Fight Club (1999)
Synopsis
The film centres on a nameless insomniac. (Edward Norton). His doctor refuses to prescribe him medication for this and instead tells him to visit a support group for testicular cancer to witness more severe suffering. The narrator finds that pretending to be a fellow victim gives him an emotional release that relieves his insomnia. He becomes addicted to this release, until his sanctuary is invaded by fellow imposter, Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter). They become attracted to each other.
On a flight home from a business trip, the narrator meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a soap salesman. Upon returning home, he finds his condo has been destroyed in an explosion. Having nowhere to go, he finds himself calling Tyler; they meet in a bar downtown. The two discuss existentialist philosophy and the audience can see Tyler’s contempt for consumerism. It is agreed that the narrator can stay with Tyler; but only if he will hit him. The two get into a fight, and the narrator finds the same emotional release as he did in his support groups. Eventually, the two form a group that meets in the basement of the bar- ‘Fight Club’, where any man can feel that release.
Marla takes an overdose one night, and Tyler rescues her. The two become sexually involved, much to the distaste of the narrator, and Tyler warns him never to talk to Marla about him. Meanwhile, Fight Clubs are springing up all over America, and Tyler’s plan moves up a step: ‘Project Mayhem.’ The narrator begins to feel left out, as Tyler is keeping him in the dark about the majority of his plans. Suddenly, after a confrontation, Tyler disappears. The narrator follows him from city to city, until information from a barman and a phone call to Marla reveals the shock twist- he is Tyler.
Tyler appears to him in his hotel room and confirms this; they are dissociated personalities within the same body. Tyler controls the body when the narrator is ‘asleep’. The narrator has a blackout, and when he wakes up he discovers that Tyler’s plan is to blow up the headquarters of credit card companies to erase debt. He attempts to stop the plan, but is captured by Tyler, who holds him at gunpoint in the building opposite. However, the narrator soon realises that, as he and Tyler are sharing a body, it is actually he himself holding the gun. Her shoots himself in the cheek, effectively killing Tyler, and watches the destruction whilst holding Marla’s hand.
Target audience/genre
The studio executives were attempting to market the movie towards men of a similar age to the narrator, twenties or thirties. The genre is difficult to place, but black comedy and social commentary are prominent features, as is violence. There are certain aspects of the film that could qualify it as action, but others would contradict this label.
Opening sequence
The title sequence is 90 seconds long; it is a visual effects composition that depicts the inside of the narrator’s brain. The camera pulls backwards; the sequence begins at the fear centre and follows through the thought processes induced by the fear impulse. The sequence foreshadows the psychological themes in the latter part of the movie, and also highlights the role of fear in the movie as a motivator and catalyst for the actions of the characters.
First scene of the movie
The opening scene employs a technique known as in media res (meaning to start the film at the end.) This is used to capture the audience’s attention, and keep them focused during parts of the film at which the significance of events is not yet clear. It was also used in this instance to distract them from the twist ending, as were the homoerotic undertones inserted.
The scene is dark, with minimal lighting; this conveys the darkness of both the scenario and the relationship between the characters in the frame (one of whom is being held at gunpoint). It appears that the lighting is coming from the lights in the windows of the buildings opposite. A muted colour palette is also employed, with the exception of a brightly coloured vest worn by Tyler (perhaps emphasising his surreal position in the film).
The shots used are tight and mainly close ups. This reinforces the tension and also supports the narrator’s being tied up. ECU’s of the narrator’s eyes are also employed effectively in the first few minutes to demonstrate his fear; the audience can also see beads of sweat on his forehead. There is, however, a speeded up pan shot down from the window of the floor the characters are on, scaling down the building and going down into the basement before focusing on the explosives.
There are very subtle clips of tension music played for occasional few seconds at a time. However, these are usually teamed with the diegetic sounds of a car alarm blaring or the gun being loaded, so the clips are barely noticeable- they are simply there to suggest a mood without being obvious. The action is narrated in a voiceover by the nameless main character- this is notably laced with black comedy and wry observations.
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