David Fincher is quite possibly one of the most idiosyncratic filmmakers working today. His films are instantly recognizable and packed with his iconic brand of florescent-lit visual flair, quite typically working as a too-close-for-comfort examination of the seedy underbelly of the world we inhabit. And when we think David Fincher, we think of a distinctive visual language, of drained color palettes and exceedingly ordered and hyper-controlled worlds. Extreme closeups, though, aren’t exactly among the first traits associated with with the director, but nonetheless they are among his most deftly utilized.
To break it down, a mash-up from Jacob T. Swinney compiles the many extreme close-ups from Fincher’s career. Running three and a half minutes, “David Fincher’s Extreme Close-Ups” artfully combines the micro moments (that are often key to the films they exist within) into an unnerving visual exploration of Fincher’s thematic body of work. It’s a riveting way to zip through the director’s oeuvre, that clearly highlights many of his tics and the recurring images that populate his films, which have both helped him to create a distinct and thematically similar body of work.
With several of the director’s upcoming flicks and shows running into roadblocks and falling apart last year (save for the long-brewing “Mindhunter” at Netflix), ‘Fincher’s Extreme Close-Ups’ is a nice little fix while we patiently await something new from the mastermind.
Check out the video below and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.