ABSTRACT
The auteur theory, along with genre theory, has been the dominant analytical approach in film studies, but also in the reviewing and the distribution of films. The auteur theory identifies the director as the source of meaning and value in a film and the idea that an individual is responsible for the creation of a work of art is persistent one in Western culture, a theme going back to the Renaissance. Several of the key writings on the auteur theory were published in the influential film journal, Cahiers du Cinema, where many directors associated with the French New Wave and arthouse cinema started as critics. The idea of the director as author of the film is a persistent one and is evident in many areas of academic writing about film as well as in the industry itself. The use of hybrid genres in the films is part of the postmodern style and also provides a structuring framework to the films.
