auteur

noun

1. A creative artist, especially a film director, seen as having a specific, recognisable artistic vision, and who is seen as the single or preeminent ‘author’ of their works.

   “The libretto was a piece of hack work from a Parisian scenario factory run by an enterprising auteur of sorts named Eugene Scribe.”

   “Since Mr Luhrmann first tackled the opera, he has entered the select circle of celebrity directors on the basis of only three films, including “Moulin Rouge”. And his “La Bohème”—designed by Mrs Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, a double Oscar-winner for “Moulin Rouge”—is avowedly the work of an auteur.”

   “Ginette Vincendeau describes the cinéma du look as a typical example of ‘mainstream co-optation’ of ‘avant-garde, artisanal, or auteur’ cinema (1996: 14).”

   “If a widely respected auteur such as Martin Scorsese, Allen or Malick has given you the stamp of approval, you might not live fast or die young, but you'll leave a good-looking legacy.”

   “As a film-maker, [Quentin] Dupieux has elicited varying responses: in the US he is often dismissed as a dilettante, whereas in France he has been acclaimed a real-deal auteur, not least in revered cinephile journal Cahiers du Cinéma, which raved about his 2007 debut feature, Steak (“leaves us slack-jawed and wide-eyed”), and devoted a whole section to his latest French release, Mandibules (2020).”

verb

1. To work as an auteur.