Final Exam

Here's a definition of auteur from Wikipedia:

The term auteur (French for author) is used to describe film directors (or, more rarely, producers, or writers) who are considered to have a distinctive, recognizable style, because they (a) repeatedly return to the same subject matter, (b) habitually address a particular psychological or moral theme, (c) employ a recurring visual and aesthetic style, or (d) demonstrate any combination of the above. In theory, an auteur's films are identifiable regardless of their genre. The term was first applied in its cinematic sense in François Truffaut's 1954 essay "A Certain Tendency of the French Cinema."

Your task? 1. Research and study an auteur of your choice.  2. Compose a written report.  3. Share your findings with the class in a 15-20 minute presentation.

Part 1 - Research
You'll want to collect a variety of sources to educate yourself on your director. These sources can include books, print interviews, video interviews, newspaper and magazine articles, journals, websites, etc. Just be sure that each of your sources are reliable. (Note: Wikipedia is a good source to find further sources. Look to see at the bottom of the entry where the Wikipedia author got his or her source, and check it out for yourself.) Be sure to use the IMC's access to old newspaper and periodical articles, found here. Another resource you might find helpful is the special features on the DVDs of the director's movies. You might find helpful interviews or commentaries.

Part 2 - Composition
Your written report should contain the following components:

1. a brief biography with significant childhood or educational moments (Why and how did this person become a filmmaker?)
2. professional history, including significant films, awards, honors (What has he or she done?)
3. central aesthetic, thematic, stylistic approaches (What makes this director's films special?)
4. a review of a significant film from the auteur (What movie did you watch, and what did you think of it?)

You must cite all of the sources you use! Include cited quotations and a list your cited works in MLA format. If you have any quesitons regarding correct citation, please check with your teacher, the TLC, or a librarian.

Part 3 - Presentation
Your presentation should include an abreviated version of your report. In addition, you should show at least one short clip from the movie you viewed (less than 3 minutes) and comment on the clip(s). A visual aid would probably be helpful. Consider using a PowerPoint presentation or a handout.

Here's a list of auteurs from which you can choose. The list is by no means complete. If you have one you'd like to write about who is not on the list, please okay it with me first. Be sure that you can find ample research on your selection. If you can't, try another. Wikipedia will probably give you a good idea of what each on the list has done, so that might be a good place to start looking just to pick. If you still don't know whom to pick, takl with your instructor. When you select one, let everyone know who you've chosen by posting your name and the director's name in the comments section of this entry. It's first come, first served, no repeats - so act fast.

• Akira Kurosawa
• Alfred Hitchcock
• Billy Wilder
• Brad Bird
• Brian DePalma
• Buster Keaton
• Cecil B. DeMille
• Charlie Chaplin
• Clint Eastwood
• D.W. Griffith
• David Cronenberg
• David Fincher
• Don Siegel
• Ed Wood
• Federico Fellini
• Francis Ford Coppola
• Francois Truffaut
• Frank Capra
• Fritz Lang
• George Romero
• George Roy Hill
• Guy Maddin
• Hayao Miyazaki
• Howard Hawks
• Ingmar Bergman
• James Cameron
• James Whale
• Joel and Ethan Cohen
• John Carpenter
• John Ford
• John Frankenheimer
• John Huston
• Johnnie To
• Kathryn Bigelow
• Katsuhiro Ōtomo
• Martin Scorsese
• Mel Brooks
• Michael Curtiz
• Michel Mann
• Mike Nichols
• Milos Forman
• Oliver Stone
• Orson Welles
• Quentin Tarantino
• Raoul Walsh
• Ridley Scott
• Robert Altman
• Robert Rodriguez
• Robert Zemeckis
• Roger Corman
• Roman Polanski
• Ron Howard
• Sam Peckinpah
• Sergei Eisenstein
• Sergio Leone
• Sidney Lumet
• Sophia Coppola
• Spike Lee
• Stanley Kubrick
• Steven Soderbergh
• Steven Spielberg
• Sydney Pollack
• Terry Gilliam
• Tim Burton
• Victor Fleming
• Walt Disney
• Walter Hill
• Werner Herzog
• William Wyler
• Winsor McCay
• Woody Allen
• Yimou Zhang

As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask