Information Package / Course Catalogue
Auteur Cinema
Course Code: RTS326
Course Type: Area Elective
Couse Group: First Cycle (Bachelor's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 3
Prt.: 0
Credit: 3
Lab: 0
ECTS: 5
Objectives of the Course

The aim of this course is to examine the cinematic language, narrative techniques, and aesthetic approaches of influential directors who have left a significant mark on film history, in order to develop students' ability to evaluate cinema from a director’s perspective. Within the framework of auteur theory, the creative role of the director will be explored, and through examples selected from different periods and regions, the unique contributions of directors to cinematic storytelling will be analyzed. The course aims to enhance students' critical thinking, film analysis, and creative expression skills.

Course Content

This course aims to examine the decisive role of the director in cinematic storytelling by exploring the filmographies of prominent filmmakers throughout cinema history. Grounded in auteur theory, the course analyzes directors’ cinematic language, thematic choices, visual styles, and technical approaches. Films by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard, Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa, and Nuri Bilge Ceylan, representing various regions and periods, will be studied to highlight their unique contributions to the art of cinema. Through theoretical and aesthetic analysis of selected works, students will develop proficiency in director-centered film interpretation.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes
1.Define and critically discuss the principles of auteur theory and its relevance to film analysis from a director-centered perspective.
2.Identify and analyze the unique cinematic styles of key auteur directors from different historical periods and cultural contexts.
3.Evaluate how directors use visual and narrative elements—such as mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, and sound—to express thematic and stylistic intentions.
4.Compare and contrast the authorial approaches of selected filmmakers in relation to social, political, and philosophical contexts.
5.Develop informed, analytical arguments about films through written assignments and presentations that reflect a director-focused critical perspective.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Akser, M. (2013). Auteur and Style in National Cinema, A Reframing of Metin Erksan's Time to Love. Cinej Cinema Journal, 3.1, 163-180.
2.Arslan, S. (2011). Cinema in Turkey, A New Critical History. Oxford University Press.
3.Atam, Z. (2011). Yakın Plan Yeni Türkiye Sineması. Cadde Yayınları.
4.Bickerton, E. (2012). Cahiers du Cinéma’nın Kısa Tarihi (Çev. Özgül, S.). Agora Kitaplığı.
5.Diken, B., Gilloch, G. & Hammond, C. (2018). Nuri Bilge Ceylan Sineması Türkiyeli Bir Sinemacının Küresel Hayal Gücü (Çev. Bingöl, A. N.). Metis Yayınları.
6.Dmytryk, E. (1990). Sinemada Yönetmenlik (Çev. Uzun, Ü.). Afa Yayınları.
7.Karadoğan, A. (2018). Modernist Estetik, Türkiye’de Sanat Sineması Tarihine Giriş (1896-2000). De Ki.
8.Karadoğan, A. (2010). Sanat Sineması Üzerine Yaklaşımlar ve Tartışmalar. De Ki.
9.Kolker, R. (2011). Film, Biçim ve Kültür (Çev. Ertınaz, F. vd.). De Ki.
10.Kovács, A. B. (2010). Modernizmi Seyretmek Avrupa Sanat Sineması, 1950-1980 (Çev. Yılmaz, E.). De Ki.
11.Makal, O. (1996). Fransız Sineması. Kitle Yayınları.
12.Monaco, J. (2002). Bir Film Nasıl Okunur (Çev. Yılmaz, E.). Oğlak Yayınları.
13.Stam, R. (2014). Sinema Teorisine Giriş (Çev. Salman, S. & Asatekin, Ç.). Ayrıntı Yayınları.
14.Wood, R. (2004). Hitchcock Sineması (Çev. Yılmaz, E.). Kabalcı Yayınevi.
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
Overview of the course structure, learning objectives, expectations, and assessment criteria
Week 2 - Theoretical
Foundations and historical background of Auteur theory
Week 3 - Theoretical
Cinematic language and the director’s creative control
Week 4 - Theoretical
Alfred Hitchcock: Narrative structure and elements of suspense through the film Rear Window or Psycho.
Week 5 - Theoretical
Jean-Luc Godard: French New Wave cinema and formal experimentation through the film Breathless.
Week 6 - Theoretical
Akira Kurosawa: Use of perspective and cultural narrative between tradition and modernity through the film Rashomon or Seven Samurai.
Week 7 - Theoretical
Stanley Kubrick: Visual perfection and thematic depth through the film 2001: A Space Odyssey or The Shining.
Week 8 - Theoretical
Andrei Tarkovsky: Metaphysics and rhythm in cinema through the film Stalker or Mirror.
Week 9 - Theoretical
Abbas Kiarostami: Reality, poetic minimalism, and audience engagement through the film Close-Up or Taste of Cherry.
Week 10 - Theoretical
Martin Scorsese: The American Dream and violence through the film Taxi Driver or Goodfellas.
Week 11 - Theoretical
Wong Kar-wai: Time, love, and aesthetic expression through the film In the Mood for Love.
Week 12 - Theoretical
Michael Haneke: Disturbing reality and confrontation with the viewer through the film Funny Games or Cache.
Week 13 - Theoretical
Yasujiro Ozu: The director’s gaze within Japanese aesthetics through the film Tokyo Story.
Week 14 - Theoretical
Krzysztof Kieslowski: Morality, coincidence, and visual storytelling through the Three Colors trilogy.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Attending Lectures5%5
Quiz1%10
Midterm Examination1%25
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory142370
Reading100220
Quiz1000
Midterm Examination110111
Final Examination120121
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)122
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
PÇ-7
PÇ-8
PÇ-9
PÇ-10
PÇ-11
PÇ-12
PÇ-13
PÇ-14
PÇ-15
PÇ-16
OÇ-1
5
3
5
3
4
2
OÇ-2
4
5
5
5
3
4
4
OÇ-3
4
3
5
5
3
5
OÇ-4
4
4
3
4
3
5
3
OÇ-5
4
5
3
2
5
3
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026