FIGHT CLUB - Blu-ray review

"Fight Club" is one of those films you either ‘get' or you don't ‘get.' The David Fincher film that stars Edward Norton and Brad Pitt has become a well-loved cult classic since its foray into home video, but failed to achieve near the hoped success during its theatrical run. Based upon the Chuck Palahniuk novel, "Fight Club" sparked numerous debates and controversies for its depictions on violence and underlying political themes. It's heavy and difficult to follow plot and unusual ending caused "Fight Club" to be misunderstood or too confusing for many that saw the film. The film was visually interesting and the second collaboration between Fincher and Pitt after the successful "Se7en" helped catapult the careers of both men. While many panned the film initially, the views of many critics reversed direction after the video release; an indication that "Fight Club" is one of those films that take a while to ‘get' and appreciate.

While "Fight Club" many not be appreciated by those beyond its cult audience, the film has become a part of popular culture. The quote "The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club" is known by everyone and borrowed, misquoted and parodied countless times. Other quotes from characters Tyler Durden (Pitt) and the nameless narrator portrayed by Norton. The concept of the "Fight Club" itself has been borrowed and recycled as a part of popular culture and numerous real-life Fight Clubs were started across the country and other copycat crimes relating to the film occurred prior to its home video popularity. The film introduced numerous new-age methods of filmmaking and narration that has allowed "Fight Club" to be as influential as other Nineties films such as "Pulp Fiction."

Edward Norton begins as the narrator. He is not given the name, although refers to himself as "Jack" with quotes such as "I am Jack's raging bile duct." The character's vocation is that of a traveling salesman for an automobile manufacturer. He suffers from insomnia and after poor advice from his doctor he replaces his sleep disorder with an addition to attending support groups where he witnesses people with far worse problems than his own. This comfort is shared by Marla Singer (Helena Bohnam Carter), who also attends support groups to feel better about herself. They find themselves attending the same meetings and to keep things amicable decide to share meetings and not attend the same ones. This sets up the emotional frailty and dishonest emotional relief of the narrator.

Marla is not the only new friend of the narrator as he meets the charismatic free living Tyler Durden (Pitt) on a flight home from one of his business trips. After a series of events, Durden and the narrator find an unusual bond and friendship that has them share living space at a rundown old house and they find relief from the daily grind by fighting each other in the parking lot of a bar. This begins a slippery slope that culminates in Durden and the narrator beginning the "Fight Club" in the basement of the bar. Their shared distaste of the consumer driven world spreads as more Fight Clubs appear across the country and Durden becomes the face of those disenfranchised by consumerism. The narrator and Durden begin to form an organization called "Project Mayhem" and they make soap at Durden's house.

The relationship between the narrator and Durden becomes a cloudied mess as the film moves forward. Durden and Marla engage in a heated sexual relationship that is not viewed fondly by the narrator. At one point Durden is wearing rubber kitchen gloves during an apparently kinky sexual confrontation. Marla nearly dies from a drug overdose and the narrator seems to care less for her well-being while Durden shows her support. Soon, the narrator is greeted as being ‘Tyler Durden' across the country and Marla goes as far as referring to the narrator as Durden. The narrator's struggle with his identity sets the stage for the film's finish and the ultimate deed by Project Mayhem; the destruction of several credit card company headquarters in Delaware.

Before the credits roll in "Fight Club," you will have been thrown for a loop or two that will leave you thinking about everything you've seen. Where the brilliance of this film lies is that the second viewing if the picture is far more intriguing once you know how everything unfolds. About halfway through "Fight Club" there are some definite changes in narrative and tone that gives hints to how the film will ultimately end, but are so well handled that they don't necessarily spoil the ending. Sure, there are people that will figure things out before the end on their first viewing, but plenty of people figured out "The Sixth Sense" long before the big reveal. The manner in which Fincher tells his adaptation of Palahniuk's novel is masterful and I can see why so many critics changed their perspective after the film hit video stores and rental outlets.

"Fight Club" is an intelligent story and it does require a certain degree of patience and comprehension to fully appreciate. This is not a popcorn movie. Those that do not ‘get' "Fight Club" are not necessarily unintelligent viewers, but "Fight Club" is a thinking man's movie that can be viewed as a statement against the political and corporate landscapes of American during the Nineties. It weaves a story through the point of view of a character suffering delusions and trying to find an escape and an outlet in his own mind. There are numerous layers of "Fight Club" and not everybody will find the same answers and conclusions while watching the film. It is a movie that asks the viewer to come up with their own conclusions and thoughts about the film and for this reason "Fight Club" was a highly debated film.

Could a film like "Fight Club" be made in today's social atmosphere with its depictions of domestic terrorism and glamorizing of violence? Probably. With games like "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" providing levels where players mow down civilians in an airport with machine gun fire, it appears the public is on the mend after the 9/11 atrocities. "Fight Club" is not intended to stir up violence or preach about the dangers of violence with its one man's fantasy. It instead speaks against political and corporate evils and uses violence as an ‘escape' against one's inner torment. The mind can be a scary place and "Fight Club" is a journey into one man's mind that is ravaged with inner turmoil and violence. Those that decried the film for its fighting scenes and bomb plot missed the point.

Edward Norton plays the ‘everyman' in "Fight Club" and the Jack he refers to is not himself, but for each and every white collar worker that has problems during their day-to-day life. Norton is perfect in the role because he appears far closer to the every day worker than somebody of Brad Pitt's physique and charisma. Norton is perfectly cast and shows why he is so highly regarded as an actor. Of course, Pitt is just as solidly cast as the charismatic and dashing idea of perfection as told by the narrator. Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden is regarded by the narrator as the idea of what he would want to be if he imagined himself as somebody else and Pitt was the golden boy of the time and fully pulls off the performance. He shouted off against consumerism in "12 Monkeys" and brings about a new apocalypse in "Fight Club" that shows why he too is so highly regarded as a great actor.

"Fight Club" is not a film for everybody. It requires a lot of thought and a lot of attention to fully appreciate. This isn't a movie that is just about a bunch of guys knocking each other's teeth out in the basement of a shady establishment. There is far more going on under the surface that what appears and it isn't after one or two viewings that you can fully appreciate how solid of a film "Fight Club" is. David Fincher started off rough with "Alien 3," but "Se7en," "The Game" and "Fight Club" was a very good trilogy of well told films and the two films starring Brad Pitt are his best works to date. I've always enjoyed "Fight Club," but I was among those that discovered the film from good word of mouth once it hit video. This is a great film, but it requires a degree of patience.

Video:

"Fight Club" is a dark, but visually stunning film where director David Fincher and Director of Photography Jeff Cronenweth wanted to create a film that was as interesting in its visual style as it was in its narration. They succeeded and the 2.40:1 framed film looks better on Blu-ray than it ever has before. The film is dankly lit through much of its frames and black levels and shadow detail are rock solid. You can count the hairs standing up on Meat Loaf's hair during an early scene and everything from clothing textures to the wet roads seen later in the film look great. There is a light sheen of grain throughout the film, but that provides a very filmlike presentation and is never annoying. Colors are purposely desaturated and look quite good. "Fight Club" is intended to be a dreary looking production and while it is colorful and detailed it does look grungy. The film has never looked better and for its tenth anniversary it looks fresh as if it was cleaned with Paper Street Soap.

Audio:

The audio of "Fight Club" was another aspect where Fincher wanted the film to be an experience. Music is handled by the Dust Brothers and the opening music showing Jack's brain is an example of how well the English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix holds up. A scene roughly a half an hour into the film that show's an airplane breaking up mid-flight is another sonic experience. Sound emanates from every speaker and it wasn't until revisiting the film in high definition that I remembered just how much of an AV experience "Fight Club" truly is. There is sound in every speaker, from the film's score to the sound of police sirens to small environmental noises that really helps the film stand out. Norton's narration is exceptionally clear and the rest of the dialogue is well. "Fight Club" is a movie that begs to be turned up and for good reason. A less capable English 2.0 Dolby Surround is included as well for lesser systems.

Extras:

The "Fight Club" disc boots to a special surprise that was created by David Fincher for fans of the film. In an interesting marketing move, Fox Home Video has embargoed mention of the actual nature of this ‘special gag' till the day after the disc is released. I'm permitted to tease this little gag, but not reveal it until after the embargo. I've decided that if Fincher intended this to be a special little treat for my fellow fans of this great film, then I'm not going to reveal the gag. Ever. I will say it is indeed there, but if you want to check it out and see what this gag is, you will have to either read up about it elsewhere on the Internet or follow my recommendation and buy yourself a copy. I don't want to be the one to spoil the surprise.

The 10th Anniversary edition Blu-ray release comes with four commentary tracks detailing the film. What is nice with this disc is the ability to select from discussion Topics and jump right to that scene on this disc. The first is a Commentary by Director David Fincher that was recorded a little bit ago and has the film's director giving detailed information on the production of the film. I found this track to be full of good details and Fincher is a fairly good speaker. The second Commentary by David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton & Helena Bonham Carter has the three men recorded in one session and Carter on her own with her recorded bits interlaced into the conversation. This was a little more relaxed and conversational than the first, but should please fans. Out of the four tracks, these first two are easily the best and I would recommend them in the order they appear on the disc.

The second two commentary tracks are not quite as good and more technical in nature. The Writer's Commentary by Chuck Palahniuk and Jim Uhls gives a lot of background information on the story and there is value to hearing the novelist's words on his story and departures the film takes from the novel. Uhls was the screenwriter and although he gives some good anecdotes, the original writer is the reason to listen to this commentary track. They were recorded separately and feels disjointed. The final Technical Commentary by Alex McDowell, Jeff Croneweth, Michael Kaplan and Kevin Haug. Croneweth is the Director of Photography, Kaplan is the Costume Designer, McDowell is the Production Designer, Haug is the Visual Effects Supervisor and poor Doc Bailey is the digital animator who is not listed as someone involved and he is the first to speak in this commentary that is piecemealed together.

There are a few new features that are exclusive to the Blu-ray release. A Hit in the Ear: Ren Klyce and the Sound Design of Fight Club is a Profile 1.1 based feature that features a 2009 interview with the sound designer of this audibly impressive film and allows the viewer to re-mix four scenes from the film. This was a fun and interesting use of BonusView and was a nice feature to play with to show off what Blu-ray can do. The Flogging Fight Club (9:58) featurette has Mel Gibson on horseback introducing "Fight Club" to the "Guy Movie Hall of Fame." This was a fun little inclusion where "Fight Club" was honored on its tenth anniversary. Insomniac Mode: I am Jack's Search Index allows the topics being discussed in the four commentary tracks to be displayed while the film is playing or a search against the commentaries to hear a topic of choice. With four tracks, this was a great feature.

The Behind-the-Scenes menu item contains a collection of vignettes on the making of the film. There are ones pertaining to "Production," "Visual Effects," and On Location.The first two have a number of vignettes while there is just one for "On Location." Different members involved provided commentary and these are a good collection of clips. Some have multiple angles to go with the multiple audio tracks. For instance, the very first selection under "Production" is "Alternate Main Titles" and there are four angles and two audio tracks to select from. It would take a couple hours to get through each clip and each angle. While some ‘Play All' capability would have been nice, this was a very nicely done set of production footage. There are Storyboards, a Brain Ride Mape and other items included as well with each submenu.

There are other stand-alone items behind the extensive behind-the-scenes collection. The seven Deleted & Alternate Scenes each have their own little menu screen that contains information a graphical screen detailing the reason for changing the scene. This is something that too could have benefitted from a ‘Play All' instead of having to select each scene and then click on its information screen, but the removed footage is very good. It takes some time to get through all of these as well. The "Publicity" menu item includes three Trailers, seventeen TV Spots for domestic and international release, two funny PSAs from the narrator and another from Tyler. A Music Video (3:32) featuring quotes from the film against the music of the Dust Brothers is included as well as some Promotional and Art Galleries.

Closing:

David Fincher first impressed me with "Se7en" after hating him for creating the horrid "Alien 3." He earned my respect and admiration with "Fight Club." Both of those films are among my list of great entries in their genre and "Fight Club" is a movie I hold in exceptionally high regard. It is not a film for the meek and requires a lot of attention and thought to fully appreciate. This isn't a movie you just sit back and watch for the pure sake of passing time. You watch "Fight Club" when you want your ass handed to you by a movie and expect to think about it for quite some time afterwards. The new 10th Anniversary Blu-ray release is quite impressive with beautiful visuals and solid sound that reminds viewers that Fincher intended "Fight Club" to also be an assault on the senses. The manner in which the four commentary tracks are handled on this Blu-ray is an evolutional usage of the technology and all-in-all this is a wonderful release of a film that deserves to be on any genuine movie buff's book-case.