Archive Analysis: "Fight Club"

Fight Club

Directed by: David Fincher

Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helen Bonham-Carter
Rated: R for disturbing and graphic depiction of violent anti-social behavior, sexuality, and language

The power of good film is when the themes are hidden safely inside the narrative of the story. With the cult hit Fight Club, directed by David Fincher (who may be the finest director of our age), one may be so distracted by the story that you can become blindsided by it’s message. While it certainly has the vibe of a quasi-sureal, brutally violent thriller which seemingly escalates at every turn, this movie is not just about crazed individuals bent on creating a societal collapse; it’s a glorification of nihilism. The character of Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is far more dangerous than the Joker or other villains before and after him because he not only lives out his nihilistic beliefs, but he makes it look like so much fun. He’s okay with being “God’s unwanted children” and sees no value to life, saying that the “great depression is our lives.” So, he beats up, vandalizes, harms, and destroys the lives around him, including his own, and enjoys every second of it, because in doing so he actually feels something other than the depression of being unfulfilled. This is why the audience, like Edward Norton's purposefully unnamed character, is so taken in with Durden. It’s like a modern day version of Kubrik’s Clockwork Orange, but only far more dangerously appealing. There isn’t even restitution in the ending; the utter rebellion of Durden is never denounced by the protagonist, only the tactics he used. While visually stunning and a hallmark film of the 1990s, Fight Club is a conundrum; it’s offensive, it’s harsh, it’s disturbing, it’s enlightening, and it’s impossible not to talk about.