The Auteur Theory In Tim Burton's Film

Auteur Theory

” … an auteur is able to maintain a consistency of style and theme by working against the constraints of the Hollywood mode of production.” – Warren Buckland (2008)

Auteur translated into English means Author. As a writer would write a novel and has full control over it in every single aspect, so would the director of the movie (auteur). The auteur has control over every single aspect of every single aspect of the film from the beginning to the end and they leave their stamp in it.

The entire idea of the Auteur theory started with Francois Truffaut when he wrote an essay. In the essay, he stipulated that film is a way that directors can express their personal ideas and that this is how directors can now be classified as auteurs in their own sense.

For example – Tim Burton and his movies, they are based on gothic culture and they generally contain very darkly lit scenes. The main characters are generally a social outcast as well as an outcast from every other character. We could most probably say from this that Tim Burton shapes his movies around himself and his past.

The auteur theory states suggest that a film that is the best of the maker, will bear his certain signature and it will display elements that reoccur in more than one film of that specific director.

With the auteur theory, there is the pitfall that other characters will lack substance because the director will focus on the main character and how they are portrayed in relation to how he wants it.

Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride

The movie is set in a run-down town in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a forest and woods. The entire place is in shambles; it is dark and reeks of despair much like other films that Tim Burton has created. The main character...

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...he Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) about the scroll that he sieged and the prophecy of the Alice killing the Jabberwocky, which is the queen’s pet. The queen wants Alice found immediately and the Knave uses a bloodhound whose name is Bayard (Timothy Spall) to track her down with the promise of freedom for Bayard’s wife and pups.

Alice has then met the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), who then takes her to the Mad Hatter’s place where the Dormouse is at. She also meets the March Hare (Paul Whitehouse). The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) is absolutely delighted to see Alice and is rather excited about the up and coming Frabjous day in which Alice will kill the mighty Jabberwocky. The Knave then shows up with Bayard and the Mad Hatter shoves Alice into a tea pot. The Dormouse scolds Bayard for bring the Knave and Bayard explains why and leads the Knave off in a different direction.