Auteur Cinema as a Modern Experience of Critical Reflection on Reality

Abstract

The article examines changes in the perception of reality under the dominance of the visual-digital environment and the growing role of media space in shaping the consciousness of modern individuals. The aim of the study is to substantiate the role of auteur cinema as a tool for developing critical thinking in the context of visual oversaturation of the information space.

The methodological framework is based on approaches, including cultural, philosophical, media-analytical, and hermeneutic methods, which made it possible to explore the relationship between visual culture, mass media, and the characteristics of human thinking. Methods of analysis and generalization of theoretical concepts, comparison of mass and elite culture, and interpretation of audiovisual texts were also applied.

The results of the study show that the contemporary media space forms a specific type of perception oriented toward rapid, fragmented, and superficial information processing, which leads to a decline in analytical abilities. It has been found that mass culture, focused on visual effects and fast consumption, displaces deeper artistic forms, whereas auteur cinema retains the potential to foster reflective and analytical thinking. It is demonstrated that, due to its complex imagery, symbolism, non-linear structure, and the phenomenon of «double coding» auteur cinema stimulates the viewer to interpret and independently comprehend what is seen.

The conclusions emphasize that critical thinking is a key skill for the adequate perception of contemporary visual reality, and that auteur cinema can serve as an effective means of its development. The necessity of integrating audiovisual text analysis into educational practices and promoting auteur cinema as a component of cultural and intellectual development is substantiated.