Brutally Hilarious - Surreally Realistic

Rating: Null/10 (27 June 2000)

After seeing countless advertisements for it, I thought I had a pretty good idea what this movie was about. A movie about a bunch of guys beating the crap out of each other didn't hold much appeal for most women except, I suppose, those who hate men. And why would someone use a pink bar of soap to advertise such a film? I didn't know and I didn't particularly care. I knew I'd get around to seeing it eventually--where and when didn't seem too important. But, after viewing a rented copy of this movie, I find I want to know everything I possibly can about it.
Surprisingly, Fight Club is a relationship movie. It's about the relationships one man has with himself, and others, and what they all represent. And, like most of my favorite tales, it includes at least one poignant love story.
The narrator of Fight Club, played brilliantly by Edward Norton, begins as a lonely insomniac. We accompany him on his search for some meaning in his life, which is irrevocably altered after meeting a new "single-serving friend" (Brad Pitt) on one of his many business trips. This new friend, who sells homemade boutique soaps, introduces the lost young man to a far more lively lifestyle, where each experience is met head-on and where fighting becomes a way to connect with other lost souls like himself.
The relationships in this film are complex and, for the most part, well-developed, with "Fight Club" being the character binding most of the others together. There are no women involved in the fight scenes of the movie, but there are a couple of women with significant roles, particularly Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the love interest. She seems to be on a mission to reverse the typecasting of the virtuous women she played in most of her early films and she certainly succeeds with Fight Club. I had a hard time relating to this brash woman throughout most of the film, identifying more with the male characters, though I never felt eager to fight. In the end, her character illustrated the differences that men and women have in dealing with the same situations and feelings.
The Fight Club DVD set truly takes advantage of the format in the best possible way, with multiple commentary tracks and all sorts of technical information for "how'd they do that?" viewers like myself. Fight Club is a story that will stay with me for a long time. I loved this movie and plan to add it to my permanent collection.