The five movies that changed David Fincher’s life
David Fincher is one of the greatest craftsmen in modern cinema. Ironically, though, his filmography isn’t as impressive as you’d expect, and in truth, he has been involved with several mediocre films. However, even when saddled with weaker material, Fincher always gives his all behind the camera, creating meticulously drawn and visually exquisite cinema every single time.
So, what films played a part in shaping this legendary director?
When asked by Academy Frame about the five movies that impacted him the most, Fincher refused to be narrowed down and instead shared five films from the 1970s. He describes this time as a particularly fertile span of moviegoing during which he was attending the cinema thrice a week.
It’s an eclectic and interesting group, and the movies detailed span a diverse array of genres as he touches on crime with The French Connection, dramedy with Paper Moon, sci-fi with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, musicals in the form of All That Jazz and routing things off with the horror classic Halloween.
Having said that, perhaps the one thing all of the films have in common is their striking visuals, which makes sense given that Fincher is well-known for his skill at making visually stunning movies. From the ferocious and kinetic action sequences of The French Connection to the dream-like wonder of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, all of these movies are dynamic, powerful pieces of cinema.
Halloween sticks out as a particularly understandable selection because of its brilliant use of Steadicam cinematography, a style that Fincher would often use throughout his filmography. Speaking of Halloween, Fincher describes it as “still the best” and further writes: “A murky sense of culpability imbues every thrilling steadicam P.O.V. with heretofore unknown dread — whilst its ‘relentlessness of evil’ metaphor in Michael Myers was pure and twisted glee”.
Paper Moon, meanwhile, may be the least-expected choice, as it has less in common with Fincher’s style than the other films. Nonetheless, Fincher talks lovingly of it. He praises “the most perfect casting of father and daughter thespians ever… Alvin Sargent’s relentlessly human screenplay… [and] Polly Platt and László Kovács’s stunning evocation of Depression-era America.”
All five of Fincher’s picks are genuinely great movies, and their role in shaping one of America’s best-living filmmakers is another reminder of their brilliance – not that one was needed, of course.
Movies that inspired David Fincher:
- The French Connection (William Friedkin, 1971)
- Paper Moon (Peter Bogdanovich, 1973)
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg, 1977)
- Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
- All That Jazz (Bob Fosse, 1979)
