From killer birds to prison reform to Las Vegas mobsters, some motion picture directors have made names for themselves in the world of cinema for their ability to raise our social consciousness or to just scare the daylights out of us.
That is why this term the Dartmouth Film Society will present the film series "The Auteurs," to celebrate these directors and their achievements -- whether by carving out their own genre or by working with an established studio.
According to a Film Society release, the directors' "personal aesthetics add to the stories at hand, bringing to each a unique perspective that enriches it. It is this difference that makes their works stand out from hundreds of other great films."
Jesse Sweet '98, who came up with the theme, said, "I've always been interested in the idea that the director is the true 'creator' of a film, which is what the auteur theory states."
"I also thought that it would be a great way to raise awareness about the artists working in film and expose students to a great films that people did not have an opportunity to see on a big screen," he added.
The series kicks off tonight with Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful thriller, "The Birds," a story about a small town which is mysteriously attacked by flocks of birds -- enough to send shivers down your spine at the sight of a pigeon.
On Thursday, the witty Woody Allen brings us his neurotic Manhattan-style humor in "Mighty Aphrodite," also giving us glimpses of some of the most intimate details of his private life.
Then on Friday, celebrated African-American director Spike Lee's "Clockers" shows the maturing of his work, dealing with the underworld of crack dealers.
Hitmen and the spirit of the old West reign supreme in the Hong Kong Chinese director John Woo's "The Killer" and Sam Raimi's "The Quick and the Dead." Sharon Stone heats up the screen in a great performance.
Kyzystof Kieslowski's films "Blue," "White" and "Red" explore the concepts of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, and Orson Welles's "Citizen Kane" examines the disintegration of the American Dream and his own life.
Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Mamma Roma" depicts Anna Magani as a prostitute who tries to get off the streets -- a true social commentary about the plight of the poor.
Other films in the series examine society and the downtrodden, such as Indian director Satyajit Ray's "Pather Panchali," presenting the realities of life in a poor Bengali village, Fritz Lang's "You Only Live Once," "Riot in Cell Block 11," and "Red Rock West" about criminals and the law.
Buster Keaton's "The Navigator" shows comedic genius through unconventional characters and story lines, while John Ford's "Stagecoach" and Howard Hawks's "Red River" exemplify the western genre and star John Wayne.
Martin Scorsese, another director who has become a household name, directs Robert De Niro in his characteristic role as a mobster in "Casino," set in Las Vegas of the 1970s, populated by crooks and gangsters.
The series ends with an evolving director -- Clint Eastwood of Dirty Harry fame -- in the affecting drama "The Bridges of Madison County" about our daydreams and missed opportunities. Eastwood and Meryl Streep star in this film which is based on a romance novel.
Other films in the series include the comedic "Four Rooms," an emotionally intense "Love Streams," and the surreal "Viridiana."
These films all reveal that while filmmaking is an art which incorporates the skills and efforts of many, there are some directors who manage to shine with their unique contributions to the genre.
The DFS programs will mostly take place in Spaulding Auditorium of the Hopkins Center. Membership for the series is $15 for the general public and $10 for those holding Dartmouth IDs.
