Club for Film Freaks, not men

Rating: 9/10 (23 July 2005)

What most people who have not yet seen this flic do know ...it has to do with a men's club started by the 2 main characters whose members beat each other up. Obviously, there is an inherently violent structure to the film. The theme, on the surface, is that modern men have none of the outlets of the past (war, survival, the hunt, etc.) on which to test themselves, i.e. to vent their natural aggression. The result is a nation full of frustrated human time-bombs, many ready to blindly follow a charismatic leader (Pitt) into anarchy & terrorism. Anarchy, to be sure, is a troublesome subtext, but Director Fincher expands on the groundwork laid out to pose a more complex dilemma: namely, that our modern world of advertising and corporate suffusion may produce a new breed of man - one who is halfway drawn into a surrealistic dreamworld to escape the rigors of reality and who will eventually strike back at the world which has affronted him - with apocalyptic vigor. Fincher employs a few seldom-seen cinematic tricks to convey this surrealistic vision, including brazen attempts at subliminal imagery as a parody form - though most of the film turns out to be a dark comedy, anyway, at odds with the serious nature of the story. Somehow, it works. I'm also drawn to the film for repeat viewings due to the unusual stylistics but am resistant, as well; this could be because the subject matter is at odds with the style, producing a confusing reaction in the viewer. There is also a surprise twist near the end, which has been apparently a well-kept secret, since it took me off-guard - and I'm the one who figured out "The Sixth Sense"(99) halfway through.
I'd like to veer off on a tangent I normally don't in my comments and mention the video version of this film on the DVD. First of all, the DVD of the film itself has 4 alternate audio commentary tracks - a record - including by the Director, all the main actors, the screenwriter & novelist. There's a 2nd disc in the package which details the evolution of the film with everything from promos to behind-the-scenes FX tests. This is the DVD format used to its full potential; by the time you're finished with it, you'll feel as if you were part of the film's crew.