Guess 'Cahiers du Cinéma' Got It Wrong, Huh?

Next time I see another TV spot touting a film as coming "from the producer of" such-and-such a movie, I'm going to light another mental candle to honor François Truffaut.

Without producers, we wouldn't have movies, and the existence of many masterpieces, such as Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha, can be chalked up to the faith of those who supported these films, financially and otherwise.

But is the image of the producer really greater than the image of the director?

I'm not suggesting the application of a loftier ideal to marketing materials for high-concept cinematic dross. This kind of practice often seems to be the province of ads touting spectacle or thrills derived from a source known for similar content.

The director, however, should still be the one credited for such work...or, perhaps, deemed responsible for it. I don't think we've come to a point--even in the age of CGI--where everything is all laid out like a connect-the-dots book, requiring just a pen to link everything together.

An outlook is essential--it's the voice of a great film. And that's what a good director provides.

Wouldn't you be drawn to a film "from the director of Ivan the Terrible, Part I"?

Sigh.