Research Outline

Many people are involved in film production. This includes the director, screenwriters, technical staff such as cameramen and editors, actors who play the characters, and producers who provide the funding. Given that films are collaborative works built upon the efforts of many individuals, who exactly is the “author” of a film? In the case of novels or paintings, the person who actually created the work is called the “author”, but in film, the director does not necessarily have total control over every aspect of the project. Nevertheless, we often tend to attribute the responsibility for a film to the position of the director.
The idea that the director is the author of a film actually emerged in France around the 1950s. At that time, movies were still considered mere entertainment rather than art. To elevate cinema to the same status as traditional arts, critics and filmmakers launched a movement called “Politique des auteurs”. What does it mean for a single person—the director—to lead a group of people, and what does it mean for one person to take full responsibility for a work created by many? Critics and filmmakers of that era addressed these complex questions through their respective activities. My research aims to elucidate this dynamic relationship between criticism and production that formed the foundation for the concept of the “author” in cinematic art.