Movie Debate #132: Fight Club

[TDIRunner | 2,794]

I watched this one in college.  I enjoyed it, but it was never as big of a deal to me as most of my friends.  It's been a while since I watched it last, but I think I would have a similar reaction to it today.  It's worth watching, but it's certainly not on my favorites list.  

[Sumez | 3,013]

I'm pretty sure you should take just about everything that happens in this movie as being figuratively 

[Rhapsody98 | 1,595]

On 7/27/2023 at 8:23 AM, RH said:

I'm going to have to think about this one.  I only saw it once and that was in college.  It wasn't my cup-o-tea then, and it isn't now.

But I can see past personal disagreements and other issues to see that this was a well made film.  I guess if we don't rate this by "historical" significance or anything like that, for me this is probably about a 3-4, but I'm going to give it some thought before I subumit.

Regardless, it's a movie about soap and I wonder if our local soap maker @Rhapsody98 has an opinion on this one?

It’s been years since I’ve seen it. I have no memory of how accurate it is to soap making.  But the lye burn is total fiction.  

[fox | 1,694]

On 7/28/2023 at 12:45 PM, Sumez said:

I'm pretty sure you should take just about everything that happens in this movie as being figuratively 

Spoiler

also unreliable narrator

 

[JamesRobot | 5,845]

This debate inspired me to watch it again after a few years.  Doesn't quite make it into the favorites but it's damn good.  The fight scenes a great too.  Nice and visceral.  Particularly the one where Jared Leto gets his ass whooped. 

Spoiler

 

I've heard all the theories and intended symbolism but Fight Club is way more fun on a more surface level.  Don't really care about the cancer or male emasculation themes.  Just let the movie be about a schizo and enjoy the hamfisted twist.  We are the all singing all dancing crap of the world.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

On 7/28/2023 at 12:47 AM, Dr. Morbis said:

It's a great movie, notwithstanding the retarded Hollywood ending where a guy can shoot himself in the face and be totally fine as he walks off into the sunset with his girlfriend...

You'd be surprised at how many people shoot themselves/get shot in the head, face, and neck and walk away just fine. This is not even close to the most ridiculous part of the movie. Source: Me, a general/trauma surgeon who was also in the Army.

7/10 for me. It's a good movie, but loses most of what makes it unique on repeat viewings. The unreliable narrator trope is among my least favorite storytelling techniques. Even when executed well, such as in this movie or Memento, it cheapens what we see on the screen and page. It too easily lets the director/writer off the hook for everything they've told us. It puts all the responsibility on the audience, which may lead to introspection and interesting conversations, but completely removes all gravity from the events that may or may not have taken place.

Anyways, that's a debate for another time. I like the movie, just not at the level that the internet says I should.

[Brickman | 4,073]

23 minutes ago, DoctorEncore said:

You'd be surprised at how many people shoot themselves/get shot in the head, face, and neck and walk away just fine. This is not even close to the most ridiculous part of the movie. Source: Me, a general/trauma surgeon who was also in the Army.

7/10 for me. It's a good movie, but loses most of what makes it unique on repeat viewings. The unreliable narrator trope is among my least favorite storytelling techniques. Even when executed well, such as in this movie or Memento, it cheapens what we see on the screen and page. It too easily lets the director/writer off the hook for everything they've told us. It puts all the responsibility on the audience, which may lead to introspection and interesting conversations, but completely removes all gravity from the events that may or may not have taken place.

Anyways, that's a debate for another time. I like the movie, just not at the level that the internet says I should.

I think if done right it is a good story line. The guy has mental illness issues and Fight Club does a decent job of trying to portray what someone can go through. Sure, it’s heightened because it’s a fiction book/movie but some of the scenes really remind me of my wife’s brother who is bi polar. 

I do agree that if a writer uses it to create massive plot holes then that is lazy writing though. 

[Sumez | 3,013]

2 hours ago, DoctorEncore said:

Even when executed well, such as in this movie or Memento, it cheapens what we see on the screen and page. It too easily lets the director/writer off the hook for everything they've told us. It puts all the responsibility on the audience, which may lead to introspection and interesting conversations, but completely removes all gravity from the events that may or may not have taken place.

I can see this point in theory, but given how much attention to detail is paid to everything that happens in this movie, I can't really say it applies here. There are so many crazy little new things that I *still* regular hear about and would never have noticed on even 10 more viewings. 

[Link | 2,768]

Maybe shooting himself was just a metaphor for excising the Tyler part of his personality. 

[Sumez | 3,013]

1 hour ago, Link said:

Maybe shooting himself was just a metaphor for excising the Tyler part of his personality. 

[Dr. Morbis | 2,099]

11 hours ago, Link said:

Maybe shooting himself was just a metaphor for excising the Tyler part of his personality. 

It can be/mean whatever you want it to since nothing in the entire movie is set in stone...