The Blood May Be on the Surface - but the message is far deeper

Rating: 10/10 (20 May 2001)

Spoilers for sensitive types - however it is hard to spoil something so well polished.
Wow.
Extraordinary - it is amazingly disturbing, yet somehow, well engagingly relaxingly thought provocative. A film being able to do this, whilst being entertaining, holding a great and fairly original storyline concept (echoes of a movie which always frustrates me because I can never remember the name even though I love it - it is about terrorists, paranoia, not a happy ending etc. Something beginning with A then street or lane et. al.).
Their are scenes which hurt to look at, scenes which you must look at to understand the film's psychology, and scenes which are a mixture of the two. Was there ever a Tyler Durden in reality? When was he created if he ever existed? It is puzzling, but that contributes to the thought provocation part.
I may be being fussy but the return of Bob to the house after the shooting reminded me of South Park. Perhaps if they gave Meat Loaf a more 'refined' name? No... Perhaps it is just reflecting the irony over my head.
Great performance from Edward Norton who always surprises me when playing roles like these which he just doesn't look right to me for. Not sure how to comment on Brad Pitt's part - is it unusually sensitive for him?
Anyway it must-see film - there is profanity, a little sexual explicitness, and I don't exactly need to mention the hordes of violence, but it all contributes to the felling of the horde. This is full marks psychotherapy course cover-up.