Listen up, maggots. The cult classic film that we shouldn’t talk about was released 25 years ago.
Although Fight Club gained a reputation of being loved by fake film nerds who worship Quentin Tarantino or straight white guys who say “I’m him” it still has relevant ideas and an amazing story.
Fight Club is originally a book written by Chuck Palahnuick but adapted into a film by David Fincher.
There was no chance this movie was going to fail. It had a stacked cast, featuring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Boham Carter, and even a jump-scaring appearance by Jared Leto. Seriously, who let him in?
When watching Fight Club, you can feel the thought and care put into the making of this movie. From the anxiety inducing soundtrack, extravagant montages, and memorable dialogue.
There are tons of striking quotes sprinkled throughout both the film and movie. These are my top three.
- “Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else.”
- “We work jobs we hate, buying things we don’t need with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t even like.”
- “This is your life and it’s ending one moment at a time.”
The movie has a better organized storyline and was thought out more carefully, which Chuck Palanuick acknowledged. Despite this, I still believe the book was equally as amazing as the movie.
In both adaptations, the mind shattering plot twist left me staring at a wall for five hours. Thanks Chuck.
I really enjoyed the relationships between all the characters. The narrator and Tyler’s relationship was the average cool kid and quiet kid but once we discover they’re the same person, everything is put into a different perspective.
You realize the narrator was the one who created fight club, stole liposuctioned fat, and sabotaged people’s food. It also forces you to recount all the different things The Narrator did alone—like punching the air, talking to himself on a plane, and a car crash where Tyler was the driver.
Marla and The Narrator’s relationship is peculiar. His first feelings towards her are hatred. She pops up at all his support groups, forcing him to recognize the fraud that he is. As they grow closer, the narrator feels jealousy towards Tyler and Marla’s relationship. The Narrator is forced to hear Marla and Tyler together in the bedroom, he sees Tyler’s kiss on her hand, and answers the phone when Marla calls for Tyler.
The best thing about Fight Club is the way everything is revealed and the narrator’s life spirals into chaos. Tyler is suddenly absent, unable to be found. The Narrator runs into members of Fight Club and everyone seems familiar with him but he’s never met them.
Confused, The Narrator calls Marla and asks “What’s my name?” to which she replies, “Tyler.”
Although he’s an insane man, Tyler Durden represents something so much more important.
Tyler Durden is the embodiment of The Narrator’s deepest desires: freedom and rebellion. Durden advocates for living authentically and unburdened by societal expectations.
He believes embracing one’s true desires and instincts is the path to self-discovery. Which is something we should all strive to live by.
Yes, I agree we shouldn’t pee in people’s food or turn family movies into inappropriate images but we should let go of society’s expectations.
Society loves to dictate the script of our lives. We must go to school, get a job, buy a home, and have a family. Fight club rips this script to pieces. It’s a wake-up call to let go of the expectations placed on us and forge our own path.
Achieve freedom and reject society.
