Fight Club – a cult classic. A movie that features on most entertainment media’s ‘Greatest Films of All Time’ lists. A film that I admittedly have never seen before. Shamelessly, I must confess that Fight Club is a film I had somehow never even heard about until a year ago, with my first unlikely encounter occurring when it was referenced in the Netflix rom-com To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. After countless friends and family members constant nagging to watch the classic film, I finally sat down to watch the David Fincher directed drama.
As someone who is normally more drawn to the romantic light-hearted comedies as opposed to the intense thrilling dramas, my expectations were low. Despite Fight Club having a reputation for being a cinematic masterpiece, I was skeptical partly due to a personal distaste of any and all Edward Norton films, but also because it’s just not my type of film. However, Fight Club exceeded my low expectations and in fact, is a very enjoyable film. What I didn’t expect was to be so enthralled by the incredible direction, story and editing of the film. As the iconic quote says, “the first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club” – well I’m about to break that.
Firstly, the story was captivating. Edward Norton’s depressed insomniac character, accompanied by Brad Pitt’s strange soap salesman persona makes for one of cinema’s greatest partnerships. Their development of their underground Fight Club and the troubles that unfold in the story were extremely intriguing and kept me glued to the screen. Similarity, the films exploration of themes such as violence, societal breakdown, chaos, isolation, consumerism, emasculation and the threats of death make for thrilling viewing, as well as allowing the audience to emotionally connect to the characters portrayed in the movie.
Perhaps one of the things that surprised me the most about the film was how brilliantly it was made. Fincher’s exceptional directional eye is in full effect in this movie. The cinematography, the pacing, the inter-cuts and editing all accumulate to create a cinematic masterpiece. The twists and nuances of the movie are perfectly displayed. Fincher is simply sublime. Pitt and Norton, with special mention to Helena Bonham Carter are at their best and were the perfect fit to lead this movie.
Fight Club is regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, because that’s exactly what it is. After finally succumbing to the pressure of watching this 90’s classic, I have to admit that I understand the hype. The film is magnificent and well worth the watch.