Let me start by saying that Fight club is one of my all time favorite movies. I am a huge Edward Norton fan, which helps to explain my love for fight club. The story is so thought provoking. I can still remember the first time that I watched Fight Club; the plot twist was so amazing. I had to watch it again just to think about everything being done only by Edward Norton. But what else contributes to Fight Club outside of the actors and the plot? I mean for example, Ocean’s 13 has a ton of famous actors, but I don’t enjoy watching it nearly as much as Fight Club.
Basically, I feel like Fight Club creates a mood in addition to telling a great story. Everything about Fight Club is dark. From the behind the bar fights, to the derelict house in the middle of nowhere, to the disgusting basement. Even the opening credits are dark. This only augments the already dark subject matter of the plot.
The other thing that creates the “Fight Club Mood,” is the music. The musical setting created is absolutely perfect for the scenes depicted. My particular favorite is the song that is played after Edward Norton (Tyler) discovers he can sleep after attending the testicular cancer support group. A song that is very chamber musicesque plays in the background as he circles various support groups in the paper, while narrating about what a life changing experience this has been. The song follows the chord progression I, V, ii, iv. For those of you out there who are not music buffs, this chord progression is very odd. It is odd because it starts off sounding very happy, and then sort of “morphs” into something very sad. This fits perfectly with what is happening in the movie. Tyler has discovered something that makes him happy, but the only way he can gain this happiness is through other people’s pain and suffering.
The music, the subject matter, and the cinematography all leave me feeling saddened, and yet somehow driven at the end of the movie. Every time I watch fight club I feel like I need to get up off the couch and do something meaningful with my life (instead of the usual sit around and play video games chapter I seem to be stuck in.) I think that this is the message that the movie is trying to convey, with the production value embedded within the film.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I completely agree with your post!! I think that Fight Club is one of the best movies that has been made, because there is so much to it. Before watching Fight Club in class, I had seen a few bits and pieces of it when it was occasionally on TV, but after I saw it in English, it is simply amazing. My favorite part of the movie is still the plot twist when Edward Norton finds out that he is Tyler Durden. It is so funny to watch Edward Norton beat himself up when he thinks that he is beating up Tyler....that sounds kind of bad but whatever...kudos to your post and the best movie ever made!!
-Kate
Kate and Johnny--I loved your commentary on the film. And Kate--that's my favorite part of the film as well. There's a bit of a hint early on that the two characters are the same person, but it's a very Sixth Sense-like plot twist.
I like that you pointed out how driven you feel whenever you watch it to do something meaningful. I get the same feeling, like I’ve been caught just sitting around waiting for life to happen. "This is your life, and it's ending one minute at time." It challenges me every time to break away from what is expected, to quit poking along wasting my time trying to perfect everything, and make something real out of my life. Also, I agree that the value the music adds to the tone of this film is an important one. In cinema, viewers rely heavily on the music as a clue to what’s happening on a deeper level, and in this movie, it does not disappoint.
Post a Comment