Fight Club (Blu-ray)

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"Fight Club" is one of those films you either ´get´ or you don´t ´get.´ The David Fincher film that stars Edward Norton and Brad Pitt has become a well-loved cult classic since its foray into home video, but failed to achieve near the hoped success during its theatrical run. Based upon the Chuck Palahniuk novel, "Fight Club" sparked numerous debates and controversies for its depictions on violence and underlying political themes. It´s heavy and difficult to follow plot and unusual ending caused "Fight Club" to be misunderstood or too confusing for many that saw the film. The film was visually interesting and the second collaboration between Fincher and Pitt after the successful "Se7en" helped catapult the careers of both men. While many panned the film initially, the views of many critics reversed direction after the video release; an indication that "Fight Club" is one of those films that take a while to ´get´ and appreciate.

While "Fight Club" many not be appreciated by those beyond its cult audience, the film has become a part of popular culture. The quote "The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club" is known by everyone and borrowed, misquoted and parodied countless times. Other quotes from characters Tyler Durden (Pitt) and the nameless narrator portrayed by Norton. The concept of the "Fight Club" itself has been borrowed and recycled as a part of popular culture and numerous real-life Fight Clubs were started across the country and other copycat crimes relating to the film occurred prior to its home video popularity. The film introduced numerous new-age methods of filmmaking and narration that has allowed "Fight Club" to be as influential as other Nineties films such as "Pulp Fiction."

Edward Norton begins as the narrator. He is not given the name, although refers to himself as "Jack" with quotes such as "I am Jack´s raging bile duct." The character´s vocation is that of a traveling salesman for an automobile manufacturer. He suffers from insomnia and after poor advice from his doctor he replaces his sleep disorder with an addition to attending support groups where he witnesses people with far worse problems than his own. This comfort is shared by Marla Singer (Helena Bohnam Carter), who also attends support groups to feel better about herself. They find themselves attending the same meetings and to keep things amicable decide to share meetings and not attend the same ones. This sets up the emotional frailty and dishonest emotional relief of the narrator.

Marla is not the only new friend of the narrator as he meets the charismatic free living Tyler Durden (Pitt) on a flight home from one of his business trips. After a series of events, Durden and the narrator find an unusual bond and friendship that has them share living space at a rundown old house and they find relief from the daily grind by fighting each other in the parking lot of a bar. This begins a slippery slope that culminates in Durden and the narrator beginning the "Fight Club" in the basement of the bar. Their shared distaste of the consumer driven world spreads as more Fight Clubs appear across the country and Durden becomes the face of those disenfranchised by consumerism. The narrator and Durden begin to form an organization called "Project Mayhem" and they make soap at Durden´s house.

The relationship between the narrator and Durden becomes a cloudied mess as the film moves forward. Durden and Marla engage in a heated sexual relationship that is not viewed fondly by the narrator. At one point Durden is wearing rubber kitchen gloves during an apparently kinky sexual confrontation. Marla nearly dies from a drug overdose and the narrator seems to care less for her well-being while Durden shows her support. Soon, the narrator is greeted as being ´Tyler Durden´ across the country and Marla goes as far as referring to the narrator as Durden. The narrator´s struggle with his identity sets the stage for the film´s finish and the ultimate deed by Project Mayhem; the destruction of several credit card company headquarters in Delaware.

Before the credits roll in "Fight Club," you will have been thrown for a loop or two that will leave you thinking about everything you´ve seen. Where the brilliance of this film lies is that the second viewing if the picture is far more intriguing once you know how everything unfolds. About halfway through "Fight Club" there are some definite changes in narrative and tone that gives hints to how the film will ultimately end, but are so well handled that they don´t necessarily spoil the ending. Sure, there are people that will figure things out before the end on their first viewing, but plenty of people figured out "The Sixth Sense" long before the big reveal. The manner in which Fincher tells his adaptation of Palahniuk´s novel is masterful and I can see why so many critics changed their perspective after the film hit video stores and rental outlets.

"Fight Club" is an intelligent story and it does require a certain degree of patience and comprehension to fully appreciate. This is not a popcorn movie. Those that do not ´get´ "Fight Club" are not necessarily unintelligent viewers, but "Fight Club" is a thinking man´s movie that can be viewed as a statement against the political and corporate landscapes of American during the Nineties. It weaves a story through the point of view of a character suffering delusions and trying to find an escape and an outlet in his own mind. There are numerous layers of "Fight Club" and not everybody will find the same answers and conclusions while watching the film. It is a movie that asks the viewer to come up with their own conclusions and thoughts about the film and for this reason "Fight Club" was a highly debated film.

Could a film like "Fight Club" be made in today´s social atmosphere with its depictions of domestic terrorism and glamorizing of violence? Probably. With games like "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" providing levels where players mow down civilians in an airport with machine gun fire, it appears the public is on the mend after the 9/11 atrocities. "Fight Club" is not intended to stir up violence or preach about the dangers of violence with its one man´s fantasy. It instead speaks against political and corporate evils and uses violence as an ´escape´ against one´s inner torment. The mind can be a scary place and "Fight Club" is a journey into one man´s mind that is ravaged with inner turmoil and violence. Those that decried the film for its fighting scenes and bomb plot missed the point.

Edward Norton plays the ´everyman´ in "Fight Club" and the Jack he refers to is not himself, but for each and every white collar worker that has problems during their day-to-day life. Norton is perfect in the role because he appears far closer to the every day worker than somebody of Brad Pitt´s physique and charisma. Norton is perfectly cast and shows why he is so highly regarded as an actor. Of course, Pitt is just as solidly cast as the charismatic and dashing idea of perfection as told by the narrator. Brad Pitt´s Tyler Durden is regarded by the narrator as the idea of what he would want to be if he imagined himself as somebody else and Pitt was the golden boy of the time and fully pulls off the performance. He shouted off against consumerism in "12 Monkeys" and brings about a new apocalypse in "Fight Club" that shows why he too is so highly regarded as a great actor.

"Fight Club" is not a film for everybody. It requires a lot of thought and a lot of attention to fully appreciate. This isn´t a movie that is just about a bunch of guys knocking each other´s teeth out in the basement of a shady establishment. There is far more going on under the surface that what appears and it isn´t after one or two viewings that you can fully appreciate how solid of a film "Fight Club" is. David Fincher started off rough with "Alien 3," but "Se7en," "The Game" and "Fight Club" was a very good trilogy of well told films and the two films starring Brad Pitt are his best works to date. I´ve always enjoyed "Fight Club," but I was among those that discovered the film from good word of mouth once it hit video. This is a great film, but it requires a degree of patience.