Unit 26: P1, M1, D1 George Rogers

David Fincher: Auteur?

The term Auteur literally means Author. Specifically in terms of film, this term is applied
using the Auteur Theory. The Auteur Theory suggests that a film director is the major
creative force in the creation of a film. It suggest they can use the apparatus of the entire film-
making process in the same way that a writer uses a pen, or a painter uses paint and a
paintbrush. It is their ability to use the medium of film as a way of personal artistic
expression. The main features present in the work of an auteur include a personal style
particular to the auteur, common themes that are present throughout the auteurs body of
work and recurring collaborators who are present in multiple works by the particular auteur.
The Auteur Theory originated in the French film magazine Cahiers du cinma during the
1960s. French film journalists and critics were tiring of French cinema, which they felt had
become stale and repetitive, and so they started watching more American films. They began
to notice repeated themes and styles present in these films and created the term Auteur to
describe the work of the films director, who they identified as the person who controlled the
entire artistic direction of the film.
In this essay I will be discussing why I believe David Fincher, director of films including
Seven (1995) and Fight Club (1999), can be considered an Auteur based on his body of
work making feature films. I will analyse his body of work and identify common themes and
characteristics that appear throughout each of his films.
I will start by discussing the common themes and messages present in Finchers films.
Throughout his films, especially in Fight Club (1999), the concept of trying to reach an
almost unreachable goal and then discovering the futile truth and coming to terms with the
reality of the situation.
Finchers films have certain characteristics that exemplify his directing style. Firstly, his films
contain very few handheld camera shots due to Finchers preference for still shots and having
the camera on a tripod instead. He also only uses close-ups in certain cases, if he needs to
convey the passing of information and the characters reaction to this. He believes that
because of the fact a close-up is a shot used to make the audience pay attention then they
should only be used when there is something of importance to show to the audience. He
wont use a shot unless there is a motivation and reason for doing so.
Due to Finchers background in the music video industry the soundtracks to his films are
generally excellent and fit well with the pacing and structure of the films themselves as
Unit 26: P1, M1, D1 George Rogers

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