Films often try to teach us various life lessons and sometimes even do so inadvertently. I took a look at the filmography of my favorite director David Fincher and decided to list off the most important lessons I learned from each film in his catalog. WATCH OUT FOR SPOILERS. Take a look.
Dillon: Why should we put our ass on the line for you?
Ripley: Your ass is already on the line. The only question is, what’re you gonna do about it?
It’s no secret that Fincher wants to separate himself as much as possible from his first feature film. Alien³ is largely disliked by fans of the franchise and remains the most uncharacteristic and unimpressive work in Finchy’s filmography. The big problems with the movie stem from all of the behind the scenes issues between the director and producers. Several scripts were often in contention for the project with multiple rewrites being proposed even when the movie had already started filming. There were paramount creative differences between almost everyone involved on set.
This is obviously a toxic environment for any artist. It’s also not uncommon for directors/writers/actors etc. to struggle with maintaining their own personal creative vision while working on a film. After all, it takes a village, not just one guy or gal to make silver screen magic. But I think Alien³ taught Fincher a valuable lesson in planning as well as sticking to your guns. He had the talent but couldn’t bring out his vision because he wasn’t surrounded by people willing to help him get there. It’s important to remember that in whatever you do in life, you should try to be as authentic as possible. It sounds easy, but life throws you a lot of difficult curve balls that can almost make it impossible from time to time. Stick up for your own vision and never shy away from owning your personal story. I guarantee that it will make you happier and more successful.
William Somerset: Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.” I agree with the second part.
That’s a darkly beautiful quote from one of Fincher’s most brilliant films. In Seven, two detectives work to solve a puzzling case involving an intelligent but disturbed serial killer. Veteran Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is jaded and disheartened by the apparent evil nature that consumes the city where he lives and works. Newbie Det. Mills (Brad Pitt) is still fresh to the filth and a little naive about the animal he is trying to tame. The movie states a lot of good points but one of the most important is what it says about human nature. Good or bad, guilty or innocent? Life is in no way that black and white. Every person on the planet holds their own judgement but is also capable of terrible, vile acts of destruction. How we deal with our demons can speak volumes about our character.
Daniel Schorr: Discovering the object of the game *is* the object of the game.
One of David Fincher’s more farfetched and entertainment driven films serves as a good reminder to take in everything around us. In the movie, Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is financially successful but lives his life detached from others and absent of real companionship. After his brother sets him up on a secretive ‘game’ run by a mysterious company, Nicholas’ life spirals out of control as he is forced to deal with increasingly harrowing situations. He must face the choices he has made in his life and reevaluate his priorities. Will your money save you? Will it fulfill you or send you on a path to repeat former mistakes? The Game is a good reminder to viewers that we should not take for granted the people and moments in our life that make it special and worth living. It is easy to get distracted with money and shiny objects but you should always ground yourself in the true life blocks of happiness.
Tyler Durden: You’re not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your fucking khakis. You’re the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
Depending on the type of person you are, there are a whole bunch of takeaways to be gathered from Fight Club. You aren’t related to your status. Corporate greed is the enemy. You are not you if you buy into the shit other people sell you. Think for yourself. Beat yourself up and make yourself feel alive. Really, there is a lot going on here. But no matter how appealing Tyler’s anti conformist, nihilist rants sound (and believe me, they are often pretty compelling to my quarter-life crisis sensibilities), you can’t fully buy into it. I do believe it’s true that we might not all be as special as we were once told but it doesn’t mean we can’t separate ourselves from the heard. To survive in this often cruel world, it’s important to learn to love yourself and your flaws. If you can accept your bad parts and strive to make yourself a better person, then and only then, will you be able to make it through. The Narrator/Jack ultimately learns this too in the end when he is forced to separate for good from his more diabolical other half.
Junior: Listen, goddamn it! I’m in charge here! Now what the hell is goin’ on?
I might have known this bit of wisdom beforehand but it was solidified after catching a glimpse of Jared Leto as Junior in this flick.
Robert Graysmith: I… I Need to know who he is. I… I need to stand there, I need to look him in the eye and I need to know that it’s him.
Another magnificent effort from Fincher, Zodiac is at it’s core, a movie based all around obsession. Following three different individuals that are all involved with the infamous Zodiac Killer case, the movie shows how each man in pursuit of the truth are cripple by their obsession. You can draw your own conclusions as to who the Zodiac killer may have been (the movie seems to finger one person in particular as being the prime choice) but there really is no definitive proof so you are forced to face the cold truth just the same as the others. While a passion can often propel you forward in your efforts, obsession can will take you down a much more reckless path.
Benjamin Button: For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.
Button is a much softer, poetic film than the rest of Fincher’s work. It’s a bit of a mediation on life, love and death that follows a character with the unique perspective from living his life in reverse. For me, the biggest takeaway in the film is about making light of your situation. I think it can feel like we have all been dealt a bad hand every now and then and it can be difficult to focus on all the fortunate facets of our lives. For cynics like me, it always seems so much easier to lament about a situation than find the glory but it is important to try to set your fears and complaints aside. The quote from Ben Button above is a beautiful reminder of that.
Mark Zuckerberg: I went to my friend for the money because that’s who I wanted to be partners with. Eduardo was the president of the Harvard Investors Association, and he was also my best friend.
Gage: Your best friend is suing you for six hundred million dollars.
Mark Zuckerberg: I didn’t know that, tell me more.
I guess you could say something like ‘Mark Zuckerberg is a brilliant asshole billionaire’ and your wouldn’t be too far off here but that’s not really a lesson now is it folks? I think one of the most important messages to be gleaned from The Social Network is that it can be very difficult to mix business with pleasure. If you go into business with someone you’re close to, it’s key to make sure that you see eye to eye with that person to avoid big trouble down the line. It’s like asking your BFF to cut your hair. You better be able to handle the bangs backlash, you know?
Martin Vanger: Let me ask you something? Why don’t people trust their instincts? They sense something is wrong, someone is walking too close behind them… You knew something was wrong but you came back into the house. Did I force you, did I drag you in? No. All I had to do was offer you a drink. It’s hard to believe that the fear of offending can be stronger than the fear of pain. But you know what? It is. And they always come willingly. And then they sit there. They know it’s all over just like you do but somehow they still think they have a chance. Maybe if I say the right thing? Maybe if I’m polite. If I cry, if i beg. And when I see the hope draining from their face like it is from yours right now. I can feel myself getting hard. You know, We’re not that different, you and I. We both have urges, satisfying mine requires more towels.
This. This is one of my favorite quotes/moments from a Fincher film. I don’t know if this appears in the book series or not (Let me know in the comments if you know!) but there is such an amazing truth to it. In the scene, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) has been investigating a case involving a missing girl and possible murderer. When he winds up face to face with one of the prime suspects Martin Vanger (Stellan Skarsgård), the possible killer kindly asks him to come in for a drink. Blomkvist accepts and it lands him in some very scary hot water. But just read that quote again. Isn’t that so true? How many times have you done something you didn’t really want to do or allowed something to happen because you were concerned about putting on some sort of polite front? I know I have. It’s also why I can of give horror movie characters a little leeway when they do something that seems stupid and obvious to the outside observer. I reckon that most people wouldn’t be nearly as cautious when faced with a dangerous situation. Don’t let your manners get in the way, TRUST YOUR GUT!!
What lessons have you learned from David Fincher’s films? Let me know in the comments below!
