The term "auteur theory" is often credited to which filmmaker?

The term "auteur theory" is closely associated with François Truffaut, who was instrumental in articulating and promoting the concept in the 1950s. This theory posits that the director of a film is often its primary creative force, and that their personal style and vision can be seen throughout their body of work. Truffaut emphasized that, in many instances, the director's influence is akin to that of an author in literature, which is how the term "auteur," meaning "author" in French, emerged.

Truffaut's seminal 1954 essay, "Une certaine tendance du cinéma français," laid the groundwork for this theory, advocating that the director's personal signature and thematic preoccupations are what define a film. This perspective transformed film criticism and scholarship, encouraging the analysis of a director's recurring motifs and stylistic choices, thereby establishing the director as a key figure in cinematic art. Consequently, Truffaut's contributions to the concept of auteur theory make him the critical figure in its history.