Fm3 Catch Up Report

'We can all go home as soon as the directorial signature is flashed on the screen' 

This is a quote taken from Andrew Sarris' Auteur Theory. And presents the idea that any film that is the work of an Auteur will clearly reflect the signature style that that Auteur wants to create. And once this is shown we have definite expectations of the film. 

This quote informs me of how an Auteur is a person who reflects a specific directorial style through each of their films. Danny Boyle has many specific techniques he uses in his films that make them instantly recognisable. This is a bonus for spectators because we know what to expect from the film in terms of aesthetics, yet everything else can be different, and so we are offered safety in the form of Boyle's specific directorial Technique, and yet surprise due to his ever-changing genre of film. 

Danny Boyle can not only be considered a film auteur because of his impact on the film industry, but also due to his widley renound artistc creation that was the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. Boyle once spoke to ‘The Guardian’ about his massively successful career and astounding success with the opening ceremony, he stated:

"If you persist, you'll always do it, if you're mad enough for it, And then once you're in, if you've got any talent it will get sought out." 

The guardian then replied with:

“Some would call that a laughably naive strategy for making it in the world, but somehow it's worked for Boyle. And to some extent it works like that in his films. Boyle's movies don't fit easily into traditional British categories. He is not a social realist in the Mike Leigh or Ken Loach vein, nor is he a Hollywood-bound commercialist like Christopher Nolan or an upper-crust merchant in the Merchant Ivory mould. He changes from picture to picture, diving fearlessly into genres such as horror (28 Days Later), science fiction (Sunshine) and family drama (Millions).”

This further proves Danny Boyles status as an Auteur is recognized by highly established media. They understand that he stands out from any other reputable director and has ultimately earned his status as an Auteur.

I will be Exploring three of Boyles most sucessful films in order to porve how he can be considered an Auteur. The Auteur theory tells us that to become an Auteur, a Director must satisfy all of the three of the points of the Auteur criteria.

1.     The Director must have technical competence

2.     Films must have characteristics that can link it with other films in his/her oeuvre

3.     The films must display ‘interior meaning’

Slumdog Millionaire, Trance & Trainspotting fulfil all three of these points.

His ability to be able to change from a diverse collection of genres makes Boyle’s films very unique and in most of his films he’s able to mix a range of genres together Such as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, which incorporates Romance, Tragedy, Action and Comedy. Boyle uses his films as a tool to revel his feelings about society. 

Slumdog Millionaire is by far Boles most acclaimed film, 

Reply from empire post - 

Stylistically, Boyle's work tends to have a pulse driving it. His work is often fast paced, slickly edited and set to the beat of music. Much like Scorsese, his films tend to be crafted around music. Even the most static of works, like "127 Hours", have a beat and pace to it. It's almost as if with every film he hits the ground running. I like to think his films are like ticking bombs. From the opening shot, it's off and running and has a limited amount of time before it hits a wall. You see it in "Trainspotting", where the story propels forward, before hitting the wall of the death of the baby. "127 Hours" builds to the amputation and "Slumdog" builds to the final question.

However, in terms of the auteur theory, there are key themes running through his work: Money, Violence, Effeminate males and obssessions with pop culture.