The newest volume in the Film Theory in Practice Series,Auteur Theory and My Son Johnoffers a concise introduction to authorship and auteur theory in jargon-free language. The book goes on to show this theory can be deployed to interpret Leo McCarey's notorious but undervalued filmMy Son John, which critics deemed a clear-cut failure, and the auteurists declared a masterpiece.
James Morrison traces the development of auteur theory through its emergence in the pages of the French film journalCahiers du cin?maand the complex permutations it undergoes subsequently. This history will help students and scholars who are eager to learn more about this important area of film theory. The analysis ofMy Son Johnshows how auteur theory enables modes of interpretation and discovers levels of meaning otherwise unavailable.
James Morrisonis Professor of Literature and Film at Claremont McKenna College, USA. He is the author, co-author or editor of nine books, including
Roman Polanski(2007) and
Hollywood Reborn(2010).
Brilliant & [a] superb history and analysis of auteurist criticism. -Jonathan Rosenbaum, Cineaste
ReadingMy Son Johnboth as an instance of the Red Scare-era film rouge and a fine-grained text that generates meaning in the smallest gesture of stay Helen Hayes, leaves little doubt as to the proper value-even in this empathetic, troubling, mutilated picture-of McCareys artistry. -Nick Pinkerton, Film Comment
Introduction
Section 1: Auteur Theory
Section 2: Auteur Theory and My Son John
Conclusion
Bibliography
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