TAG: AUTEURIST

Jack Lemmon in The Apartment. 1960. USA. Directed by Billy Wilder

These notes accompany screenings of Billy Wilder’s The Apartment on June 19, 20, and 21 in Theater 3.

The Apartment won three Oscars for Billy Wilder as producer, director, and co-screenwriter. Read more

Paris Belongs to Us. 1961. France. Directed by Jacques Rivette

These notes accompany screenings of Jacques Rivette’s Paris Belongs to Us on June 12, 13, and 14 in Theater 3.

Jacques Rivette, who recently celebrated his 85th birthday—and is still active—seems to me to be one of the most uneven, and certainly less prolific, of the major figures to come out of the French New Wave. Read more

The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond. 1960. USA. Directed by Budd (Oscar) Boetticher

These notes accompany screenings of Budd Boetticher’s The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond on May 29 and 30 in Theater 1.

Oscar “Budd” Boetticher (1916–2001) is one of those directors who would likely have been all but ignored by film historians—if Andrew Sarris had not succeeded in making auteur theory prominent. Read more

Il Grido. 1957. Italy. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni

Il Grido (The Cry) catches Michelangelo Antonioni (1912–2007) in transition from his Neorealist roots to his more personal, despairing vision. Read more

The Lawless. 1950. USA. Directed by Joseph Losey

These notes accompany the screenings of Joseph Losey’s The Lawless on April 4, 5, and 6 in Theater 3.

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Henry V. 1944. Great Britain. Directed by Laurence Olivier

These notes accompany the screenings of Laurence Olivier’s Henry V on August 10, 11, and 12 in Theater 3.

I can’t recall an image of an auteur in action that is as stirringly visceral, dynamic, and, frankly, sexy, as Laurence Olivier’s Prince Hal in tights, rousing his army at Agincourt. (Mom, I don’t want to be cowboy or a policeman. I want to grow up to be an auteur!) Read more

The Southerner. 1945. USA. Directed by Jean Renoir

Jean Renoir (1894–1979) made six films during his American exile—all of them worthy projects—but the consensus is that The Southerner is the best. Read more

Meet Me in St. Louis. 1944. USA. Directed by Vincente Minnelli

These notes accompany the screenings of Vincente Minnelli’s Meet Me in St. Louis on July 27, 28, and 29 in Theater 2.

Over the years, I have had three close friends who were so devoted to Vincente Minnelli (1903–1986) that they wrote extensively about the Meet Me in St. Louis director. Read more

Laura. 1944. USA. Directed by Otto Preminger

Last week I mildly berated Andrew Sarris for pretty much ignoring Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger in his auteurist bible, The American Cinema. This week, with Laura by Otto Preminger (1905–1986), we have an example of just how influential Sarris was and is. Read more