Elusive serial killers. 
Schizophrenic anarchists. 
A mother and daughter in peril. 
Humanity’s perpetual waltz with youth and death. 

The films of David Fincher are as uncompromising in their exploration of the human experience as they are superlative in their mastery of film language, creating worlds and personas that have entered the loftiest realms of our own imaginations. With the Christmas Day release of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Fincher’s seventh feature film, it seems like a ripe occasion to celebrate the career of one of modern cinema’s great visionaries. —

Alien 3 (1992)

At the time of its release, “Alien 3″ was the most expensive film ever made by a first-time director; at its best, it’s a convoluted blend of technical artistry and a host of glaring narrative and structural flaws. Brought onto the set late in production, Fincher was faced with both the dilemma of having to film with an unfinished script amidst constant studio interference and the pressure of creating a movie worthy of the first two entries in the series. The result is a forgettable attempt to expand on the space age intrigue and sci-fi/horror elements that had defined both “Alien” and “Aliens”. Not the greatest debut but not entirely Fincher’s fault either, since the studio reworked the film substantially without his permission prior to release.

“Alien 3″: Not What It Seems Like

Se7en (1995)

Two detectives, one a grizzled veteran (Morgan Freeman) and the other a cocky hotshot (Brad Pitt), investigate a series of ritualistic homicides in “Se7en”, a superlative modern thriller set in the bleak decadence of an anonymous, rain-soaked metropolis. The elusive killer’s methods—perpetrating horrific murders, each based on the Bible’s seven deadly sins—eventually lead to disturbing revelations that test the mettle of both investigators as they embark on an intricate game of cat-and-mouse. By infusing the film with stark urban anxiety and an unmistakably metaphysical sense of dehumanization, Fincher achieves a truly frightening vision with “Se7en”. It’s a triumph of cinematic craft and, in hindsight, one of the richest, most rewarding films of the 1990s.

“Se7en”: Chasing John Doe

The Game (1997)

A deftly constructed thriller about a wealthy, Scrooge-like businessman (Michael Douglas) whose daily life becomes a web of fears and uncertainties after he accepts a role-playing game as a birthday gift from his brother (Sean Penn), “The Game” continues Fincher’s signature portrayals of flawed characters set against dark, brooding urban landscapes. As the artificiality of the game wears away and each new plot turn takes on a heightened sense of reality, the protagonist’s mounting paranoia becomes intertwined with the viewer’s own rising emotions—pure Fincher in its assured handling of cinema’s psychological complexities. It’s also one of Douglas’ best performances.

“The Game”: Conversing With the TV

Fight Club (1999)

Soap-making, bare-knuckled brawling and Nietzsche come together in this hilarious postmodern allegory of nihilism and materialism in modern society and the dangers of going too far to either extreme. The Narrator (Edward Norton) is an everyman stuck in the confines of a routine office job and a consumer-driven lifestyle; along the way, he encounters Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a freewheeling maverick who opens his eyes to the promise of masculine fulfillment and a no-holds-barred way of life. A combination of frame-filling artistry and feverishly brilliant plotting helped make “Fight Club” an instant cult classic amongst discerning viewers; despite its initially lukewarm critical reception, Fincher’s claim to fame now stands as one of the most enduringly influential films of the modern era.

“Fight Club”: Tyler Durden’s Speech

Panic Room (2002)

Mother (Jodie Foster) and daughter (Kristen Stewart) move into a spacious four-story New York City townhouse equipped with a plethora of security devices, and resort to the panic room—the safest room in the residence—when three unwelcome visitors break in in the middle of the night. A ferociously paced tale of morality in the face of imminent danger, “Panic Room” recalls Hitchcock in its suspenseful manipulation of viewer emotions. Fincher’s signature tricks abound, including an early long take that glides seamlessly through walls and floors with the help of fluid digital touches, mapping out the film’s labyrinthine setting for extra cinematic effect.

“Panic Room”: Townhouse Tracking Shot

Zodiac (2007)

An intricately crafted police procedural revolving around a cryptic serial killer whose presence created a sensation in Northern California during the 1970s, “Zodiac” may be Fincher’s most mature work to date. By methodically exposing the fears and obsessions of a bygone era, the film picks apart the intricacies of the information age with brilliant subtlety. As reporters, detectives and their loved ones become hopelessly entangled in the case, the passage of time transforms into the film’s driving force, simultaneously fueling their desires and foiling their advances. And what a cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey, Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, amongst others, embody their real-life counterparts with skill and pathos to match. With a painterly eye, Fincher recreates San Francisco history to a degree of authentic, unsettling urgency.

“Zodiac”: July 4, 1969

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

A grandiosely structured, if flawed, meditation on time and the fleeting nature of life’s precious moments, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” reunites Fincher with Brad Pitt for their third collaboration, this time around in an Eric Roth-penned tale of a man born under “unusual circumstances”. He enters the world old and grows younger in both appearance and stature with each passing year, only to witness the ones around him age in the opposite direction—namely lifelong love interest Daisy (Cate Blanchett). Throughout the film, Fincher vividly conveys the passage of time with an array of expressionistic color palettes and some of the most astonishing digital face technology ever conceived. Loosely based on the 1922 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is no doubt Fincher’s most ambitious stab at the mainstream acceptance and award-season recognition that has thus far eluded him altogether. For that matter, it may well get him both. 

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”: Theatrical Trailer

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When it comes to evaluating the work of great artists, beauty lies in the smallest details—something critics and cineastes alike have come to expect from David Fincher. The man who made his first movie at age eight with an 8 mm camera is now one of America’s most celebrated contemporary auteurs. With each new work, he further cements his status as our generation’s principal architect of cinema’s troubled existences, an artist with the uncanny ability to harness the unspoken desires and obsessions hidden within all of us.

Image Source: Internet Movie Database