Is Alfred Hitchcock an auteur? What does auteur mean? “…As far as I know, there is no definition of the auteur theory in the English language, that is, by any American or British critic.” (Sarris)  According to Dictionary.com, auteur means “a filmmaker whose personal influence and artistic control over a movie are so great that the filmmaker is regarded as the author of the movie.” (Auteur)  Hitchcock brings a style all his own to his films. Most notably is his use of complicated camera angles that create a certain mood to the scene.

Andrew Sarris does define the aspects of an auteur, technique, style, and inner meaning. In the film North by Northwest (Hitchcock), many techniques were used that define it as a Hitchcock film. The techniques include very high and low camera angles, sudden zooms and pans, and dramatic lighting. When Roger Thornhill was taken into the library, after he has been mistaken as George Kaplan, Hitchcock used several high angle shots that made Cary Grant look lost in the grandeur of his surroundings. This helped add to the confusion that Roger was feeling in the scene. There are many more examples of Hitchcock using new and exciting techniques to convey a feeling to the mise en scene.

Hitchcock films have a specific style. First, there is almost always a beautiful blond woman who was not your typical female lead. She was usually a strong character who had an unusual past. The woman was always clashing with an irresistible man, like Cary Grant. He would often be in love with the woman, but there was often something in the way. There was always a cameo of Hitchcock in each of his films, a way for him to leave a very indisputable mark on his films. Hitchcock often used voyeuristic camera shots, especially when his characters were alone, as if the audience was spying on a private moment.

Hitchcock used his techniques and style to create a deeper meaning to his stories. He often created the feeling of anxiety in his films, to build on the characters’ anxiety and bring the audience into the world of his characters. The use of unusual camera angles and voyeuristic shots helped build suspense and anxiety. His use of dolly zooms in his film Vertigo (Hitchcock) creates disorientation for the audience when Scottie finds himself at elevated heights. This shares Scottie’s anxiety with the audience.

The film Hitchcock (Gervasi) presents Hitchcock as true to the statements above. He is unrelenting when it comes to his style of filmmaking. He used his power as a director to push actors to perform the way he wanted them to. He did not allow any of the crew to compromise on his image. He fell in love with the idea of making an adaptation of the book Psycho into a movie and would not take no for an answer. After Paramount turned him down, he decided to fund the film himself at significant risk to his financial well-being. To keep control, he made everyone swear not to share any aspect of the film with anyone. He also did not share the surprise ending with the cast and crew by omitting the last ten pages of the script. He was adamant that the ending remains a surprise to the audience even though it requires complicated camera shots and many takes, which cost more money. He wanted to make a film that was very different from his previous films, which he did, but he also kept his style of storytelling ever-present.

Is Alfred Hitchcock an auteur? He is very much so. His use of technique, style, and meaning are essential to him and his films. Without these aspects, Hitchcock films would not be Hitchcock films.

Works Cited