Fight Club

I know, I know, I'm breaking the first two rules; I'm talking about Fight Club but I'm not going to spoil it. It's a movie that made no success in theatres but then exploded as a dvd.It is probably one of my favorite movies. It is so unique and original and breaks down barriers that we don't think about, but affect lives in a tremendous way as we see in this movie. It is extremely gritty, while being comic and satiric; elements that are rarely ever seen in the same movie. It is, in my opinion, one of the most engaging movies ever made, because the themes this movie deals with, are issues we find in ourselves and others on a regular basis. The biggest theme the movie deals with is the issue of release. Where can someone find their release or place of satisfaction and what happens when someone loses it and can't find it again. The themes of inner desires, being normal, and what society wants versus what we want, are also very prevalent in the movie. A movie that can successfully deal with these issues while having a strong and unique story, is a work of art.

The movie stars Edward Norton as the narrator, the protagonist, and Brad Pitt as his unexpected friend and later the antagonist, Tyler Durden. The character dynamic between the two is one of, if no,t the major reason that the movie is so good. Brad Pitt plays off of Ed Norton throughout the whole movie or in other words, his character exists because of Ed Norton's reactions and emotions. This technique gives the correct personna to Brad Pitt's character to make such a strong character that makes the movie run like a well oiled machine.But the technique is extremely risky, because if Ed Norton or Brad Pitt were lower on the acting scale in the movie just by a little bit, the movie would suffer greatly, even if the other's performance is Oscar worthy. The two's characters depend on each other so much more so than characters in many movies. The two had to be as good as the other and they were. The bar was set high in the beginning of the movie and it just kept getting higher as the movie progressed and they matched each other while raising it, every step of the way. This is what makes their character relationships one of the most interesting character relationships that I've ever seen in a movie. Helena Bonham Carter also does an outstanding job as Marla Signer. Her character is so raw and real in the movie that it makes the viewer believe that the movie could actually happen.

Another reason why this movie is so appealing is because it's laced with anarchistic qualities which are qualities rarely ever seen in movies. The movie is touching on what it means to rebel against society and what it means for you to rebel against yourself. The movie also does an amazing job of escalating. Every movie should escalate, or have the movie to become more exciting, or intriguing, or thought-provoking so that the audience's attention to the movie will climb as the movie progresses. The end of a movie should be way more exciting than the beginning. The final fight or scene should be, if not, one of the best fights or scenes of the entire movie. The last scene is declaring, "This is what you paid your money to see! This is the point that this movie is trying to express! This is what the plot has cultivated too!". The first scene cannot be better than the last scene for the movie to be successful. I understand when directors have the first scene being "the hook" and has it be explosive, but that means the last scene has to be loads better. The last scene in Fight Club is so good! It expresses the hard work of the crew, the actors, and the message of the movie. It wraps everything up in a nice bow. It is truly genius.

Fight Club is truly a work of art. It questions so many big issues, the acting is so good, and it conveys the effort of everyone who worked on it. I recommend it with as many thumbs as I have. Go out and see it if you haven't and see what an outstanding movie looks like!