The Auteur Theory - Mike Leigh

"The Auteur Theory"

            There were many aspects of the films that coincided with each other; you could easily tell they were from the same director. I made sure not to do too much reading on the director before I watched his movies so I had a fresh perspective towards his films.  Through out his films you could easily connect the aspect of a “Day in the life” type feeling, we follow these characters through their lives and through a lingering conflict that may or may not be resolved in the end. I also noticed how well he used the “natural” like dialogue. It made you feel like these people were living their lives and we just so happen to be watching, just outside, not really included, just floating and watching it take place. 

            From beginning to end of all three films you could notice the use of silence to create that uneasy feeling between characters just a second longer to add that since of “something isn’t right”.  His pull of the characters relationship with each other is quite interesting, you actually feel as if this is the first time they’re meeting and this is how they actually built there relationship.

            The connection of similarity went as far as the characters personalities were corresponding.  More so with the secondary characters rather than the main roles filler characters he had on a list so he can take them and fill the empty space. Someone that doesn’t say much, but, helps move thing along in the story.  I really enjoyed watching and analyzing the movies trying to determine the similarities between the three films, with the particular films I chose it wasn’t that hard to spot the relationship between them. 

            After watching all three movies and writing down what I thought of them I researched the director. What I read coincided with what I, myself, had determined in the beginning but the added knowledge of his use of improve and how he starts with the basic ideas of what he wants and gives it to the actors and lets them develop their own personal connections and relationships. And how he even allowed the actors reference ideas and intimate moments that had happened in the previous improvisation sessions.  His use of character development really infuses interest into his movies that really draws you into the films.