The First Rule Is... Well, I'm Not Supposed To Say! (Fight Club (DVD))

Member Name: MattRoberts

Product:	Fight Club (DVD)
Date:	03/08/03 (92 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good plot , clever ending

Disadvantages: very violent

Fight Club is probably one of the darkest films you’ll ever watch. Not only is the violence extremely dark, but also each character is so dark and cold each will send a shiver down your spine at one time in the film.

The concept of the film is pretty scary by itself. Even the name, has the verb “fight” in it and that makes us think about blood and violence. The “fight club” being a group of men that meet every week and to have a fight.

They half kill each other. Bruise each other. Why? Well, in the words of Tyler Durden:
“It’s not healthy for a man not to have a fight in his life…”

And, there the story begins. From an innocent little club to help a man to sleep, the Fight Club turns into more of a cult. It turns into something totally different to what was intended.


**Cast and Other Info**


Narrator – Ed Norton

Tyler Durden – Brad Pitt

Robert Parson – Meat Loaf

Marla Singer – Helena Bonhem-Carter

Director – David Fincher

Certificate – 18


**The Plot**

A man can’t sleep. He lies awake at night. Not sleeping. Wanting to, but he just can’t. He wants to be able to, but can’t. What are you supposed to do? After months of begging his Doctor to give him some sleeping tablets, he still says no, but advises him to go to a help group.

He takes him seriously, and later that night he visits a support group for men with testicular cancer. He sees men dying around him, and when asked to cry, he does. He lets all the tears out. He cries. And guess what? He sleeps that night.

And the next, and the next. All because he’s lying to everyone that he’s dying. He goes to a testicular cancer group one night, bowel cancer the next. A different one every night, crying away. And then, sleeping at night. But, all his sleepless nights
are brought back, when he meets Marla Singer…

Marla does exactly what he does – goes around support groups. Why does she do it? Well, in her own words:
”It’s cheaper than a movie, and you get free coffee.”

One day, in the group, he confronts her, and tells her to leave. She won’t, but they come to a happy medium, and split nights. He then goes away on business, and can’t sleep again.

On one of the planes home, he meets handsome, sexy, successful Tyler Durden. They talk, they laugh, and they enjoy each other’s company. Then, they leave the plane and say goodbye.

He returns home to see his apartment has been blown up. He doesn’t know where to go. Where should he go? Who should he call? He finds Tyler’s number and phones him, and meets up with him.

Tyler offers him a place to stay, and on the way home asks him to punch. Hesitantly, he does so, and then Tyler punches him, before you know it, they’re on the floor, and having a proper fight.

Before long this becomes an obsession. They begin a club. Firstly there are only 3 members, then 4, and then before anyone else can help it, it’s turned into a cult. A cult beyond anyone’s control. But, is this what Tyler planned all along?


**Performances**

Brad Pitt is back in one of his evil roles. The bloke that doesn’t care, the bloke that hurts and doesn’t care. He certainly acts well, and he can adjust to any character, but it seems, in my view, that Tyler Durden wouldn’t be Tyler without Pitt.

Tyler has something about him that makes you watch in awe, and laugh, even though you know you shouldn’t. His character is out to help. Out to set things right, but he just goes to far.

I can’t have seen Tyler or Fight Club working if it wasn’t for Pitt playing him. It feels that the part was made for him, but presuming it wasn&
#8217;t, he’s certainly done well by adjusting into the role fantastically.

Ed Norton also plays his part well. It’s obvious in some parts he’s scared of Tyler. Doesn’t know what to make of him. He’s wary at the beginning, but they become close friends. Really close.

Ed Norton is the kind of guy I’d expect to have played the character. He’s not that good looking, a not too bad body, and a single businessman. He’s typical of most men, and the film does want to relate to it.

Bonhem-Carter plays her role as dark and dirty Marla really well in the film. She’s very funny in a dark sort of way, and I really enjoyed the film with her in it. Her character seemed less important, but certainly wasn’t.

She managed to makes us think that she was Marla, and if any actress/actor does that properly for me, I feel they’ve done their job properly.

Meat Loaf wasn’t too bad either. Obviously he’s not a trained actor (how many are nowadays?) but he made us pity timid Robert Parson, and that shows he did very well! I enjoyed watching all 4 actors all in all.


**My Opinion**

Fight Club is a film that a lot of people will have as their no.1 best film. Beating the other 9 by far, and keeping its crown on tightly. I did thoroughly enjoy it, and could watch it over and over again, but it won’t reach my top ten.

Fight Club was a different sort of film to what I usually watch, but I am willing to watch any film, whether I enjoy that type or not. Fight Club is a sort of dark thriller that really scares you, and you cringe when they’re being beaten, but you love it just the same.

Many people do, but incase you don’t, know that there is a twist to this film. Not a miner twist that you’ll nod at, or just smile, but a twist that will make you gasp and that will make you to want to see it again.

That’
s the good thing with twists. You always want to watch it again, knowing what the twist is, and see how they wrote the parts that could’ve given too much away at times.

Fight Club is a very dark film, and I know I keep repeating myself with that thought, but I can’t describe just how dark it is. It’s funny, I feel, how one city – New York – can be portrayed so differently.

In some films, you see couples walking in Central Park, then in a coffee shop, or along the sidewalk with lovely trees. But, in Fight Club, you see the rougher side of town, especially when we see where Marla lives. I find it marvellous, how films can make us judge a film, just by seeing it, when it could be a total illusion.

Fight Club is a very clever film that I would certainly watch it for a third time. I don’t think it could be improved any way, but I would’ve liked a bit of a change at the ending, that I felt could’ve been better.

**All in all**

Fight Club will be remembered, and it should be, because it’s a very clever film that does keep you hooked for 2 hours. Thoroughly enjoyed it!


**Fight Club On DVD and Video**


You can buy a two disc DVD of Fight Club from Amazon for £19,99. The video, also from Amazon is £5,99. If you don’t buy, certainly rent it!


A MUST SEE.


Written By: Matt Roberts.

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