auteur theory
noun
: a view of filmmaking in which the director is considered the primary creative force in a movie
Examples of auteur theory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
American film critics were beginning to adopt a more adversarial philosophy, influenced by the auteur theory calcified in Cahiers du cinéma magazine.
—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
If that sounds a lot like another, even more famous Hitchcock film (and there will be more about that one, and Hitchcock, below) just chalk it up to further support for the auteur theory.
—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Yet Kael’s real target was Village Voice film critic Andrew Sarris, her longtime rival who had staked his reputation on the auteur theory — the exaltation of the director über alles.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2024
In film theory, auteur theory speaks of directors who make movies that are unmistakably theirs.
—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
11 Dec. 2023
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J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
If that sounds a lot like another, even more famous Hitchcock film (and there will be more about that one, and Hitchcock, below) just chalk it up to further support for the auteur theory.
—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Yet Kael’s real target was Village Voice film critic Andrew Sarris, her longtime rival who had staked his reputation on the auteur theory — the exaltation of the director über alles.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2024
In film theory, auteur theory speaks of directors who make movies that are unmistakably theirs.
—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
11 Dec. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Auteur theory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auteur%20theory. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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