Classic Movie Sundays : Fight Club (1999)
Helena Bonham Carter and Edward Norton in Fight Club (1999)
Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/mediaviewer/rm2787991552
March 22, 2020
(5 min read)
Director: David Fincher
Runtime: 139 min.
Starring: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier, David Andrews, George Maguire, Holt McCallany, Jared Leto etc.
Quote: Narrator: You met me at a very strange time in my life.
At the turn of the millennium, after a period of relative prosperity and peace for the Western world, the biggest concern to be addressed for most movies was that of identity. Most movies from 1999 feature emasculated characters, struggling with an unfulfilling lifestyle, trapped in cubicles. Stability, in many aspects, equals a lack of excitement. In an uneventful world, one merely goes about on his daily routine, feeling the burden of the monotony of life. The cubicle, in particular, has become a symbol of films of that era. Examples of this phenomenon include American Beauty, Office Space, even the Matrix in parts. However, no other film has quite managed to tackle this issue and create fervent debate quite as Fight Club did.
An unnamed protagonist, Narrator (Edward Norton), is trapped in a daily routine in his office. He spends his days purchasing commodities from Ikea and flipping through television channels. On top of that, he struggles with insomnia. In order to find relief, he fakes his way into joining a cancer support group where he cries his eyes out. He temporarily finds relief, until another imposter, Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), decides to join and ruins this experience. On top of that, the Narrator’s apartment catches on fire and he is forced to live with a recent acquittance of his, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt, in a role that solidified his iconic status). The two men initially engage in a soap making scheme until they decide to open an underground fight club. Things start to spiral out of control and the Narrator is slowly waking up to Tyler’s true intentions.
Edward Norton stars as the Narrator in Fight Club (1999)
Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/mediaviewer/rm3326843136
When it first premiered, Fight Club was a box office bomb and the reception for the film was mixed. People either loved it or hated it. Common criticisms directed at the movie concern the graphic violence and seeming celebration of toxic masculinity. The fact that every frat house boy has a poster of the film in his room or that that copycat fight clubs started opening after its premiere did not help its reputation, either. Yet, in spite of its deceptively simplistic message, which appears to promote nihilism and a total rejection of consumer society, at its core Fight Club is subversive and satirical. Its targets include consumerism, masculinity, and (most importantly) fascism. Rather than a celebration of nihilism, it acts as a cautionary tale. Charismatic individuals who speak with conviction are always ready to exploit individuals who feel lost and disenchanted with the world they live in. The fact that the characters that decide to join the fight club in order to not conform end up conforming to Tyler’s rigid commands or that People magazine’s two-time sexiest man alive Brad Pitt makes fun of underwear ads are also testaments to the film’s ironic edge. The audience is not supposed to take the statements spouted by its main characters at face value. Rather, they ought to examine the time period in which they live and the dangers that might lurk around the corner.
Fight Club is directed by David Fincher, commonly acknowledged as one of the best and most exciting directors working in cinema today. It is due to his abilities as a storyteller and his impeccable production design that the film has maintained its appeal. Fincher utilizes his trademark colour palette to give the Fight Club an aura of a neo-noir, separating it stylistically from other films of that era. In addition to that, the soundtrack has become an iconic trademark of the film itself. One cannot listen to Pixies’ “Where is my mind?” without the devastating and gorgeous final scene of Fight Club coming into mind. While the film features an ensemble cast, Norton, Pitt, and Bonham Carter are the clear standouts. Helena Bonham Carter plays a character perfectly suited for her natural abilities as an actress, embodying Marla with ease and naturalism. Brad Pitt has never been better but, while his role is flashy and appealing, it is Norton’s subdued performance that truly anchors the film. He acts as the audience surrogate, introducing the world and making people empathize with his plight.
To this day, Fight Club has legions of followers that quote the movie endlessly. Its status grew after its premiere, leading to it being referred to as a cult classic. Its detractors still remain as well, somehow adding to the film’s appeal. It is its very divisiveness that seems to keep it alive and in people’s memories. Timely, satirical, intoxicating, and heartbreaking, Fight Club is an essential watch for every lover of cinema.
