Compare 2 Films Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Compare 2 Films - Term Paper Example Perhaps most notable among the two films is that they embody the underlining touches of the auteur. Auteur theory was perhaps most seminally articulated by Andrew Sarris in his Notes on Auteur Theory. In this essay he considers earlier formulations of the auteur theory, dating back to its consideration by Andre Bazin in Cahiers du Cinema who indicated that while cinema, as compared to painting or the novel form, is more a collaborative element, there is nonetheless a distinct feature of artistry that can be tied to the individual director. In comparing him to director George Cukor, Sarris even speaks of the auteur tendencies of Ingmar Bergman. Sarris extends this articulation, adding his own theoretical elements. He states, â€Å"Over a group of films a director of films, a director must exhibit certain recurring characteristics of style, which serve as his signature. The way a film looks and moves should have some relationship to the way a director thinks and feels† (Sarris, pg. 662). Sarris goes on to further elaborate on this theoretical formulation by indicating that the films of an auteur explore a certain personal concern that he equates to some degree with the singular aspect of the soul. It follows that auteur theory consists of both the external elements of technique, and the internal elements of personal vision. One of the primary elements of the auteur is that their personal style and vision is not expressed simply through one film, but comes to be a characteristic element throughout their work. Ingmar Bergmans work clearly meets this criteria. As one examines another of Bergmans seminal films – the Seventh Seal – in regards to Bressons work in the Trial of Joan of Arc its clear that there are both stylistic and thematic tendencies that demonstrate the films as elements of an auteur in the classic sense. In considering the Seventh Seal