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Fight Club: A Modern Day Classic

Posted by Amber7 from Swansea - Published on 06/12/2010 at 22:15
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Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter
18, 139 min

‘How much do you know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?’ asks Tyler Durden in David Fincher’s film Fight Club. The film, based on the 1996 novel by Chuck Palahniuk, although being wonderfully violent also seriously explores the male identity and masculinity in crisis. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton work together as a forcible team to breathe life into the marvellously complex script.

After achieving great success in the film Se7en, Fincher chose Pitt to star as the lead once again in Fight Club. Alongside Pitt, Edward Norton straight from his leading role in American History X gives a tantalising performance as The Narrator, so tormented by his dull and mundane life that he lusts for adventure and excitement. This excitement comes in the form of Tyler (Pitt), who is dangerous, charming and mysterious. You might be thinking what fight club is, well it’s where men meet every night to fight however, still obeying the eight rules Tyler has aggressively established. The club quickly becomes an underground phenomenon and soon the men have everything they want; power, respect and women. Helena Bonham Carter gives an equally powerful performance opposite her male co-stars as the attractive yet somewhat troubled Marla Singer. After she becomes Tyler’s lover, it propels him to begin a calculating war on society and conformity that soon gets disastrously out of control and Norton’s character calls time when he finally comes back to reality.

Fight Club is a neo-noir film with an admittedly slightly misogynistic angle; it deeply explores the male identity and what manifests within. The performances from the three stellar leads as well as the strong supporting cast, combined with the unique visuals, provide the film with unparalleled quality and personality. Fight Club’s fast and furious violence along with its black humour make this a must see film.