The *auteur* theory fundamentally shifted film criticism’s focus from what to what?

💡 Explanation:

The *auteur* theory, popularized by the French New Wave critics, posits that the director is the primary 'author' of a film. This concept fundamentally shifted film criticism away from treating the screenplay, actors, or studio conventions as the main source of a film's artistic merit, and instead focused on the director's consistent personal style, recurring themes, and unique aesthetic vision across their body of work.