TTLV: The art of storytelling by American film director David Fincher (through the films: The Strange Life of Benjamin Button, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl)

1. Student's full name: PHAN NGOC HANH 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: May 29, 1957

4. Place of birth: Saigon

5. Decision on recognition of students No. 3014/2019/QD-XHNV dated July 30, 2019 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

6. Changes in the training process: Extension of study time according to Decision No. 1370/QD-XHNV dated June 30, 2021

7. Thesis topic name:The storytelling art of American film director David Fincher (through the films: The Uncanny Life of Benjamin Button, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl).

8. Major: Theory, history of cinema and television; Code: 8210232.01

9. Scientific advisor: Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Ngoc Thanh, University of Theatre and Cinema, Ho Chi Minh City

10. Summary of thesis results:

Through research topicThe storytelling art of American film director David Fincher (through films:The Strange Life of Benjamin Button,Girl with dragon tattooandMissing girl), the thesis achieved the following results:                        

Among the films considered the best by American film director David Fincher, we must mentionStrange lifestrange belong toBenjamin Button;The girl with the dragon tattooandMissing girl.Those films show that the topics he chooses are equally rich and diverse. To express and deeply reflect those topics, most of David Fincher's excellent films are adaptations of famous novels.

In David Fincher's films, each film is a story with a storytelling style that is applied by film narration and exploits the strengths of popular film genres to the maximum, so it is loved and attracted by the majority of audiences. Many stories have unique storytelling styles, combined with appropriate techniques, especially the exploitation and combination of film genres that are loved by many audiences, especially American audiences. Researching the art of storytelling in the films of American film director David Fincher can apply the poetics/structure approach to film works. When researching the art of storytelling in the films of the same director, it is possible to point out the imprints of the director's storytelling style.

From thriller, fantasy, social psychology genres (Strange lifestrange belong toBenjamin Button), to the detective, criminal, crime, mystery genres (The girl with the dragon tattoo) or detective, thriller, thriller (Missing girl)…, among which, the most prominent is psychological detective and mystery, director David Fincher always creates his own brand, a level higher than the attractive stories themselves, mostly adapted from famous literary works. He is always good at psychological and crime films with mysterious rhythms, suspense and surprises at the end.

However, David Fincher's lesson is this: the genres exploited can be very diverse, but what is important is the combination as well as their compatibility with the theme, story and how to apply the appropriate rules, promote the characteristic strengths to operate those genres as effectively as possible.

Director David Fincher, whose trademark is his creative movement, is the way the camera moves. Under the direction of David Fincher and his cinematographer, the camera predicts the movement of the characters and keeps them in the center of the action. On the other hand, he has demonstrated the art of staging, which is considered a very important element not only in detective, fantasy, thriller, mystery films, etc., including the work of arranging and composing elements on a frame, expressing the content and conveying the meaning of the work.

As an auteur film director, David Fincher is also a master filmmaker in the art of creating outstanding forms, typically the art of creating outstanding forms of David Fincher is the art of makeup and costumes performed in the film.Strange lifestrangeby Benjamin Button.

11. Practical applicability: The research of the thesis can be used as reference material for editors, film directors, and film researchers.

12. Further research directions: (if any) Research on the style and creative methods in filmmaking of American Directors in the decade 2010-2020.

13. Published works related to the thesis:

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name : PHAN NGOC HANH. 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: May 29, 1957. . 4. Place of birth: Sai Gon

5. Admission decision number: No.3014/2019/QD-XHNV, signed by the President of University of Social Sciences and Humanity. Dated Hanoi National University on July 30, 2019.

6. Changes in academic process: Extending the study period according to Decision No. 1370/QD-XHNV dated June 30, 2021

7. Official thesis title: ART STORY OF THE DIRECTOR DAVID FINCHER

(THROUGH HIS MOVIES:THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN,THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and GONE GIRL).

8. Major: Theory, History of Film and Television; Code: 8210232.01

9. Supervisors: Assoc.Prof.Dr. Vu Ngoc Thanh, Ho Chi Minh City University of Theater and Cinema.

10. Summary of the findings of the thesis:(Summarize them with stress on thenew findings, if any)

The thesis has achieved the following results:

Three of the most outstanding movies ever made by American film director David Fincher includingThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button,The Girl with the Dragon TattooandGone Girl.

It has shown his great capability in picking up a large diversity of movie genres. To better describe them, most of his films are adapted from well-known books.

Audience is attracted to his movies due to the study of method and technique of storytelling of cinema and the maximum exploration over the strong point of the films. The unique in the way of storytelling and the mix of favorite movies by American watchers are notable. Fincher's arts of storytelling can be approached by the poetic/structure method of cinematic pieces. In studying on his arts of storytelling in the movies of a director, one can tell the imprints on the director's personal style.

From thrilling, sci-fi, psychological (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), detective, crime, mystery (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) to suspend (Gone Girl), Fincher always knows how to create a trademark of his own, with higher level in film making. He always does things he good at: thriller, psychological with a suspense rhyme at the end.

However, his lesson is summed up in the way that the genres can be diversified, but the most important thing is how to apply suitable principals for better running those genres.

His trademark is how to move the camera, which predicts the movements of characters and keeps them in the center of actions. On the other sides, he has shown a movie set up performance perfectly, consisting of arrangement, making layouts of factors on a frame, by doing so expressing the content and meaning of his works.

As a master of adapted movies, he is also a maestro in the arts of make up and costume designing impressive created in the movieThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Summary of the findings of the thesis:(Summarize them with stress on thenew findings, if any)

11. Practical applicability, if any: The thesis can be served as a reference for editors, directors, film researchers.

12. Further research directions, if any: Research on the style and creative methods of American directors in the construction of movies in the decade 2010-2020.

13. Thesis-related publications: