Much more than many make it out to be

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2002)

It always annoys me when people deride this movie based on their initial viewing and refer to it as "fascist", "macho", or "uninspired." This movie in no way condones the actions of Tyler Durden or Preoject Mayhem, but does a good job of sucking the viewer in, and wishing he were in on the fun. In doing this, Fincher has proven to us how easily a charismatic leader can rally the downtrodden into performing whatever insane tasks he wishes. Durden is not meant to be a hero, but he is, as said towards the end, the culmination of everything the narrator wished he was. He was a fantasy gone wrong, a beast with some decent ideas that went far overboard and turned him into what he was fighting against. The audience is supposed to see how easy it is for one to be pulled into some lunatic's vision of perfection. Think Hitler. And on top of all of that, the movie is just so damned well made. Fincher is one of my favorite directors, and as a Freshman film student at USC, I hope I can accomplish even half of the craftsmanship that he has accomplished in every one of his movies.