| Art Linson Productions - Fox 2000 P ictures - Regency Enterprises, 1999. | Runtime: 139 minutes | Rated R |
| Starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf. | ||
| Written by Jim Uhls, adapted from the novel by Chuck Palahniuk. | Directed by David Fincher. | |
I'm not quite sure how to start my review for "Fight Club" simply because I find it hard to review without giving away its ending. I don't want to give it away, but it would assist greatly in explaining a lot of key points in the film. I'll try not to reveal the ending during the course of the review, but if I do slip, I'll make sure to let you know ahead of time.
Okay, let's see: "Fight Club" stars Edward Norton as an insomniatic working stiff, who finds a cure for his personal pain in visiting support groups and 12-step groups (his character is not given a name, until. . .well, never mind). This is all ruined when he meets Marla (Carter), another person attending the meetings not because they have additctions or diseases, but because "it's cheaper than a movie and there's free coffee." Norton can't stand her. He can't heal his pain if there's another "tourist" around, and so he goes back into the insomnia. Marla agrees to split up the meetings so Norton's plan can work properly.
This is the last we see of Marla for a while. The next person we meet is Tyler Durden (Pitt), a soap salesman Norton meets on a plane ("We have the exact same briefcase!"). Tyler gives him a business card and Norton calls him when his condo blows up. It is at this point that the idea of Fight Club arises. Tyler and Norton start to fight; not for any particular reason, just for fun (Tyler asks him, "How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?"). After awhile, people start crowding around and watching them fight. Their audience wants to fight, too. Gentlemen, welcome to Fight Club.
This seems like a decent and original idea, but the film uses it as an excuse for some of the most unwatchably violent scenes in film history (I don't know anyone with purple blood, but never mind). Director David Fincher spends too much time just watching people fight and showing as much (purple) blood as he possibly can. We are given a break from this, thankfully, in the scenes that involve Norton and Tyler's home life. These scenes are garnished with smart dialogue and sly hints at the ending which. . .well, never mind.
And then comes Project Mayhem. This is Tyler's plan to destroy corporatations and despose of individual financial history. Tyler doesn't inform our hero Norton about Project Mayhem. Whenever he tries to find out what's going on, someone must point out, "The first rule of Project Mayhem is you do not ask questions." Eventually Norton picks up on Tyler's little plan, which concludes in blowing up 15 buildings which house individual debt records. "Once the records are destroyed, everyone goes back to zero," our narrator points out. Total mayhem.
I can't really explain anything further without spoiling the ending, so I'll just say this: "Fight Club" is a smart, fun, and excellently directed. . .well, for lack of a better word, thriller. I give it a firm recommendation to anyone with a strong stomach. It is a lot of fun, but includes some truly gruesome scenes that may disgust or disturb any living, breathing human being in the room.
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