A symbolic representation of psychological healing

Rating: 10/10 (9 April 2005)

It took me a while to figure out that Fight Club is not on a level that allows the audience a normal "suspension of disbelief". It is unreal, dark, and nightmarish, and has all the hallmarks of powerful symbolic dream, or story made out of a chain of such dreams.
It is also a story of hope.
One could say, in Jungian terms, that this is a story about a man's inner journey of discovery of the Self.
What we are watching is a personal representation of a psychological journey, beginning with the realization that something is missing in the protagonist's life. That something is contact with his own subconscious.
Because of the great tension between Jack's inner subconscious and outer consciousness, communication finally breaks through in a form that Jack can understand. The form is a manifestation of a real person who represents everything Jack is not - in other words the missing half. Shortly after its appearance, Jack's life is changed forever. This symbolised by the destruction of his flat.
In the beginning communication with the the alter ego (or shadow, in the Jungian sense) is just an occasionally contact or dialogue; but gradually it is integrated into Jack's life. Later, when Jack realizes that the manifestation is in fact himself, he can't let go of the conditioned idea that he is "two" people. He is still dual. Can he really be one person. How? A "death" is needed. Death in this sense is symbolical. It symbolises the end of the old way of life, the old Jack, and the beginning of a new life, with both halves integrated. The fact that this is achieved by suicidal effort represented a conscious decision by Jack to change himself, without relying on "outside" help. It also represents is willingness at last to face the unknown. Of course he must sacrifice his former life complety to become a "whole" or "healed" person. So he shoots himself.
When the two halves have come together, and a new perspective on the Self is reached, the crashing down of the buildings immediately afterwards was a symbolic representation of Jack becoming free from the bondage of his personal habits and history. In other words, the credit card conditioning, IKEA nest lifestyle and everything else is "set to zero" as it crumbles into nothing. In fact the image of a crumbling tower'is a well known and documented symbol of a sudden and radical end to all one is used to.
Now Jack can start a new life with meaning. Notice that after he shoots himself there is of course pain, but he seems to recover. This is also symbolical of the healing that is taking place. Notice how his voice has changed.
Very Jungian. Wow!