ENG 295.I2 - Auteur Theory: On Alfred Hitchcock & Film Criticism (CRN 10922)

This course will discuss the “Auteur Theory” of film criticism through a case study of five of Alfred Hitchcock’s most iconic films. Developed by the critics at Cahiers du Cinema, the “auteur theory” of film criticism posits that work by a distinguished director, despite the financial and bureaucratic limitations of the film business, nonetheless stamps his or her work with an identifying style. The phrase auteur in fact was coined in reference to Hitchcock and some of his Hollywood compatriots who managed to work within the constraints of the film business to release a staggering number of critical and popular successes. In this class, students can expect a heavy reading load and a film each day of the week. We will select our films from The 39 Steps, The lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Shadow of a Doubt, Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds.