Fight Club (The Definitive Edition)

Based on the book by first-time novelist Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club is an imaginative and searing indictment of a society swamped with material visions. A chronic ins... more >

Based on the book by first-time novelist Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club is an imaginative and searing indictment of a society swamped with material visions. A chronic insomniac, Edward Norton’s narrator (Jack) can’t sleep at nights and is turned away by the doctor. Slowly hallucinations grow on him, like flashes of dreams, which he cannot distinguish from real life in his half-waking state. That’s when he meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a charismatic soap salesman, and soon they are punching each other to a pulp in a bar parking lot. Before long other men are joining the pair in their weekly salvation from mundane lifestyles. This is Fight Club, an orgy of blood and sweat through which its members ascend to a higher level of self-understanding, giving vent to their frustrations. But as the club grows, forces take shape which even Jack struggles to contain, before they spiral out of control. An all-out excellent film with brilliant performances, Fight Club will be seen as a classic in years to come. < less

View all 38 of Wolfram Parge’s reviews

A scathing satire that attacks the way in which the consumerism of corporate America has obliterated the human essence of society. It boldly portrays how humans have d... more >

A scathing satire that attacks the way in which the consumerism of corporate America has obliterated the human essence of society. It boldly portrays how humans have degenerated into corporate and materialistic slavery, unconsciously forsaking a sense of momentary living; passion, anger, fear; any means by which one can express themselves against an automated existence.

Edward Norton is the disillusioned narrator, trapped in a soulless existence and searching for a sense of meaning that constantly eludes him, until he meets Tyler Durden, a charismatic, anarchic stranger whose attitude to life appears to hold the key to Nortons re-entry to living. These polar opposites supply the dynamic upon which the film hinges - their personalities struggle to reconcile their different perspectives on life without destroying their relationship.

Together these men form Fight Club, an underground society in which men congregate to relieve their inner tension through violence. It gives men the chance to escape the humdrum of their boring, preset lives and re-awaken their primal sense of masculine exhibitionism to startling effect. This physical catharsis soon evolves into underground terrorism, aimed squarely at the corporate America from which Norton escapes.

Fight Club is a rare treat a Hollywood film with cerebral merit. Directed with immense visual flair by David Fincher (Seven), the in-yer-face style is supported by a credible message for the post-millennial anxieties of modern society – are we truly living to our full potential in a an age dominated by consumerist principles? Superb food for thought, supported by an inventive visual design, sharp editing, a killer twist ending and a trio of hard-hitting performances form Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham-Carter (whose darkly shaded performance banishes all memories of her Merchant-Ivory days). Highly recommended for those seeking a brave, original and uncompromising piece of work.

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View all 7 of Richard Thomas’s reviews

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Film Details

Cast

Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham-Carter

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