Friday, November 5, 2010

Movies! Fight Club


Fight Club. One of the most subversive, anarchistic, rebellious films made in recent history. With Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter and Meatloaf. Yes, Meatloaf. Norton is a car manufacturer employee who travels to accident sites to evaluate whether or not recalls are monetarily practical; he is Everyman with incurable insomnia and a fridge full of condiments; he is Jack with absolutely no hope. Pitt is Tyler Durden, a soapmaking barbarian idealist with great wit and great abs. Carter is Marla Singer, clothes thief, support group junkie and love interest with a Pebbles Flinstone goth ponytail. Meatloaf is Bob. And Bob is important.
Fight Club is one of those movies that makes you want to storm the Bastille, take over the world, punch strangers and blow up buildings. It's funny, smart and has a great soundtrack. Beautifully directed by the genius David Fincher, who sums it up like this: "We're designed to be hunters and we're in a society of shopping. There's nothing to kill anymore, there's nothing to fight, nothing to overcome, nothing to explore." Fight Club wants you to take apart society one bruise at a time. Fight Club says that all of your possessions, relationships and capitalist aspirations are garbage. And Fight Club makes you laugh while it's burning down your house.
Quotes:
"The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club."
"Only after disaster can we be resurrected."
"I am Jack's smirking revenge."
"We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place."
"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."
"I felt like destroying something beautiful."
"The things you own end up owning you."
"We just had a near-life experience."
"Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken."
"Losing all hope was freedom."

"If I did have a tumor, I'd name it Marla."

3 comments:

  1. "We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place."
    Being a middle child myself, I find this definition oddly comforting. Possibly because it doesn't include the word "special".
    I remember liking this movie but I don't think I got all that much out of it. I think I'll watch it again. Like, right now.....

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  2. I love Fight Club, though I think it's only on the second viewing I really 'got' it - I'm like that with most films though.
    I will say that Fight Club is the worst possible thing to read or watch if you hate your job - it makes you want to just mess everything up, especially if that job is strict. The anarchic spirit just kind of seeps into you!

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  3. I avoided seeing this movie for years because I thought it looked dumb. Then I saw it and realized it was actually pretty brilliant and well made. Who knew? :)

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