Strength across the reel

Rating: 10/10 (7 October 2004)

To give a 10 to a film is something that should be done for more than just a few reasons. Thus, I don't give a 10 to just any movie I happen to like. But Fight Club has everything that a ten must have. It has a message, an intricate plot, characterization, depth, and watchability. The messages are many and mostly come in the form of social satire and broadly philosophical questions. The most flamboyant message that fuels the movie is "how much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?". This question does not ask the question it at first seems to. The question really is, "if you've never been in a spiritual conflict, if you've never had to stand up and defend your life and your beliefs, how can you really know anything about yourself?". This is akin to Plato's claim that the unexamined life is hardly worth living. Intertwined with Taoistic and Marxist based chantings and existentialist background, the various voices of Fight Club do not make it easy for the viewer to see the message. Some claim it's Nihilistic, some claim it's Naizist propaganda, some claim it's a totalitarian supporting film. I see it as none of these. In the same way that people labeled Nietzsche with these terms (and incorrectly, I would argue), so have they done to Fight Club.
Another reason this film is a ten is because of its depth and reviewing value. A movie that has depth can be rewatched. And with every viewing, even by the most strict viewer, something new is discovered. This is true for Fight Club. I have seen this movie over 100 times, watching it on almost a daily basis when it first came out on DVD. Even when I could recite whole chunks of the movie accurately, I was still watching the end credits having discovered a new dimension in the film. Whether it's a subtle piece of acting or a device of symbolism that was subtely placed in the many layers of the film, there is something discovered in every viewing that adds to the movie's strength. This strength is total and full. There are no weak points to the film. From the acting to the cinematography, from the symbolism to the plot twists, and from the writing to the repetition of keywords, there is a full and vibrant connection that gives every single part of the film purpose.
A film like this is something that creates a new kind of film. It takes the concept of a dark comedy and makes it something that has meaning and structure. It has revived satire, as certain works in each generation do, to apply the old messages to the new situation in which we find ourselves. If there was one thing that I took away from this movie, it is this: we are not made unique or special, we are not ordained with purpose to strive for. We are only human when we make oursleves more than just the slowly decomposing bodies that we are. Paint a self-portrait, build a house, make a mark that will help mankind evolve.