Film theory is an academic discipline that aims to explore the essence of the cinema and provides conceptual frameworks for understanding film's relationship to reality, the other arts, individual viewers, and society at large. Film theory is not to be confused with general film criticism, though there can be some crossover between the two disciplines.

History[link]

French philosopher Henri Bergson's Matter and Memory (1896) has been cited as anticipating the development of film theory during the birth of cinema. Bergson commented on the need for new ways of thinking about movement, and coined the terms "the movement-image" and "the time-image". However, in his 1906 essay L'illusion cinématographique (in L'évolution créatrice), he rejects film as an exemplification of what he had in mind. Nonetheless, decades later, in Cinéma I and Cinema II (1983–1985), the philosopher Gilles Deleuze took Matter and Memory as the basis of his philosophy of film and revisited Bergson's concepts, combining them with the semiotics of Charles Sanders Peirce.

Early film theory arose in the silent era and was mostly concerned with defining the crucial elements of the medium. It largely evolved from the works of directors like Germaine Dulac, Louis Delluc, Jean Epstein, Sergei Eisenstein, Lev Kuleshov, and Dziga Vertov and film theorists like Rudolf Arnheim, Béla Balázs and Siegfried Kracauer.^[1] These individuals emphasized how film differed from reality and how it might be considered a valid art form. In the years after World War II, the French film critic and theorist André Bazin reacted against this approach to the cinema, arguing that film's essence lay in its ability to mechanically reproduce reality, not in its difference from reality.^[2]

In the 1960s and 1970s, film theory took up residence in academia importing concepts from established disciplines like psychoanalysis, gender studies, anthropology, literary theory, semiotics and linguistics. However, not until the late 1980s or early 1990s did film theory per se achieve much prominence in American universities by displacing the prevailing humanistic, auteur theory that had dominated cinema studies and which had been focused on the practical elements of film writing, production, editing and criticism.^[3] American scholar David Bordwell has spoken against many prominent developments film theory since the 1970s, i.e., he uses the humorously derogatory term "SLAB theory" to refer to film studies based on the ideas of Saussure, Lacan, Althusser, and/or Barthes. Instead, Bordwell promotes what he describes as "neoformalism."

During the 1990s the digital revolution in image technologies has had an impact on film theory in various ways. There has been a refocus onto celluloid film's ability to capture an "indexical" image of a moment in time by theorists like Mary Ann Doane, Philip Rosen and Laura Mulvey who was informed by psychoanalysis. From a psychoanalytical perspective, after the Lacanian notion of "the Real", Slavoj Žižek offered new aspects of "the gaze" extensively used in contemporary film analysis.^[4] There has also been a historical revisiting of early cinema screenings, practices and spectatorship modes by writers Tom Gunning, Miriam Hansen and Yuri Tsivian.

Television writer/producer David Weddle^[3] suggests that film theory as practiced in the early 2000s is a form of bait and switch, taking advantage of young, would-be filmmakers: anyone in Hollywood filmmaking who used film theory terms like "fabula" and "syuzhet" would be "laughed off the lot." Weddle also quotes Roger Ebert's opinion that "Film theory has nothing to do with film" and is an obscuricantist "cult;" and quotes silent film historian Kevin Brownlow's alarm that academic film theorists are typically "quite aggressively Marxist."

In 2008, German filmmaker Werner Herzog^[5] suggested that "Theoretical film studies has become really awful. That’s not how you should study film. Abolish these courses and do something else which makes much more sense."

Specific theories of film[link]

• Apparatus theory
• Auteur theory
• Feminist film theory
• Formalist film theory
• Genre studies
• Marxist film theory
• Philosophy of language film analysis
• Psychoanalytical film theory
• Screen theory
• Structuralist film theory

See also[link]

• Fictional film
• Film
• Film journals and magazines
• Film studies
• List of motion picture-related topics
• Philosophy of film

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Dudley Andrew, Concepts in Film Theory, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 1984.
• Francesco Casetti, Theories of Cinema, 1945-1990, Austin: University of Texas Press, 1999.
• Stanley Cavell, The World Viewed: Reflections on the Ontology of Film (1971); 2nd enlarged edn. (1979)
• Bill Nichols, Representing Reality. Issues and Concepts in Documentary, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991.
• The Oxford Guide to Film Studies, Oxford University Press, 1998.

David Fincher
Born	David Andrew Leo Fincher[1][2] (1962-08-28) August 28, 1962 (age 49) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Other names	Finch, Dave Fincher
Occupation	Film director, film producer, music video director
Years active	1984–present
Notable work(s)	Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Influenced by	Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock, George Roy Hill, Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Alan J. Pakula, Bob Fosse, Roman Polanski
Spouse	Donya Fiorentino (1990–1995)
Children	Phelix Imogen (b. April 25, 1994)

David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film and music video director who is known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven (1995), The Game (1997), Fight Club (1999), Panic Room (2002), and Zodiac (2007). Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and his 2010 film The Social Network, which also won him the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for Best Director. His most recent film is 2011's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, an English-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel of the same name.

Early life and career[link]

Fincher was born on August 28, 1962 in Denver, Colorado, the son of Claire Mae (née Boettcher), a mental health nurse who worked in drug addiction programs, and Howard Kelly Fincher, who worked as a bureau chief for Life under the name Jack Fincher.^[1][3] When Fincher was two years old, the family moved to San Anselmo in Marin County, California. Fincher moved to Ashland, Oregon in his teens, where he graduated from Ashland High School. Inspired by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Fincher began making movies at age eight with an 8 mm camera. Fincher eschewed the film school route, getting a job loading cameras and doing other hands-on work for John Korty’s Korty Films. He was later hired by Industrial Light & Magic in 1983, where he worked on productions for Twice Upon a Time, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In 1984, he left ILM to direct a commercial for the American Cancer Society, that would show a fetus smoking a cigarette. This quickly brought Fincher to the attention of producers in Los Angeles and he was given the chance to direct the documentary The Beat of the Live Drum featuring Rick Springfield in 1985. Though he would continue to direct spots for companies like Revlon, Converse, Nike, Pepsi, Sony, and Levi's, Fincher soon discovered music videos and went on to direct many promos.

Propaganda Films[link]

Set on a directing career, Fincher joined video-production company Propaganda Films and started off directing music videos and commercials. Like Fincher, other directors such as Michael Bay, Samuel Bayer, Meiert Avis, David Kellogg, Antoine Fuqua, Neil LaBute, Spike Jonze, Mark Romanek, Michel Gondry, Paul Rachman, Zack Snyder, Gore Verbinski, and Alex Proyas honed their talents at Propaganda Films before moving on to feature films.

Music videos[link]

Fincher directed big budget music videos for artists such as Madonna (including "Express Yourself", "Vogue", "Oh Father" and "Bad Girl"), Billy Idol ("Cradle of Love"), Paula Abdul (including "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me", "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl" and "Cold Hearted"), Aerosmith ("Janie's Got a Gun"), The Rolling Stones (including "Love Is Strong"), Roy Orbison ("She's a Mystery to Me"), Nine Inch Nails ("Only"), A Perfect Circle ("Judith"), Jody Watley (including "Real Love" and "Most of All"), Rick Springfield ("State Of The Heart"), Jermaine Stewart (We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off), Steve Winwood, Neneh Cherry ("Heart"), George Michael ("Freedom '90"), The Motels "Shame", Michael Jackson ("Who Is It"), The Wallflowers, Wire Train and The Outfield, including "All the Love (in the World)", "Every Time You Cry" and "No Surrender". His video for Don Henley's "The End of the Innocence" won Henley the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video in 1990.

Features[link]

[edit] Alien 3

After directing several music videos, Fincher's feature debut was Alien 3 (1992). While it received an Oscar nomination for special effects, the film was not well received by critics or moviegoers. Fincher became involved with several disputes with 20th Century Fox over script and budget issues. In "The Director’s Cut",^[4] he blames the producers for not putting the necessary trust in him. After this, Fincher retreated back into the world of commercial and music video directing, including the video for the Grammy Award winning track "Love Is Strong" (1994) by The Rolling Stones.

[edit] Seven

In 1995, Fincher directed Seven. The film, based on a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker, told the story of two detectives (played in the movie by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) tracking down a serial killer who bases his killings on the seven deadly sins. The film grossed more than $100 million domestically (over $300 million internationally).^[5] The chairman of New Line Cinema, Arnold Kopelson, originally refused to allow filming of the shocking climactic scene. With the aid of Brad Pitt, who stated that he would not be involved with the picture if its ending were changed, Fincher was allowed to film the original scene and use it in the final cut.

[edit] The Game

After the success of Seven, Fincher went on to film The Game (1997). The story focused on a closed-off San Francisco businessman (played by Michael Douglas) who receives an unusual gift from his younger brother (Sean Penn), in which he becomes the main player of a role-playing game that takes over his life. The film had middling box-office returns despite being well received by critics.

[edit] Fight Club

Fight Club was a screen adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel of the same name about an insomniac office worker who opens up a club devoted exclusively to bare knuckle fighting for men. Featuring Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, and Seven collaborator Brad Pitt, the 1999 film was an early disappointment at the box-office and received mixed reviews. Fight Club was panned by several critics and alienated audiences leading to its box office failure in the United States.

However, many critics and audiences later changed their opinions and the film appeared on many 'best of the year' lists and soon developed a cult following. Entertainment Weekly, which had originally given the film a D-,^[6] later ranked the DVD #1 on its list of 50 Essential DVDs.^[7] Exceptional sales have since established it as a cult film.

In 2006 the British magazine Total Film voted Fight Club number four in the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time, beaten only by Jaws, Vertigo and Goodfellas at 3, 2 and 1 respectively.^[8]

[edit] Panic Room

In 2002, Fincher followed up with the thriller Panic Room. The film earned over $92 million at the U.S. box office. The story follows a single mother (Jodie Foster) and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) as they hide in a safe room of their new house, away from criminals (Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam and Fight Club collaborator Jared Leto) bent on finding a missing fortune. Fincher acknowledged Panic Room as a more mainstream thriller, describing the film, on the DVD's audio commentary, as "[basically] a date movie" and a "really good B movie" about "two people trapped in a closet".

[edit] Zodiac

The symbol of the Zodiac Killer.

Five years after Panic Room, Fincher returned on March 2, 2007 with Zodiac, an adaptation of Robert Graysmith’s books about the hunt for the Zodiac Killer that starred Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey, Jr., Anthony Edwards, and Brian Cox. The first of Fincher’s films to be shot digitally, the majority of the film was recorded on a Thompson Viper Film Stream Camera. However, high-speed film cameras were used for the Blue Rock Springs and Presidio Heights murder scenes for the slow-motion shots.^[9] It was originally to be released in the fall of 2006 but was pushed back after Fincher refused to cut 20 minutes off the film.

Zodiac was one of the best-reviewed films of that year, with only two other 2007 films appearing on more top-10 lists (No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood).^[10] However, the film struggled at the box office in the U.S., earning only $33 million, but did well overseas with a foreign gross of $51.7 million. Worldwide, Zodiac was a decent success.^[11] Despite an aggressive campaign by the studio, expectations surrounding Robert Downey, Jr.’s supporting performance, Fincher’s direction and Vanderbilt’s adapted script, the film did not earn a single Academy Award nomination.^[12]

[edit] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

A story about life and death, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story of the same name. The film was Fincher’s third with Brad Pitt. The film started shooting in November 2006 in New Orleans, before moving on to the Virgin Islands, Montreal, and L.A.. Both Zodiac and this film are co-productions of Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. The budget for the film was estimated at $150 million, partly due to the CGI effects used to reverse the aging in Brad Pitt’s character. The film is the first PG-13 film directed by Fincher. It received 13 nominations at the 81st Academy Awards, including Fincher's first nomination for Best Director. It won three Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Visual Effects.

[edit] The Social Network

Fincher directed the 2010 film The Social Network, about the legal battles of Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook. The film features an Oscar-winning screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, adapted from the book The Accidental Billionaires. Featuring a young cast ensemble, the film was produced by Scott Rudin, Kevin Spacey and Michael DeLuca. Filming started in October 2009^[13] and was released a year later, to critical acclaim. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross created the Oscar-winning soundtrack for the film, Fincher had long been a fan of Reznor's work in Nine Inch Nails, even putting a remix of "Closer" in the beginning of Seven and directing the music video for "Only". The film went on to win many awards, including four Golden Globes (including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score), three BAFTAs (including Best Direction), and three Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing.^[14]

[edit] The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Fincher directed the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which was based on the book by Stieg Larsson, with a script written by Steven Zaillian. The film was shot in Sweden, with Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist, Robin Wright as Erika Berger, Stellan Skarsgård as Martin Vanger and Christopher Plummer as Henrik Vanger. The film was released on December 20, 2011. Along with Dragon Tattoo, Fincher and Zaillian have signed a two picture deal to also adapt The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, which will be shot back to back. In January 2012, it was announced that Sony Pictures was "moving forward" with the adaptation of The Girl Who Played with Fire, with Zaillian in the early stage of scripting it for a planned release in late 2013.^[15][16] Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the soundtrack for the film (their second collaboration with Fincher).^[17] It received Five Academy Award nominations at the 84th Academy Awards including: Best Actress for Rooney Mara, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Sound Mixing and won one award for Best Film Editing.

Future projects[link]

[edit] House of Cards

Fincher has agreed to direct the first Netflix original television series, starring Kevin Spacey.^[18] The show will be called House of Cards and will air in late 2012.^[19]

[edit] 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

For his next film project after The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fincher (as of July 2010) is attached to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for Walt Disney Pictures, based on the Jules Verne's eponymous novel. Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Informant!, Contagion) is set to write the screenplay.^[20] Originally, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea had been set to be directed by McG from a screenplay by Randall Wallace (draft by Bill Marsilli, with rewrites by Justin Marks), but the $150-million project was terminated in early pre-production stage in November 2009.^[21][22] Fincher's vision is to direct a 'gigantic steampunk science fiction movie from 1873' and '[his] Empire Strikes Back.'^[23]

[edit] The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest

It has been announced that the other two parts in the Millennium series, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, will be adapted. However, it is unclear whether David Fincher will return to direct the sequels.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The Killer

On November 1, 2007, Variety reported that Fincher was attached to do an adaptation of a French graphic novel called The Killer by Alexis Nolent, which was optioned by Paramount Pictures and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, with Pitt attached to star in the film. Scripted by Allesandro Camon, the film is about a top assassin, with his conscience getting the better of him, and a cop on his tail.^[24]

[edit] The Reincarnation of Peter Proud

An announcement was made on November 9, 2009 that Andrew Kevin Walker and David Fincher will re-team for the remake of the 1975 film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud.^[25][26] This marks the fifth time Andrew Kevin Walker and Fincher will work together. Walker wrote Fincher's 1995 thriller Seven, did uncredited rewrites for Fight Club and The Game and made a cameo appearance in Panic Room.

[edit] Ness

On September 5, 2008, Firstshowing.net reported that Matt Damon is in talks to play Eliot Ness in Ness with Fincher lined up to direct an adaptation of the graphic novel Torso by Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko, and that the producers were looking for locations in Cleveland, Ohio.^[27] During a Social Network Q&A Fincher confirmed that production on "Ness" is dead.

[edit] Heavy Metal

Variety reported that Paramount Pictures will make another animated film with David Fincher, based on the Heavy Metal comics. Fincher is set to direct one of the film’s eight or nine segments, which will also feature other directors such as animator Tim Miller and magazine owner and publisher Kevin Eastman directing another. The film is envisioned as being an animated, adult-themed R-rated film.^[28] On July 14, 2008 Paramount Pictures announced the movie is put on hold.^[29] On September 4, 2008, it was announced the film was to be made by Columbia Pictures, and a few of the directors attached to make a segment each includes Zack Snyder, Gore Verbinski and Guillermo del Toro, as well as James Cameron.^[30]

[edit] Rendezvous with Rama

Fincher has been attempting to make a film based on the science fiction novel of the same name written by Arthur C. Clarke with Morgan Freeman cast in the lead. In 2008, Fincher announced he was no longer making the film due to Freeman's health,^[31] but Freeman said in late 2010 that Fincher is "still part of the conversation."^[32]

Collaborators[link]

Acting[link]

Fincher often casts certain actors more than once in his films. Fincher has consistently worked with Richmond Arquette, Bob Stephenson, Christopher John Fields, Brad Pitt and Joel Bissonnette.^{[citation needed]}

Actor	Alien 3 (1992)	Seven (1995)	The Game (1997)	Fight Club (1999)	Panic Room (2002)	Zodiac (2007)	The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)	The Social Network (2010)	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Richmond Arquette		Y		Y		Y	Y
Joel Bissonnette				Y		Y	Y
John Cassini		Y	Y
Christopher John Fields	Y		Y	Y		Y
Rachel Flanagan		Y	Y
Duffy Gaver		Y	Y
John Getz						Y		Y
Zach Grenier				Y		Y
Mark Boone Junior		Y	Y
Elias Koteas						Y	Y
Jared Leto				Y	Y
Barry Livingston						Y		Y
George Maguire			Y	Y		Y
Rooney Mara								Y	Y
Michael Massee		Y	Y
Owen Masterson			Y	Y
Angelina McCoy							Y	Y
Holt McCallany	Y			Y
Evan Mirand		Y		Y
Brad Pitt		Y		Y			Y
Paul Schulze					Y	Y
David Lee Smith				Y		Y
Bob Stephenson		Y	Y	Y		Y
Matt Winston				Y		Y

Other[link]

Fincher also frequently works with the same crew across many films, notably Jeff Cronenweth, cinematographer, Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, editing, Ren Klyce, sound designer, and more recently Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composers. Alien 3 is unlisted, as there are no collaborations on that film.

Collaborator, Role	Seven (1995)	The Game (1997)	Fight Club (1999)	Panic Room (2002)	Zodiac (2007)	The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)	The Social Network (2010)	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Kirk Baxter, Editor						Y	Y	Y
Donald Graham Burt, Production Designer					Y	Y	Y	Y
Jeff Cronenweth, Cinematographer			Y				Y	Y
James Haygood, Editor		Y	Y	Y
Darius Khondji, Cinematographer	Y			Y
Ren Klyce, Sound Designer	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Laray Mayfield, Casting Director			Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Trent Reznor, Composer							Y	Y
Atticus Ross, Composer							Y	Y
Scott Rudin, Producer							Y	Y
Harris Savides, Cinematographer		Y			Y
Howard Shore, Composer	Y	Y		Y
Andrew Kevin Walker, Screenwriter	Y			Y
Angus Wall, Editor				Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

Filmography[link]

Feature films[link]

• Alien 3 (1992)
• Seven (1995)
• The Game (1997)
• Fight Club (1999)
• Panic Room (2002)
• Zodiac (2007)
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
• The Social Network (2010)
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Television[link]

• House of Cards (2013)

Music videos[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2010)

Reception[link]

Critical reception[link]

Box office[link]

Awards[link]

Further reading[link]

• Swallow, James (July 2003). "Dark and Light". Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher. Reynolds & Hearn. pp. 11–33. ISBN 1-903111-52-8. 
• Waxman, Sharon, ed. (2005), Rebels on the Backlot: Six Maverick Directors and How They Conquered the Hollywood Studio System, HarperEntertainment .

References[link]

External links[link]

• David Fincher at the Internet Movie Database
• David Fincher at AllRovi
• David Fincher at Rotten Tomatoes
• David Fincher Blog at fincherfanatic.blogspot.com
• Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database
• Music Videos & Commercials at anonymous content

Interviews

• David Fincher interview with Paul Guyot of www.dvdtalk.com
• David Fincher interview with Michael Moses of www.drdrew.com
• David Fincher interview with Gavin Smith of edward-norton.org
• Esquire magazine interview with Fincher
• IndieLondon interview with Fincher
• David Fincher Didn't Want To Make 'Another Serial-Killer Movie' ... Until Zodiac Came Along – Part 1 interview with MTV
• David Fincher Discusses Reunion With Brad Pitt, Possible Fight Club Musical – Part 2 interview with MTV
• CHUD: Exclusive Interview: David Fincher
• Movieweb: David Fincher Talks Zodiac: Director's Cut
• LA Weekly – David Fincher discusses Zodiac's rising star