Fight Club

sxcdude

ok, ok, so fight club is about 11 years old to this date, but since i saw some new digitally enhanced version in the dvd store, i reminisced and watched my special collectors edition... thats not the point.
the point is for me to introduce to those deprived of this (somewhat controvertial) film, my favourite film of all time, fight club.


To oversimplify the plot of Fight Club:
A discontented recall co-coordinator (Edward Norton) suffers from insomnia, in an effort to combat his insomnia, the narrator joins support groups for the terminally ill. When a new member, Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), joins the narrators support groups, including the narrators testicular cancer support group, the narrators insomnia returns because her intrusion reminds him of his own pretense. The narrator now meets a soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). The narrator cures his insomnia by applying Tyler's nihilistic philosophy and violent aggression, eventually starting "Fight Club". From these events, the narrator slowly loses his grasp on everything that is happening around him, seeking answers, and asking, who is Tyler Durden?

Fight Club is my favourite film of all time because: of the fact that it warrants discussion. As subjective as Shakespeare, many interpretations can be taken from its themes; its masochist philosophy to life, a feminist critique, from a nihilistic perspective, its characterisation and latent homoeroticism, amongst many others.

Fight Club is an amazing film because: of the psychoanalytical nature of plot development. In progressing characterisation parallel to plot, Fight Club keeps the audience alert as plot and characters are being broken down and built up at the same time. This development allows Fight Club to constantly entertain without any excessive scenes, each scene is important in psychoanalytical and plot construction.

Fight Club is very strong thematically, the most outstanding theme being Tylers nihilistic philosophies (violence is so overrated), very graphic quotes from the film include "we are all part of the same compost heap" and "It's only after you've lost everything, that you're free to do anything".
These themes are either critically analysed, as i will do now, or overlooked for violent aspect of fight club. The reason why i would like to discuss the nihilistic philosophies of fight club rather than the obvious violent nature of the film is because there are many many many more films far more violent than fight club, and nihilism is what fight club does best.
At the point of the film from when the narrator embraces nihilism, consumerist society's veil of beauty crumbles. As minor characters and fight club members are introduced, we are shown the wealth disparity between the population, making comments on the great consumerist facade.
"We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."
Then fight club shows the glory of nihilism, where by rejecting consumerist society, these people may be satisfied.
Well, thats enough for my pseudo-literary theory... there is too much to discuss, and i dont want to be the only one discussing it...

the first rule of fight club is: you do not talk about Fight Club
the second rule of fight club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club
shit. i broke the rules.
 
I feel that its appropriate to note that Fight Club was a novel before it was a movie, and would probably be worth while to track down if you are a big fan of the movie.
 
Uskuri said:
I feel that its appropriate to note that Fight Club was a novel before it was a movie, and would probably be worth while to track down if you are a big fan of the movie.
Click to expand...

true, as with any other fan of the movie, i have read to novel. the novel and the movie differ quite a bit in some aspects, the most obvious is the real recipe for nitroglycerin, but the one that struck me most was the first contact the narrator had with tyler, on a nude beach, and some of the themes explored that chapter were unexplored in the movie
point is, the novel is more psychoanalytical. (oh and the ending was different) i did like the movie ending better
 
I quite liked the ending of the novel actually. Though Chuck Palahniuk (the author) confessed himself that he enjoyed Fincher's (the director) ending better.

You're not your fucking khakis

Best quote ever. ^_^
 
Spoilers of a sort, if you have not seen the movie and would like to do not read below.

Man I always loved the whole license idea. He would threaten someone to pursue their dreams, and if they didn't then threaten to kill them, when Tyler leaves and you see his door open, there are rows of licenses on it.

It always struck me as a awesome idea.

And of course the " I am Jack's insert body part here"

The movie is in my top three along with the Usual Suspects and Pulp Fiction

EDIT: and yeah Movie ending was absolutely fantastic, much better than the book.
 
Best aspect of this movie is Tyler's wardrobe, hands down.

The "Hustler" jersey and long downy coat he wears in the final scenes...I need them :-(
 
I'm probably going to get flamed for this thing, but here goes.

Fight Club, to me, was only worth one viewing, I watched it again the other day and went "well, why did I do that?" and it felt like the movie lacked any kind of depth - there was nothing new the second time, in fact the only thing that made watching it twice was Edward Norton's acting because the themes were already played out in my head after the first viewing.
 
i think fight club is the best book to film movie(relatively accurate)

they probably cut out the nude scene to stray away from the homosexual element that most people would have a fit about :n
 
You're right, there's noy much point watching it a second time. but only because you already know the twist. Though you can spend your time looking out for the Tyler splices around the beginnng :D

Fight Club was intended to have homoerotic elements (the bathroom scene, the quote 'another woman isn't the answer we need', and the penis splices at the end of the movie [though they could be interpreted as Tyler's work])
 
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