The director is always the most important influence on a film [40]

 The director is always the most important influence on a film [40]

 

The two auteurs, Arthur Penn and Billy Wilder always found way to bring the unconventional and controversial topics of their times into conversation. You can usually tell who directed a film based of the many aspects of film form and cinematography. Directors can have specific themes that you can see repeatedly brought up in all their films which could also suggest auteur-ship.  Wilder was a film maker during the time of the Hollywood Golden age, whilst laws such as the Hays code and Systems such as the Star system and Studio System were still in play, Whilst Penn was a film maker whilst these laws and systems were being dismantled. Wilders movie ‘Some Like it Hot’ was set in 1929 during the great depression, and made in 1959 during a time of societal change as they were shifting away from conventional attitudes and lifestyles. Similarly Bonnie and Clyde was set in the 1930s which once again was during the time of the great depression when houses were getting repossessed by the government and banks had no money, and made in 1967 when there were lots of social movements happening such as civil rights, LGBTQ, second wave feminism and pacifism. Directors had a lot more they could do with their movies after the second world war 2 as there was the collapse of the star system and studio system, and the Hays code started to deteriorate which meant less censorship laws so there was an increase in themes of violence and sex on screen.

 

The directors influence on a film is always the most important as they are the ones who determine the creative vision of a film. Directors commonly display their thoughts and views of a situation through their films on screen. ‘Some Like it Hot’ directed by Billy Wilder, was filmed in 1959. During these times, the Studio system, Star system and Hays code was still in place. The Hays code was a set of self-censorship laws in order to stop the government banning their films. This Hays code prohibited ‘Scenes of passion’, Nudity, Interracial and Homosexual couples. Billy Wilder challenges these laws through Some Like it Hot as a way to bring controversial topics such as Homosexuality, and even mental health into conversation. On the other hand, whilst Penn was making and directing movies, these laws and systems had already been or where in the process of being dismantled and demolished, meaning he had a lot more options as to what he could show on screen. Whilst both directors had different rules and regulations, they still had similar influences on their films. Both their films includes political or taboo themes from the time in which they were being made. For example, the film Some Like it Hot was influenced by quintessential comedy. Wilder brings taboo subjects such as alcoholism, mental health, and homosexuality into discussion which would have been greatly frowned upon, but he managed to veil the true intentions with comedy in order to get past the Hays code. Similarly, Penn also brings controversial themes to the screen with is film Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie and Clyde displays themes of civil rights, and gender roles which may of been unconventional at the time it was set, but more acceptable in the time is was released so there was no need to shield it with comedy.

 

Whilst there are similarities in the themes presented by these directors, there are differences in how the themes are executed and displayed on screen. Billy Wilder uses Film Noir and comedy with his film Some Like it Hot. The comedy was used to make the idea look comedic to those who don’t agree with what his views are, Wilder said himself, “If you are going to tell people the truth, you better be funny or else they'll kill you.” Wilder was influenced by the issues he saw around him and decided to produce films that exhibit his opinions on said issues and conventions. But conveying these opinions on screen wasn’t easy as the Hays code limited the certain things he could show. However it was a lot easier for Arthur Penn to display thoughts and opinions on the big screen as he didn’t have laws such as the Hays code to limit what was being shown. A further difference between the two directors is that Billy Wilder was concerned about issues that were ahead of his time and that no one was talking about yet, when on the other hand, Arthur Penn would use topics that were being brought up during the time the movie was made and released, regardless of when the film was set. For example; Billy Wilder brought up themes of cross-dressing, alcoholism and mental health in his film Some Like it Hot. These ideas were a huge taboo in the 1920s when the film was set, but they were still controversial in the 1950s when the film was released. This would be detrimental to Wilders Career if it was serious which meant he would have to use a veil of comedy in order to make people laugh about the subject rather than take it seriously. On the other hand, Arthur Penn expressed the political and social issues of the time the film was released despite the time in which the film was set. For example; in his movie Bonnie and Clyde, Penn challenged the standard gender roles of the 1920s (when the film was set) by using the more common gender roles of the time in was released (1967). He didn’t need to use comedy as a veil as it was commonly talked about topic at the time of release. So in that aspect, the two directors are quite different in their terms of execution of their similar ideas.

 

In the examples above it seems that the biggest influence on these films, is actually the world around the directors and not as much the directors themselves. The directors may have had a specific view or political opinion on the issues in the world around them, but it wasn’t them directly who had the influence on the film itself. So in conclusion the director doesn’t always have the most influence on a film, but the world around them and the type of laws set in place at the time of the release of the film does.