Edward Norton is in line as Best Actor in the Oscars for his solid performance
as both a human being and an animal of violence, a skill he last showed in
American History X.
And like American History X this film too is an insightful view into
the characters of men and violence.
Norton works in the recall department of a large automobile company. Travelling
across the country, examining wreck after wreck, death after death. Calculating
whether the cost of law suits arising from badly designed and manufactured
cars outweighs the cost of performing a vehicle recall, he has slipped into
the world of the insomniac, never asleep but never really awake.
In his Ikea furnished flat, superbly presented with imaginative computer
graphics, he escapes by attending self-help groups throughout the city. His
anonymity guaranteed, he can be the centre of attention and pour out his
pent up frustrations of the life he lives.
But his escape is shattered when he discovers Marla Singer taking the same
journey as him. He is once again thrown back into his 'single serving' life,
rushing coast to coast on a roller coaster ride of plane journeys and endless
hotel rooms.
It is on one of these plane trips that Norton meets Tyler Durdman, a soap
manufacturer, played superbly well by Brad Pitt. An encounter well timed, for
upon his return to his flat it is discovered, spread all over the highway, in
the aftermath of a massive explosion.
Turning to Tyler for help, and a place to stay, Norton is welcomed into Tyler's
life, providing he hits him, hard. And so he does. And thus the primeval love
of violence is awakened in both men.
As they continue with their violent conflicts, and the release it offers them,
others are also attracted to the scene and it is not long before Fight
Club is formed.
But as Fight Club expands, Marla Singer re-enters their lives, Tyler
sees greater goals in life, he wants to create mischief around the city, show
people how their lives could be better. Not by encouragement, but by showing
them how bad the alternatives could be.
As Norton realises that mischief has turned to mayhem, and it has all gone too
far, he attempts to put a stop to the plans afoot but is forced to face the
nightmare world which has arisen around him.
This film will be most remembered for its violence. Fincher has delivered
masterful direction, combining pure brutality with art, contrasting the dark
world of bare knuckled, fist fighting with everyday existence.
With humour, but also with feeling, he covers the despair of those who are truly
suffering and carries the storyline of escapism, craziness and extremism with a
flair and vigour, topped off with a blistering soundtrack from the Dust
Brothers.
All the cast performed exceptionally well; it is obvious that they all threw
their hearts into what they were doing. Meat Loaf carried his role solidly and
convincingly and Brad Pitt, once again, proved to any critics that he can
indeed act as well as the best can.
With flawless direction, atmospheric settings, incredible attention to detail
coupled with a talented and committed cast and exacting screenplay; this has
to be the best film release of 1999.
The only complaint against the film would be its length; at two hours and
twenty minutes it suffers a little from the discomfort which even good cinema
seating delivers. It doesn't feel like it lasts that long though and any
discomfort is soon dismissed as the plot picks up for its climatic
ending as we, at first, struggle to understand what we are really seeing.
The film has been heavily criticised. It is excessively violent and Fincher
has choreographed it well. Blood flows, teeth are lost, beautiful faces are
disfigured forever. It is not glorified, it is presented matter as
factly. This is perhaps what has frightened a lot of people; it has also
suffered cuts for the UK audience.
The film doesn't moralise upon the violence, it doesn't justify it and it
doesn't try to explain why it arises. That desperate people will do
desperate things to improve their lives is the unwritten word.
Fears that Fight Clubs may indeed spring up throughout the world are
the least of the authorities' worries though; what they should fear is that
people will take hold of their own dull, monotonous lives and fight back
against a world which they disbelieve in.
A lot more people have thought about burning down their work places, blowing
up their banks and wrecking havoc upon the society which they see as
enslaving them than have considered having their faces smashed to a pulp for
light relief.
Putting someone at the end of a gun and telling them to improve their life or
they will die, when the shock of such a concept is put aside, is little worse
than the messages echoed by teachers throughout the land that, if we don't get
ourselves educated we will end up in some dead-end, poorly paid job and have
no life to speak of, and then we'll die.
Perhaps this really is the motivation which we all need to improve ourselves and
the society we live in ?
Why do we spend so long working for such little money ? Why do we put so much
effort into our work that we have little time for our own enjoyment or which
can be spent with our families ?
When we are all so miserable, ill and generally depressed, through the demands
placed upon us, isn't it about time that we changed things or find ways to
escape our current situation ?
This is a film which carries a warning and a message; it is deserving of high
accolades.
