Auteur: meaning, example and synonyms

Auteurn. A filmmaker whose personal artistic vision shapes every aspect of their films.

Example

Film scholars debate whether the director deserves to be called an auteur, since the studio controlled much of the editing that defines her style.

Part of speech: noun
Synonyms: visionary director, filmmaker, artist
Antonyms: hired hand, journeyman director
Memory tip: French for 'author': an auteur 'writes' a film with the camera.

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Check yourself: Auteur in context

Pick the word that best completes each text.

Question 1

Unlike studio directors who simply filmed assigned scripts, she wrote, cast and edited every project herself, and critics soon ranked her among the true ______ of her generation, filmmakers whose work bore an unmistakable personal stamp.

Question 2

Because the director controlled every element of his films, from the screenplay to the color palette, scholars treat him as the ______ behind the studio's most distinctive work rather than merely its employee.

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