An engaging and gripping ride that rarely lets up and shines with humor and style

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2013)

The action and intensity of Fight Club (1999) starts immediately and rarely lets up throughout this captivating and thrilling ride. The unnamed Narrator (Edward Norton) suffers from insomnia and after his failed attempts to seek medical attention to help him sleep, he finds his treatment in support groups for people suffering from life threatening illnesses. Although not suffering from cancer himself, the Narrator finds himself able to sleep because he's able to cry and release himself during these group meetings. His ability to cry at these groups and in turn the ability to sleep is all but ruined when Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) forces him to stop attending the meetings. The frequent use of voice-over narration is used "as an expository device to convey necessary background information" (Boggs & Petrie, 2008, p. 275) throughout the film. A young professional who's a slave to material possessions and expensive lifestyle works as a Recall Coordinator by day and his very existence has been in buying things he thinks he needs and that will complete him. While away on travel, the Narrator, still suffering from insomnia, meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and exchanges contact information that later leads the Narrator to a complete lifestyle transformation. The newly discovered therapy eventually becomes the underground boxing arena known as Fight Club that exists only during certain hours and is something nobody's supposed to talk about.
The distorted and often industrial sounds give a glimpse into the troubled mind of the Narrator unlike any other (Boggs & Petrie, 2008). The growth of Fight Club from an every Saturday meeting, turns into a nightly club spanning the country which takes form and evolves into something much more with plans to destroy the current social and economic system that Fight Club denounces. The action scenes literally provide an explosive and awe inspiring reaction on all fronts in addition to gruesome and visceral fighting scenes. The low-lighting in the grimy basements focus the attention solely on the action in the center and the bone-crunching sounds of men fighting provide frightening realism. Only after the Narrator's struggle to contain what he's started does the choice come for him to make a decision that will ultimately define his and Marla's life for the future. A gripping, stylish, and very cerebral ride through the senses can be likened to the film Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino. The dark humor and ironic themes prevalent throughout take charge in a film that provides a somewhat eclectic timeline but still organized structure and emphasis on action and spoken dialogue. Fight Club will demand multiple viewings not just to fully grasp the story, but to experience the timeless mastering of an all out assault on the senses. By realizing that the possessions the Narrator worked so hard to own end up owning him, Fight Club encourages, inspires, and provokes thought that give the audience an interesting and unique perspective that will not be forgotten.
Boggs, J., & Petrie, D. (2008). The Art of Watching Films (7th ed.).
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Fincher, D. (Director), & Uhls, J. (Writer). (1999). Fight Club
United States: Fox 2000 Pictures.