Jake Gyllenhaal once said that director David Fincher paints with people. By that, he meant that Finchers actors - like Gyllenhaal, who had a less than pleasant experience with the director on the set of Zodiac - were in Finchers mind just instruments for him to wield, and with which he might realise his vision. Its a mindset shared by a surprising number of successful filmmakers; to those directors, the film lasts forever, whereas the discomfort of an actor will last only for the relatively short period of filming, meaning that drawing out that great performance from said actor can and should be achieved by any means necessary. Great directors have typically used every method at their disposal to get the best out of their human paintbrushes. For some performers itll be pampering, for others itll be a harsher approach designed to discipline them into giving a performance they otherwise might not have thought possible. Oftentimes, youll find an actor thankful that their director essentially manipulated them into doing exactly what they wanted it was best for the film, or best for their career. In some instances, however, the means didnt always seem like they justified the ends for the performer, leading to emotional, psychological or even physical trauma, and an almost certain measure of lasting bitterness towards the filmmaker responsible.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
