Fight Club may as well be a staple of any filmmaker's roster of movies, as there are limitless moments and aspects of this film that make it the cult classic it has become. This film contains some of the most original storytelling and story techniques of any film I have ever seen, and for that, I praise it highly. While there were multiple moments in the writing that confused me beyond belief, Fight Club is a great film worthy (and necessary) for any cinephile to experience for the first time, as I did.
The most outstanding part of this film was its method of story presentation. This film utilized first-person narration, while not used very much, was very effective for this story. It gave us an up-close view of The Narrator's (played by Edward Norton) role in the film and his experiences with the infamous Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt). The performances in this film by Norton and Pitt were fantastic, along with minor roles from Meat Loaf and Jared Leto, which I will get to later as they are not as important, and frankly unnecessary. The roles of the former two are the most captivating part, which was assisted by the offbeat writing and development throughout the story. The big twist towards the end, however, is when we learn that Tyler Durden is really just a figment of The Narrator's imagination, as he really is Tyler Durden in their reality. While this threw me for quite a loop, I was very impressed by the screenplay's ability to hide that critical plot point from the audience. At least for me, as I refused to do any research about the film beforehand. The story was so cleverly written that it made you feel for each character individually, but really screwed me up when it was revealed they were the same person. This is a prime example of a film that needs to be re-watched multiple times in order to really catch the essence of what the hell is going on. So you can bet I'll be watching this film again in order to put all of the loose pieces of story in my brain together. This film does not leave any loose ends and ties every point together very well, but it is simply a lot of story information to take in at once.
Other little things that I noticed throughout the film that made me appreciate it even more was its cinematography and tone. Jeff Cronenweth, the director of photography, did an excellent job on his use of close-ups and quick jump-cuts. There were scenes throughout this film that felt so intensely personal yet frantic, due to the way the camera was utilized. Other scenes that caught my eye involved the use of CGI tunnel-path shots with fast movement. Such shots like going behind the refrigerator and flying through the flights of the building were very skillful. The camera work fit the tone of the film very well, as it smoothly transitioned from an existential workplace comedy to an even darker, malevolent mood. This tone change was supported by the plot advancement, and it felt very natural and not forced. As a writer, this can be tricky to pull off, but it was done excellently.
The only minor problems that I had with this film involved a few moments in the writing, as well as some celebrity cameos. As for the cameos, Jared Leto and Meat Loaf were advertised to be a large part of the film, possibly even as big as Brad Pitt or Edward Norton. This was definitely not the case, as the now-famous Leto uttered barely two lines and was almost unrecognizable after a severe beatdown by Norton's character. Meat Loaf's character appeared in very few scenes and was killed off after a while, and seemed a tad unnecessary for the story to develop. The writing of the film did not do them much justice either, as was the case for a few select scenes. After learning what the twist ending consisted of, the car scene in the rain did not make much sense. The Narrator and Tyler are in the front seats, and the cult members in the back, but they acknowledged the existence of both of them. If Norton's character ended up actually being Tyler the entire time, why did the members accept that there were two presences in front of them? Another problem that I had involved Tyler's malicious plan for the conclusion of the film. In the final shot, we see Tyler and Marla standing in the building while skyscrapers around the city are destroyed. The reasoning behind Tyler's almost terrorist-level attack was either never revealed, or was hidden deep in the often-confusing dialogue. In either case, I was not entirely sure what gave Tyler Durden the motivation to attempt to take down corporate America.
Fight Club is a movie full of intense performances and phenomenal moments that define the thoughts and actions of a depressed, middle-aged, office worker to a tee. Picture Office Space with boundless more violence and quirky characters, and you've got a David Fincher classic. This movie is definitely a necessity for any filmmaker's toolbox for its original writing techniques and its renowned use of a camera.
My Rating: ★★★★
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