Film Review of Fight Club
Grace Tobin
American History Through Film
Film Review
April 29, 2014
Fight Club, a 1999 dark comedic film, finds originality in it’s celebration of violence in which the heroes form an underground community with the license to commit crime, drink, smoke, and most importantly, beat one another up. In this film Edward Norton stars as your typical representation of the depressed, over worked and over anxious man. His life is dull and repetitive and his job sends him spiraling into a lifeless depression. He attempts to find condolence in attending a 12-step program, where he hugs the less fortunate and finds catharsis in their suffering. Ironically, his first meeting is for post surgical victims of testicular cancer, since the movie is essentially about finding man hood. While flying on yet another dreary flight for his job, we meet Tyler Durden, an interesting character to say the least. When the narrator's apartment catches fire, leaving him with no belongings and no home, he turns to Tyler for help. And with this friendship, the fight club is born. Tyler and the narrator establish the secret society to find freedom and self realization through beating other men, and each other, to a bloody pulp. So what is this all about? What does this movie teach us? Surely, this is not a bunch of bloody, testosterone driven nonsense. The film Fight Club very cleverly reveals the reality of modern day life. This film is one of many to demonstrate the issues and suffering of the “yuppie”, but the uniqueness with which it was done is what makes the movie brilliant and attention grabbing. As Tyler Durden mentions in the movie, “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything”, and this is the philosophy of the movie. Men are willing to face the brink of death and ruthlessly commit crimes to realize what is important in life. Despite it’s masculine appeal, Fight Club is a movie that can appeal to both sexes. The intended audience for this film is
American History Through Film
Film Review
April 29, 2014
Fight Club, a 1999 dark comedic film, finds originality in it’s celebration of violence in which the heroes form an underground community with the license to commit crime, drink, smoke, and most importantly, beat one another up. In this film Edward Norton stars as your typical representation of the depressed, over worked and over anxious man. His life is dull and repetitive and his job sends him spiraling into a lifeless depression. He attempts to find condolence in attending a 12-step program, where he hugs the less fortunate and finds catharsis in their suffering. Ironically, his first meeting is for post surgical victims of testicular cancer, since the movie is essentially about finding man hood. While flying on yet another dreary flight for his job, we meet Tyler Durden, an interesting character to say the least. When the narrator's apartment catches fire, leaving him with no belongings and no home, he turns to Tyler for help. And with this friendship, the fight club is born. Tyler and the narrator establish the secret society to find freedom and self realization through beating other men, and each other, to a bloody pulp. So what is this all about? What does this movie teach us? Surely, this is not a bunch of bloody, testosterone driven nonsense. The film Fight Club very cleverly reveals the reality of modern day life. This film is one of many to demonstrate the issues and suffering of the “yuppie”, but the uniqueness with which it was done is what makes the movie brilliant and attention grabbing. As Tyler Durden mentions in the movie, “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything”, and this is the philosophy of the movie. Men are willing to face the brink of death and ruthlessly commit crimes to realize what is important in life. Despite it’s masculine appeal, Fight Club is a movie that can appeal to both sexes. The intended audience for this film is