American Cinematographer - September 1997 - 40

San Francisco

entrepreneur
Orton (Michael

Douglas)
a

mysterious
harlequin that
marks his
enrollment in
bizarre and

manipulative
game.

not be

tive and

strange machinations of CRS (Con¬
sumer Recreation Services), the

their with wits with the inven¬

Nicholas Van

examines

After scaring moviegoers out of

a

highly successful chiller

Seven (see AC October '95), director
David Fincher sought a follow-up

sure

are au¬

adventure's sometimes sadistic

or¬

project that would subvert the
public's expectations. The resulting

ganizers. As he is manipulated,

film, The Game, is another existen¬

soon

tial foray into the dark side of the
human psyche, but Fincher's latest
tale eschews serial killers for "suits."

pose of the game may
sonal enlightenment,

tested, and deceived, Nicholas
discovers that the real pur¬

thing far

The

not be per¬

but

more sinister.
"The Game is not

some¬

Industrial
on

to direct

Abdul, Aerosmith, and the Rolling
Stones. Fincher also
able experience on

gained valu¬
commercial
shoots, honing his eye while mas¬
tering a variety of cinematic tools
and techniques. He made his first
foray into the feature film arena
with the visually accomplished
Alien^, and then burst into promi¬

much more of an intrigue movie.
There are no big plane crashes in
this film. If the movie is about any¬

nence

thing, it's about loss of control. We
an
experience for

making,"

launches the elder Van Orton's

the audience that didn't

unwitting enrollment in a mysteri¬
ously orchestrated "adventure
game" ostensibly designed to insti¬
gate positive, life-changing realiza¬
tions. The game's participants are

trived,

as

tion movie,"

a

big

ac¬

Fincher asserts. "It is

wanted to create

seem con¬

though it is quite con¬
trived. What we've come up with is
a
very different take on the idea of
'old money' and wealth. It defi¬
nitely ain't Dynasty]"
even

Light & Magic. He then

a slew of memo¬
rable and influential music videos
for such artists as Madonna, Paula

went

picture stars Michael
wealthy San Francisco
entrepreneur Nicholas Van Orton,
who is drawn into a bizarre string
of events after receiving a unique
present from his estranged brother
Conrad (Sean Penn). Conrad's gift

Douglas

with Seven.

"I have a philosophy
about the two extremes of film-

Fincher. "The first is
way,' where you're at
the end of an alley in which four
guys are kicking the shit out of a
wino. Hopefully, the audience
says

the 'Kubrick

members will know that such
scenario is

morally

a

wrong, even

tured scenarios within their real

the film

industry in the early Eight¬

though it's not presented as if the
one
being beaten up;
it's more as if you're witnessing

lives, to the point where they can¬

ies

visual effects technician at

an

American

September 1997

thrust into

38

which events

thentic and which result from the

a

Fincher began working in

series of manufac¬

Cinematographer

as a

viewer is the
event.

Inversely, there's the

EFPnoteilrcymaogirumafrdtesy
FTrieodknny,
byPhot s
American Cinematographer - September 1997

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