Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill which uses their soundtrack to progress the story of the film.

Overall, Tarantino’s methods of filmmaking present him as an auteur due to his repeated style and techniques presented throughout his films. Due to this, his films are highly recognisable which has resulted in Tarantino’s success and popularity around the world. Pulp Fiction’s experimental nature is certainly presented effectively due to Tarantino’s auteurship as he is known for his non-linear scripts resulting in experimental and unique films. Additionally, Tarantino’s auteurship is also shown through his ability to subvert expectations by showing strength to the underdog. In addition, he is morally ambiguous and often shows raw emotions over ethical action which is present in the killing within Pulp Fiction which is then questioned later by Jules. Finally, his use of strong, racist and sexist language result in realistic and impactful scenes of dialogue which is shown throughout all of his films. Tarantino can be considered an auteur due to his complete control over his films letting his stylist techniques dictate the feel in the film.

All good, James — a solid Band 4/5 answer. You could add something about the parallels between what Tarantino did and what happened during the French New Wave. It might also be an idea, in your conclusion, to list other auteur signature features that you haven’t described in depth elsewhere…

Tarantino is demonstrated to challenge established conventions with experimental ideas which are shown from his inspiration from the French New Wave. The French New Wave is known for invigorating cinematic narratives and rejecting traditional linear tropes. Similarly to this Pulp Fiction looks past rules set by Hollywood in order to create a unique and intriguing product. This is demonstrated through the non-linear style which makes him recognisable as an auteur. Tarantino’s manipulation of the timeline throughout Pulp-fiction from the differentiation between a linear narrative and the narrative that’s presented throughout the film challenges the established conventions of Hollywood. This is demonstrated as the Pumpkin and Honey Bunny scene which Tarantino shows the audience first is actually towards the end of the timeline and the scene where Butch and Fabienne leave the city is actually at the end of the timeline even though it isn’t the final thing that is presented by Tarantino in the film.

Auteur or Not

An autear is someone that is creative, often a film director that has a specific artistic vision which is conveyed throughout the movie. The style is often recognisable to their films and is unique from the work of other directors.

Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott is a director that has been making films from 1965 to present day.  He is most famous for directing Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator. Scott focuses on a wide range of genres and styles but most of his films consist of scenes full of tension and action.

Alien

My favourite Ridley Scott film is Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979). I love Alien as it was such a unique concept at the time. Most of the film takes place in one location making it feel very enclosed.  This rises the tension as the characters have no where to hide as the alien hunts them down one by one. 

The physical effects look realistic and give a certain aesthetic to the film.  These physical effects make the gory and violent scenes more impactful as CGI can often takeaway from the experience.  The styling from Scott is very obvious as you can the fast paced cuts in the tense scenes.  In the scenes where they aren’t as under threat Scott likes to focus on close ups of the characters face to show the emotions which are often negative. Because of this the tension remains throughout the whole movie as you can see their reactions to the current events. 

You can see the styling of Ridley Scott through the mystery he presents throughout the movie showing as little of the alien as possible to create more suspension and to make it more impactful when they actually show the alien.  Alien is a very well directed film with a horror and sci-fi aspect to it that Scott delivers very well.

As well as directing the first Alien film Ridley Scott has also more recently directed Prometheus and Alien Covenant which are both part of the Alien series.  I think these are great additions to the franchise of films as they fill in many gaps from the other films and let the audience start to understand the origins of the series of films.

These films are very good as they have the styling and aesthetic of Ridley Scott and are reminiscent of the first film. However, they do not live up to the original as I much prefer the use of practical effects and enclosed scenario that the original characters were put into.        

There has been many additions to the Alien change but none of them have given off the same vibe as the original.  I do like Aliens but as it has a different director directing the movie it doesn’t have the same aesthetic. 

I believe that the difference from Alien and Aliens are very different.  Alien is a sci-fi horror yet Aliens is a sci-fi action making the movie very different and created a very different movie watching experience.  I believe that Aliens doesn’t build up the tension to the same level that Alien does and fails to add the element of mystery and surprise in the same way Alien does.   

Overall, I have a genuine love for this movie and believe that Ridley Scott has created a truly iconic film which couldn’t have been done without his unique styling which shows that he is an auteur.

        

Blade Runner

Three years after the release of Alien (which was Scott’s first mainstream film) he released Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982).  This was a sci-fi action film based in a dystopian urban setting.  This movie utilizes a unique and creative story line to captivate the audience. 

Many movies from Scott have a certain aesthetic and Blade Runner is no different.  Both Blade Runner and Alien have a dark and grungy style which Scott creates to show the unpleasantness of the area.  The urban area in Blade Runner presents the time they are living in as very negative as a lot of the areas are run down.  Because of this the audience can assume what goes on in these areas are bad as well.  Because of this constant negative mood in the setting throughout the movie the ambience is very dark and almost dreary with only few pockets of life.

Ridley Scott is known for his action scenes and these are used a lot in this movie.  He uses fast paced scenes to convey lots of information about the scene quickly. He used mainly close ups and mid shots to show the expressions of the characters as they fight. This is to show emotion to draw the viewer closer into the scene.  Scott often uses close ups in many of his films to show emotion and make scenes more powerful to the audience.

Sound design is very important in Ridley Scott films as it sets the mood for the setting and the story.  The sound design for Blade Runner is dark yet mysterious giving the impression that not everything is as it seem and the may be some evil lurking underneath. Many of Scott’s films very good soundtracks which give the audience information about what’s going to happen during the film.

      

The Martian

A recent Ridley Scott film is The Martian (Ridley Scott, 2015).  This movie’s genre is sci-fi adventure however, it is very different from other sci-fi films he’s done in the passed. 

The Martians is a very suspenseful film however, it’s styling is very different from other film by Ridley Scott.  This is because there isn’t an obvious ‘bad guy’ and instead it’s the conditions he has the to face.  Because of this Scott’s stylistic choice of giving an aspect of mystery to the antagonist cannot be shown.  This one common trait between lots of Scott’s films cannot be shown in this film showing that it may have a different stylistic approach for the different aesthetic to the film.   

However Scott’s focus on character development throughout all his movies is shown in The Martian as throughout the movie you start to feel an emotional connection towards the protagonist (Mark Watney).  This is done by showing the harshness of the situations that he’s in and using many close ups to show his emotion.  This is shown early on in the film where Watney has to do surgery on himself in a very tense and gruesome scene.  Because of this initial struggle to survive the audience immediately feel sorry for him and therefore support him throughout the rest of the movie.      

Tension is a common part of many Ridley Scott movies and this is shown to it’s fullest in The Martian.  The character development leads to the audience caring for the main character and therefore wishing for him not to be hurt.  Because of this the tension rises at many points throughout the movie as you believe Watney will die.

The aesthetic in this movie is very different as in others such as Alien and Blade Runner the settings that control the aesthetic are dark and mechanical. This is what you often expect from a sci-fi however, with the Martian taking a more realistic and slightly less futuristic take you do not get this same aesthetic showing that can prove that you cannot tell that a film is made by Ridley Scott just because of the style as each of his movie are unique even if others are slightly more similar.   

                

Summary

Overall, I believe the auteur label is applicable as each of his movies has a certain style to it that is recognisable.  His style is often dark and grungy which is especially shown in some of his earlier work.  However, there is exceptions where movies can be drastically different from one another however there is always some similarities that you can spot between films.  Ridley Scot may not have the most recognisable style compared to other directors such as Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino but his style is still recognisable between all of his movies and between the different genres.  I believe he has developed and changed throughout the years of film making but you can still see the notable similarities.