Director David Fincher, can now be listed among great directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, and David Lynch. Why? Because of his latest film, FIGHT CLUB. Fincher's past films were ALIEN 3, SEVEN, and THE GAME. SEVEN and THE GAME were fantastically well made and enjoyable films, making Fincher one of my favourite directors. With FIGHT CLUB, Fincher has made one of film's greatest satires.
FIGHT CLUB is so good, that it could hold its own in a cinematic fight with DR. STRANGELOVE, or A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (which I consider two of the best satires ever made, and just happen to have been directed by Stanley Kubrick). In fact, I think that FIGHT CLUB is a more effective film, due to the fact that a lot of it is rooted in male instincts, which seem to be repressed in our everyday lives. STRANGELOVE and ORANGE are both fantastic, but they aren't as familiar to their audience as FIGHT CLUB. Most young males know the frustration of being locked up in a go nowhere job, feeling bored with life. Most of the time, it's due to our passive actions. We need to do things. To take things. To live life, not just wade through it. This is the point of FIGHT CLUB.
We shouldn't work so that we can buy a new car, or a new couch. We should work at what we love. We should work for what we feel. Our work should be what we need, not the money and possessions is supplies.
Is FIGHT CLUB violent? Yes. Is it violent for the sake of being violent? No. The violence in FIGHT CLUB isn't about hurting people, it's about being hurt. It's about getting the shit kicked out of you, and getting right back up for more. Why? Because it's better than sitting at a desk all day, not knowing if you're awake or asleep (or for that matter, caring if you're awake or not). If you're getting the pissed knocked out of you, you at least know you're alive. You're experiencing life. The violence in FIGHT CLUB is a wake up call. FIGHT CLUB, is a wake up call. You come out of the film, pissed off with your life, knowing you can do better, and motivated to improve how you use your life.
So FIGHT CLUB is a message film. Message films suck right? Message films usually contain ideas that aren't even ideas. They're common knowledge. FIGHT CLUB has actual ideas. Most message films shove stupid ideas down our throats in pills the size of footballs. They hit us over the head with the smallest idea, over, and over, and over again. FIGHT CLUB doesn't hit you over the head with its ideas. It kicks you in the fucking teeth with them. That's not a bad thing, since its main message is "Get off your ass and do something!!!". The viciousness of it's attack is exactly what you need.
FIGHT CLUB is one of the best films I've ever seen, and right now, is the most important film I've ever seen. It's relevant. Most films I see aren't. This film hit home, and I love it for that. I encourage everyone to rush out to see what is the best film to be made in a long time. It'll probably stay that way for a while too.
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