Fight Club (DVD 2000)

Fight Club is a stunning and brilliant film about the mind-numbing meaninglessness that traps so many in our consumerist society. The unnamed central character, played by Edward Norton, is looking for a way to escape, and that's when he meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) who, amongst other things, introduces him to the simple joys of fighting. Through the Fight Club they establish, he is able to feel alive again, but there is a lot more to Tyler than meets the eye... Superbly shot and directed, with excellent performances from all the main actors (particularly Pitt, Norton and Helena Bonham Carter), this atmospheric and psychological film is one of the best things to come out of Hollywood in recent years.

A man and his new best friend make soap, form an unlicensed boxing club and set-up a terrorist organisation. Intense drama starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter, and directed by David Fincher
It begins with a journey through a man's brain. It ends with a city collapsing to the accompaniment of The Pixies. In between times, David Fincher's Fight Club visits unchartered parts of the human mind and the American underworld. Planes and apartments blow-up, men beat one another senseless, a man quits his job, soap gets made - yes, all human life is here.
Adapted from the cult novel by Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club is different things to different people. What it isn't is a movie that deserved to flop massively on its original release - budgeted at $67 million, it took under $40 million at the US box office. How ironic that a film with an anti-globalisation message should have proved so difficult to market.

Our Narrator (Norton) is an unhappy soul. Stuck in a lucrative but dull job, his unsatisfying consumerist lifestyle has left him unable to sleep. Briefly finding comfort by attending victim support groups, his bliss is shattered by Ms Marla Singer (Bonham Carter), a ball-busting free-spirit. Trapped once again, the Narrator finds fresh hope in the form of Tyler Durden (Pitt), a good-looking, charismatic man who even has answers to the most difficult questions. How do you get ahead of the consumer game? You don't play it. How do you stop being crushed by your employment ambitions? Don't have any. How do you rid yourself of frustration? You join Fight Club.

A picture overloaded with dark comedy, disturbing imagery and intense assaults (the fist-fights are as nothing compared to the beatings handed out at Ikea and Starbucks), Fight Club is so brain-melting that watching it more than once is a necessity. Take the character of Marla (Bonham Carter's greatest performance): the woman who comes on like a barmy devil on the first screening seems more like an angel second time around.

Although it has the good grace not to answer the myriad questions it asks, Fight Club does clear up a range of issues. Is Edward Norton one of the greatest actors of his generation? Absolutely. Can Brad Pitt step up to the plate come the big occasion? But of course. Did David Fincher get lucky with Se7en? Not a bit of it.

Given that it is a picture about cruel irony, it's amusing that something as cash-brutal as the film industry could spawn so anti-corporate a movie as Fight Club. Some might argue that the reason Fox backed the film was due to the fact that, under the surface, Fincher's film is far less brutal than it first appears. But as repeat viewings attest, continued exposure to Fight Club only enhances your admiration for both the movie and its message. In no way a secret endorsement of the system, this is a film that leaves your third eye squeegeed clean so that you can face a brave new world.

Got soap?

Verdict
In Jarhead the Marines fire themselves up for battle by watching Apocalypse Now. When the revolution comes, you can bet the radicals will have been watching Fight Club. A film that will leave you with a dry mouth, a racing heart, and a swimming head.

In arguably Edward Norton's finest hour, Fight Club is a splendid cautionary tale of modern America. A downtrodden office worker hopelessly devoted to consumerism finds that he is not alone in his rejection of the basic assumptions of civilisation, especially the importance of material possessions.

"Tell him the liberator who destroyed my property has realigned my perceptions" - enter Tyler Durden, the mischievous imp like protagonist, who together with Norton's nameless character, sets a mini-revolution in motion and does indeed realign his and everyone else’s perceptions, with explosive consequences.

Like a restless six year old, Fight Club refuses to sit still, and cannot be categorised, which is perhaps part of its roguish charm. Plenty of food for thought is on offer, albeit with an unpleasant aftertaste that some may find hard to swallow, especially the clam chowder.

Edward Norton Class Actor and a good role played by pitt, a hard hitting film , which is full of suprises and well have you watched from the very first moment to the end

Fight club is a great film, ed norton and brad pitt both have good performances. The story is great and there is a fantastic twist at the end.

4/5

I bought the Fight club DVD as I had heard a lot from my friends about the film and I thought it sounded something I ought to watch. I watched the film and I thought it was excellent but was completely different to what I had imagined it to be. Great story line and good actoring from all the actors involved.

in my opinion there is nothing to dislike about this film. The acting is superb the story line is interesting and original, brilliant action scenes and even some twisted humour. This is definatly one of the best films ever.

Epic movie, great action/story, you are drawned intoo the closure of the story, fabulous outcome ;) ...

very good filmlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Thank you for your quick shipping and your excellent wrapping skills to keep my item that i purchased of you 100% safe.
Once again, thank you.

Prompt deliviery, kept in communication and told me when the product
had been dispatched. Highly recommended

What can i say... a cult classic, a modern great

Pitt is amazing, likewise with Norton

If you havent seen it, it has an ending that will blow you away

A+

When first viewing this film i was drawn to two concepts, two concepts which hooked and enthralled me. Always have i been a fan of fighting films, from the surrealist mixed martial arts of 'The Matrix', to the critical battles of 'The Lord of the Rings'. Fight Club brought me neither, yet there was something immensly satisfying about the realism of the film, the simple yet psychologically complicated fighting. To explain further, the depth of the reason for fighting is what makes it so amazing, in fight club everything has a reason, even if it is not clear or explained at first.

The second part of the films is the psychology involved. The film is always unexplained at points, yet slightly eradical reasoning from the two main characters makes things clear towards the end of the film. The film has corners where none would, or could be expected. The psychological balance is perfect, not to much to arouse complication, yet just enough to explain the genius behind it.

It begins with Edward Norton slowly slipping into a state of self inexistence, his day to day life becoming increasingly repetative. Looking for a way out, after a few self tried techniques which seem to be doing him good, he runs into Brad Pitt, or as he is known, Tyler Durden. Now Tyler is just what Jack, (Edward Norton) is looking for, to increase the excitement in his excruciatingly boring life. Tyler is a charismatic soap salesman with a twised philosophy. Self improvement is for the weak, self destruction makes life worth living. Before long Tyler and Jack are fighting in a bar car park, a carthartic slug fest which creates an ultimate high.

As they continue to do this, other men seeking the same long lost feeling of enjoyment start to join their cause. This is when the secret fight club begins, and from here on out, the winding turns come non-stop until you appear stuck in a maze with no logical way out.

Now i will stop my brief description of the film here, as the rest is what is worth keeping secret for the second half of the film. Now the film brings a great amount of humour, which will tickle even the flatest of people. The fighting is strong and realistic, with a few gory bits and a large amount of bruising.

There are a few unexplained parts of the film however, parts which are indeciferable, or perhaps parts which seem slightly weak. Although this may just be down to me missing the explaination. Other wise i see the film as a inspirational piece.

Now i have only ever seen the film on the TV, and give or take 5 to 10 mins, have always seemed to of missed the start or the end. Browsing on ebay i realised that this was a film that i want available to me when i want to watch a brilliant piece. They can be purchased online cheaper than anywhere else im aware of, and i got the limited 2 disc edition for around £3.50 i believe.

I would definetly reccommend purchase to any film fan, and indeed, anyone who wants to sit down and watch a classic. For a cheap price aswell it is definetly worth buying, even if it turns out not to be your cup of tea. This is my first review written but i hope it helps to whoever reads it. Thank you for taking the time to read, and enjoy Fight Club!

Dan Rutter *

Brilliant film!!!
Raises a lot of issues and not just the bare knuckle fighting! It very clever and you have to keep up with it otherwise by the end, you'll just have to watch it again to see where you went wrong!!

Top performances from Brad Pitt and Edward Norton!
Part of my Top 10 Best films!!

Apart from an excellent cast (Brad Pitt, Edward Norton) the idea and visual effects are amazing. It's based on a book by Chuck Palahniuk which is a book that is impossible to put down. After reading the book, I was tempted to watch the film although concerned it may let the book down, as films often do, but I was pleasantly surprised and to put it simply, there is nothing bad to say about this film.
It contains violence but not to a level that would be disturbing, and its a great psychological thriller.
Highly recommended.

awesome movie! awesome violents and calculated violents. extremely clever, with a mind blowing twist making it a different must see for all movie fans. and almost gauranteed to get into your special top 10.

trying to delete reveiw. You'd think there'd be a 'delete review' button somewhere.. ........................................

FIGHT CLUB is narrated by a lonely, unfulfilled young man (Edward Norton) who finds his only comfort in feigning terminal illness and attending disease support groups. Hopping from group to group, he encounters another pretender, or "tourist," the morose Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), who immediately gets under his skin. However, while returning from a business trip, he meets a more intriguing character--the subversive Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). They become fast friends, bonding over a mutual disgust for corporate consumer-culture hypocrisy. Eventually, the two start Fight Club, which convenes in a bar basement where angry men get to vent their frustrations in brutal, bare-knuckle bouts. Fight Club soon becomes the men's only real priority; when the club starts a cross-country expansion, things start getting really crazy. Like Tyler Durden himself, director David Fincher’s FIGHT CLUB, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, is startlingly aggressive and gleefully mischievous as it skewers the superficiality of American pop culture. Outstanding performances by Norton and Pitt are supported by a razor-sharp script and an arsenal of stunning visual effects that include computer animation and sleight-of-hand editing. One of the most unique films of the late 20th century, FIGHT CLUB is a pitch-black comedy of striking intensity.

One of the most amazing films I've ever seen.
I strongly recommend it to anyone!
Amazing performances from Edward Norton, Helena Bonham-Carter and Brad Pitt.
A very clever film... Watchable over and over again.

By ten minutes into this movie I was seriously wondering why I was bothering, twenty minutes in and I was considering that maybe it WAS worth sticking with but expecting nothing great. 40 minutes in and I knew that I was watching that rare thing in a modern movie - a storyline that was not hackneyed, predictable and simply a vehicle for the Hollywood Star whose name appeared above the title. The pace, after the first 20 minutes, was good and you soon realise WHY those early, slow scenes are so very necessary. Other reviews here seem to happily concentrate on telling you the storyline and the plot and (in at least one case) even the plot twists (yeah, thanks a lot for that !), I will simply say that if you like your movies cerebral and with enough story that you will be thinking about it well after the movie is over then this one is for you.

very good and happy with my buy would not knock it and anyone else who is thinking of buying similar has a very good idea think it is brilliant and i am over the moon with it to be honest.

Brilliant movie - must buy dvd coz u just have to see it again and again!
Movie whose theme is as relevant today as it will be thousands of years hence.

I wont give away any of the plots, watch no trailers, read no reviews, watch the film. Then watch it again and again.

This film has many messages which most people will not understand, when you find the messages it opens your mind more and makes you see the film in a different light.

Also, its not a film about fighting.

ecatly what i have expected. even if packaging not really nice, it is what seller said in advert. the product's quality ok.