First Rule of Fight Club
I don’t know why we are even writing about this movie. Clearly, the first rule says it all.
That being said, I was genuinely Jack’s lack of interest when I first saw the first trailer for Fight Club, I had ZERO interest in watching it. It just didn’t feel like a David Fincher movie, especially after seeing Seven and The Game. Something about it made me think it looked lame and that caused me to skip seeing it in theaters. It also seemed like the studio had no idea how to market it. And I get that. It’s a weird movie to have to simplify for a trailer without giving things away. I also had no idea about Chuck Palahniuk’s visceral and thought-provoking novel it was based on. If I did, I obviously would’ve had an entirely different view of the movie that was coming at me. After seeing this I read everything he put out for years to come. I finally gave up on him as a writer after Pygmy and Tell All failed to keep me interested.
I really should have trusted Fincher. Because of that, it really is a huge movie-watching regret I have in life. There are just certain movies you have to see in theaters. I just know it would have blown me away if I had done so. When I finally saw it on DVD, I was so into everything about the movie. The direction, the cinematography, the score, the cast, it was all just perfect. Luckily, it was a time when one was able to make it that long without being spoiled.
You Are Not a Beautiful or Unique Snowflake
Fincher’s direction on this film was outstanding. It was very different, yet eerily similar to his previous films. He did a great job adapting the source material. Something no other director has really been able to pull off with a Palahniuk novel since. Although I do like Choke, it’s just not quite the same. With Fight Club, you couldn’t help but sit and stare while these characters’ psyches unraveled before you. It was almost like a train wreck, but way more entertaining. Each frame of the film is meticulously crafted. He somehow gives life to the suffocating urban landscape that the characters are trapped in.
On top of all that, you have Jeff Cronenweth’s cinematography, which is hypnotic. He’s Fincher’s go-to guy on a bunch of his movies. And I get why. The movie is just so damn good-looking. He films it in a way that enhances the uneasiness of the story tenfold. Utilizing odd color grading and off-kilter angles that make you feel somewhat claustrophobic and anxious while watching. Plus, he’s the cinematographer on Faith No More’s Ashes to Ashes and Nine Inch Nails’ The Perfect Drug videos. That’s some street cred right there if you ask me.
Then you have The Dust Brothers’ score that accompanies the visuals. (I’m actually listening to it as I write all this now) Electronic music is not normally my thing, but this score absolutely pulsates nothing but raw energy. The industrial beats echo the internal turmoil of the characters. It ratchets up the film’s tense atmosphere until it becomes nearly unbearable. Each track feels like an adrenaline rush, propelling you further into the depths of despair and chaos. I’m actually shocked the duo has not produced more soundtracks since then. Fun fact, I knew they produced Beck’s album Odelay and, of course, the Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique. But, I did not know they also produced Hanson’s MMMBop. Crazy, right?
Last but not least, you have the cast. You’ve got Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, and Meat Loaf(?!?). I mean, Meat Loaf, the singer…how weird is that one at first glance? But, honestly, it all works to the point of being perfect. I can’t see anyone else in these roles. Hell, even Jared Leto is in the movie, and, for once, I don’t hate him. I mean I barely knew who he was back then and maybe because he gets beaten to a bloody pulp, and I’m OK with him in the film.
The Things You Own End Up Owning You
This is a film that is meant to get under your skin. It’s a labyrinth of masculinity, consumerism, and identity. The nameless protagonist sometimes referred to as Jack spends the entire film grappling with his sense of self in a world obsessed with materialism. His struggles serve as a symbolic representation of the crisis of modern existence, where we often find ourselves drowning amid a sea of possessions that fail to define our true essence. Norton’s performance is a masterclass in quiet desperation, morphing from a passive observer of life into a chaotic force fueled by rage and nihilism. Entangled with the mysterious Tyler Durden, we are led on a journey that borders along the edge of madness and enlightenment.
Almost Twenty-Four years later, Fight Club remains a daring exploration of the psyche and culture in a postmodern world. It molds and distorts reality in ways that compel the audience to confront the uncomfortable truths of their own lives. Between this and The Matrix coming out in the same year, Hollywood really had you questioning what is real and what is important in life. Ultimately, the film is a love-it or hate-it experience, where either way, it forces you to ask yourself:
What is it that truly defines us?
What Fight Club Means to Us
The joy of Fight Club is not in the iconic twist, despite that remaining the main draw of the movie all these years later. When you just watch it as a film that masterfully examines the alienation and disillusionment of late 20th-century American men, you can fully appreciate the full genius of the movie. Although other 1999 movies, like Office Space, offer similar societal critiques, Fight Club stands alone due to its beautiful mix of commentary, technical finesse, and pop culture appeal.
I’ll never forget being a wee lad and wanting to watch Fight Club with my parents and older sisters, but they told me I was too young for it. It wasn’t until my high school years that I actually came around to seeing it, and like most budding teenage cinephiles it instantly became one of my favorite films. Over the years, my relationship with the movie has wavered with subsequent viewings, but on the whole, it remains damn near impossible to deny its brilliance.
–Raf Stitt
When I think of Fight Club, I think of Brad Pitt’s performance. He’s the dude bro messiah. Tyler Durden is the male equivalent of Holly Golightly. They’re both characters that have inspired generations of fans who don’t understand that they’re not role models. If you modeled your life after Durden’s philosophies or even legitimately tried to join/start a fight club, the meaning of the film completely went over your head. Tyler Durden would hate people who loved Fight Club. Palahniuk created a cynical satire that took aim at damn near everything and in order to make sure he was hitting as many targets as possible, he came up with the perfect representation of chaos this side of the Joker. He literally exists to beat perfection out of everything and to cause as much mayhem as possible. All because Starbucks and Ikea exist. Or something.
–Sailor Monsoon
How many times have you seen Fight Club? Do you have a fun fact or piece of trivia about the making of the film? Please share it in the comments below!
