Barrett Hodsdon - THE ELUSIVE AUTEUR, a major new critical study of Hollywood

Barrett Hodsdon is among the leading commentators on the history and critical reception of the Hollywood film. 

In a previous post which you can find here, an extract of his new book The Elusive Auteur is devoted to the cinema of Jerry Lewis. The cover of the book, a short blurb prepared by Barrett and details of how to obtain a copy are set out below. The book comes highly recommended by a number of reputable scholars and it is to be hoped that a review will shortly be published on this blog.

The director’s authorial role in filmmaking—the extent to which a film reflects his or her individual style and creative vision—has been much debated among film critics and scholars for decades. Drawing on generations of criticism, this study describes how the designation “auteur” has gone from stylistic criterion to product label—in what has always been an essentially collaborative industry. Examining the controversy in regard to Hollywood directors, the author compares directors and would-be auteurs of the classic studio system with those of contemporary Hollywood and its new climate of cultural entrepreneurship.

Additionally, the author has tried to bridge the gap between cinephilia and some conceptual scholarship by re-introducing the notion of artistic intent through illustrations of the sublime moment in cinema

Buy direct from the author, order via

Email:barretthod@bigpond.com

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Cost $65 plus postage and handling.

Discount Available for multiple copies