Hi
@marucoco -
Basically, C paraphrases some of the content of paragraph 1, but without linking it to the rest of the passage, whereas A does link the material discussed in the paragraph to the rest of the passage. These kinds of questions—asking about the "purpose" of a paragraph/example, or asking "why" the author mentions something—can be challenging because "why" questions set us up to think broadly, but the end game for a standardized test (including the MCAT) has to be identifying a
single right answer. Another way to think about this question (and others like it) is to rephrase it as asking about how this paragraph
functions in the passage. It provides a vivid example that sets up the discussion of auteur theory, which is the main theme of the passage, so the answer to a question like this should reflect that function.
Hope this helps clarify things! (Also, is it just me, or does C seem to contain two answer choices, including a previous version of D? It reads "...the 1950s D. To explore criticism..."? My answer was primarily about the first phrase in answer choice C, but I think it would apply to the second phrase too...).