Edgar Wright

Is Edgar Wright an Auteur?

Since 1995, Edgar wright has written, directed and occaisionally produced 7 feature films, 1 documentary film, and a TV sitcom. All of these being his own original or collaborative ideas, and they are all critically acclaimed. He is clearly highly experienced in every leading role in filmmaking due to the high quality of his writing, cinematography and visual effects. All the actors in his productions seem to share his unique vision and he always manages to get the best performances out of them every time. He has explored multiple different genres, with each of his films combining multiple genres in unique and creative ways. He takes advantage of every aspect of filmmaking to enhance a film's meaning, impact, and overall style.

Technical Competence

Edgar Wright's films have an undeniable sense of style. If I were to sit down and watch one of his films that I had never seen before, I would easily guess that it was one of his if I didn't already know. This is due to his many signature stylistic choices. All his films have an almost rythmic quality, with his film Baby Driver (2017) literally centering around its soundtrack. Almost all on screen actions, camera movements, transitions, pieces of dialogue, sound effects, and visual effects are exaggerated and purposeful. His attention to detail is impeccable, making even the most minute choices meaningful. One of the things he is most famous for is his transitions, especially the use of swish pans. The majority of his productions are comedies, but even if it isn't he expertly works in comedic elements that never feel out of place and give the films a certain charm. Comedy in his films isn't just delivered by funny dialogue, the visuals and sound are just as important to creating humor. The sound in Edgar Wright's films is just as important as the visuals; action will go with the beat of the soundtrack, sound can tell us more about a character and their role in the film, It can also create well timed humour. Wright works with many talented actors and a lot of them appear in multiple productions: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Bill Nighty, Martin Freeman, Rafe Spall, Julie Deakin, Patricia Franklin.

Distinguishable Personality

A running theme in Wright's films is characters dragged into unfamiliar situations where they are either out of their depth or inexperienced. The characters overcome this by opening up emotionally and embracing their flaws. It presents a message that you don't need to drastically change who you are to fit in, you need only to accept who you are and improve on that. The films he creates are personal to him. He said in an inter view, "Shaun of The Dead, aside from the zombies, is actually a very personal story about relationships, both with girlfriends and family members...Even with Hot Fuzz…That was set in my hometown, the town I grew up in...So there’s always that sort of thing ‐ they’re both, in a weird way, quite personal projects." Wright subverts popular genres and tropes in all of his films. He is quoted saying "I want to do something new within the genres I loved."

Interior Meaning

Edgar Wright most definitely qualifies as an auteur. He is technically competant in many aspects of filmmaking over his large filmography, his films are bursting with unique personality and style, and his stories are personal and full of emotional depth and meaning. He will surely go down as one of the greatest auteurs of our time.

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