Review of Fight Club

Introduction

Probably the most controversial movie of 1999, viewers tend to either love or hate it – but always have an opinion. This is in fact gleefully advertised in the companion booklet, where both good and (very) bad taglines by reviewers are included.

This movie is a satire on modern society and the consumerism it breeds. Edward Norton plays a man whose sole purpose in life is to furnish his home with products that “best describe him as a person”. His life is meaningless…until he meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). Durden opens him up to a whole new world of anarchism and poverty. These two men start up ‘fight club’, a secret place where men meet to let off some steam and cheerfully beat the crap out of one another. These new fight clubs start springing up all over the country, forming a secret sect of men willing to follow Durden’s every whim. As the movie goes on, the anarchism they create gradually escalates…

This movie was one of the most highly rated of last year, and deservingly so. It has a lot to warn us about when it comes to our society, and is always entertaining, although sometimes quite obvious when making its political statements. The quirkiness of this movie makes it quite often hilarious. This is a rollercoaster of a movie!

Video

An excellent anamorphic transfer from Fox, proving that when they want to do it right (*ahem* The Abyss *ahem*)they can. The colours, well, are bleak, but then that is fitting for the film, as Fincher shot it that way. There are no obvious artifacts in the movie itself.

Audio

Again, quite excellent. Fox has done a good job on the Oscar-nominated sound in Fight Club. The fight scenes are excruciatingly realistic, and the speakers really get a good workout in the explosion and plane crash scenes.

Features

Well, what can I say? The extras included in this double-disc set are some of the most comprehensive ever. The 4 (!) commentaries on the first disc are very good indeed. The second commentary track (Fincher, Pitt, Norton, and with Bonham Carter edited in) is really fun – you learn a lot about the making of the movie, and there are plenty of amusing anecdotes.

The second disc is truly amazing. There are 17 special effects run-throughs, around 15 trailers and TV/Internet Spots, deleted scenes, publicity galleries, artwork and storyboards. Many of these come with multiple angle features and/or commentary. It is incredible how much support Fox put behind this movie, considering the movie didn’t do all that well in America. The featurettes are all quality pieces of work, and it will take you a very long time to get through the whole disc.

Conclusion

For me this was one of the best movies of 1999. The movie is both controversial and intelligent – a rare combination. Pitt and Norton make for one of the best double-acts in movie history, they act very well both individually and together. Fincher uses many unusual cinematic techniques (vertical swish pan, etc.) that add to the overall anarchistic feel of the movie, and his direction is well paced and well planned.

If you enjoyed this movie, this is a must-have. Even if you didn’t, but are a film or DVD fan, you should get this. The extras really give an insight into the making of the movie and of movies in general. A lot of time has obviously been put into this 2-disc set, and it shows. Perhaps one of the best DVDs ever made.