Today’s quick review: Fight Club. An insomniac white collar worker (Edward Norton) struggles to cope with his meaningless life until he meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a charismatic, iconoclastic soap salesman. Tyler’s hypothesis is that many of life’s problems come from living in a world without violence, a world of consumerism and emasculation. Their solution is Fight Club, an underground fighting ring that gives its participants a new outlook on life. But as the Club begins to grow in size and intensity, it morphs into a movement driven by Tyler’s anarchistic view of the world. And caught up in it all is Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), Tyler’s crude, damaged girlfriend.
Fight Club is a psychological drama that doubles as a scathing commentary on modern life. Edward Norton stars as a man whose insomnia and lack of purpose are causing him to detach from the world. He attempts to paper over the void in his life through consumerism and support groups, but it is only through raw aggression that he finds meaning. Brad Pitt plays Tyler Durden, the only person he truly connects with and the inspiration for his newfound confidence. The dynamic between the two actors gives the film much of its kick, with Brad Pitt taking on the role of cocky best friend to Edward Norton’s nervous, overly cautious slave to society. Helena Bonham Carter rounds out the main cast as Marla, a wonderfully perverse acquaintance of Norton’s who takes an interest in Pitt.
Fight Club has a unique tone that combines a pessimistic outlook on modern living with black humor and mind games. Edward Norton serves as protagonist and narrator. His insomnia is reflected in abrupt time jumps, omitted information, and subtle background details that speak to his mental state. Brad Pitt takes a crack at narration once or twice, and the ease with which the characters slip across the Fourth Wall and back gives the film an engrossing, surreal quality to it. The writing is superb, if somewhat crass. Its imagery is vivid, its pacing is snappy, and it offsets its bleak outlook with gallows humor. Though its philosophy is destructive, Fight Club is the best exemplar of a certain type of nihilism that has ever been put to film. That alone makes it a classic.
Fight Club is a must-watch for its overall quality, its unusual storytelling, and its cultural notoriety. Sensitive audiences should stay away from its frank depiction of the seamier sides of life. While its humor and stylized storytelling keep it from getting too bleak, neither its philosophy nor its content are for the easily disturbed. Those who will benefit most from the film are young men, as it perfectly captures the aggression of youth. While its world is not one the viewer will want to stay in, Fight Club manages to weave quality writing, unconventional storytelling, and philosophy together into one compelling package.
8.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.5 for being an engrossing watch and a unique film.