Monday, May 28, 2007

Fight Club - 1999, directed by David Fincher


Bringing an equal mix of philosophy and hard-hitting, ballsy, all-out, bare-knuckled fist fighting, Fight Club succeeds on many levels. And as much as I am impressed by the fight sequences and seemingly random escapades experienced by our two leads, I am moreso tied to the film because of its thought-provoking philosophy. One of the best-directed films of all-time in my books, Fight Club deserves multiple viewings to fully appreciate everything it has to offer.

Edward Norton plays a pretty successful office employee, who grows weary of the mundane routine of everyday life. In an attempt to spice up his life, he unnecesarily joins support groups with the intention of experiencing a sense of comfort and belonging. This provides temporarily relief, until he spots a woman (Helena Bonham Carter) consistently attending the same support groups that he is. Not wanting to share his space in the group with another 'faker', he tries to make a way for them to attend the groups on different days, which of course poses a problem. Enter Tyler Durden.

By chance, our protagonist runs into a mysterious character named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). And after a misfortunate accident at his condo, he calls Tyler for some assistance. They spend the evening at a bar, and after having a few too many drinks, decide to break out in a spontaneous fist fight. Broken and bruised, the two laugh it off and go away feeling absurdly refreshed.

This unconventional display of aggression quickly catches on, and before long a 'Fight Club' is formed, complete with membership, rules and initiation. Without delving into the realm of spoiler territory, I'll just say that it is from this point that our protagonist's life quickly spirals out of control, and Tyler becomes more and more uncontrolled and irrational. The philosophy presented, such as the irrelevence of material things and the inanity of what society deems important, are all quite admirably handled. And like I said, this film will require at least 2 or 3 viewings before everything presented can be fully appreciated - look out for the spliced images!

The pair of leads are perfect in their portrayals. Norton sucks us in by playing a guy we can all identify with. He does nothing groundbreaking here, but plays average, great. Brad Pitt utilizes his charm to keep us thoroughly interested in Tyler. His performance here is nod-worthy. Helena Bonham Carter and Meat Loaf also bring memorable characters to the screen.

Fight Club deserves a place amongst the great films of the 90s. It provides such an eclectic mix of philosophy and entertainment that it's almost impossible to dislike. There's something here for everyone, and I would say to any film lover who hasn't seen this, that their life wouldn't be complete without at least one experience with this combination of Mischief, Mayhem and Soap.

© 2007 Kim Bartlett

3 comments:

  1. Sometimes I think I give this film too much flack because of all the kids who think its the greatest ever. It's still a fine, fine film.

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  2. One of the greatest "boys" movie ever... up there with Cool Hand Luke and, um, any good John Wayne movie, I suppose. I almost feel myself producing testosterone every time I see it... and it's worth it. Brilliant, while vastly overrated by the [creepy...] fanboys.

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