ABSTRACT
In addition to incorporating cinematic tropes into his songs, Bob Dylan has also proven himself in front of and behind the camera. This introductory chapter explores the degree to which Dylan might be considered his films’ auteur. Analysis draws on several variations of auteur theory to find the best fit for Dylan’s idiosyncratic relationship with cinema. Conceptions of auteurship proposed by Janet Staiger, David Bordwell, and Peter Wollen inform the criteria by which Dylan’s auteurship is judged. Initially, problems that emerge when applying auteur theory occupy the discussion—issues not only with its underlying assumptions but also its applicability to Dylan. Subsequently, the discussion turns to reasons for persevering with the theory based on themes, ideas, and characters that recur across otherwise disparate films. The films’ reception, biographical overtones, use of Dylan as a subject matter, their categorisation as ‘Dylan’ films, and their relationship with his music are broached for development in subsequent chapters.
