Fincher’s recent work has really shown improvements on his visual storytelling ability. Part of this is his savvy employment of skilled cinematographers. House of Cards is probably one of the best-looking television series I’ve seen, and considering the latest raising of the visual bar by shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, that’s saying quite a lot. It’s not just the awesome shots of cloud-covered Washington, DC in the opening credits, or the gorgeously framed university campus buildings and other monuments, but just the general visual aesthetic tone to the show creates a distinct, almost surrealistic atmosphere, so we know it’s supposed to be more dramatic than realistic, more mysterious than revealing.
Another hallmark of recent Fincher is the use of pounding, bass-filled music, creating a rhythm by which we follow all the events, and can temper our intrigue based on the dramatic tone set by the score. It’s probably reminiscent to many viewers of an Aaron Sorkin-style show, in the tempo of the dialogue and action. There are shades of The Social Network all over the place.
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