Meaning: The quote "Today you have something like A Film by Joe Harry. That is patently asinine and ridiculous." by Elmer Bernstein, a renowned composer, reflects his frustration with the prevalent practice in the film industry of attributing authorship of a film to a single individual, typically the director. Bernstein's statement suggests that crediting a film solely to its director is illogical and absurd. To fully grasp the significance of this quote, it is essential to understand the historical context and the complexities of authorship in the film industry.

In the early days of cinema, the concept of authorship in film was not well-defined. Directors, producers, writers, and even actors all played crucial roles in the creation of a film, making it challenging to attribute authorship to a single individual. However, as the auteur theory gained prominence in the mid-20th century, the director emerged as the primary author of a film. This theory, popularized by French critics and filmmakers such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, argued that the director is the true "author" of a film, imprinting their personal vision and style onto the work.

While the auteur theory has its merits in recognizing the artistic contributions of directors, it also oversimplifies the collaborative nature of filmmaking. This oversimplification is what Bernstein likely finds "patently asinine and ridiculous." In reality, filmmaking is a highly collaborative process involving a multitude of creative talents, from screenwriters and cinematographers to editors and composers. Disregarding the collective efforts of these individuals by attributing authorship solely to the director undermines the collaborative art form of cinema.

Moreover, Bernstein's critique may also be directed at the increasing commercialization of film authorship. The practice of prominently featuring "A Film by [Director's Name]" in movie credits has become a marketing tool, often used to promote the director as the central creative force behind the film. This commercial emphasis on directorial authorship can overshadow the contributions of other essential collaborators and diminish the audience's appreciation of the film as a collective artistic endeavor.

Bernstein, as a composer, was likely sensitive to the issue of authorship, as music often plays a pivotal role in shaping the emotional and narrative impact of a film. Yet, composers, like many other behind-the-scenes contributors, are often overlooked in discussions of film authorship, further underscoring the inadequacy of attributing sole authorship to the director.

In conclusion, Elmer Bernstein's quote sheds light on the complexities of authorship in the film industry and challenges the prevailing notion of crediting a film solely to its director. By highlighting the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the multitude of creative talents involved, Bernstein's statement encourages a more holistic understanding of film authorship. It serves as a reminder that attributing authorship to a single individual is reductive and fails to acknowledge the collective artistry that brings a film to life.