Throw Back Thursday: Fight Club

In anticipation of David Fincher's Gone Girl, it seems fitting to discuss his cinematic masterpiece, and break it's first rule.
Fight club, follows an insomniac office worker (Edward Norton), who's pathetically ordinary life takes a dark turn when he meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). The insomnia riddled worker and devil-may-care soap salesman form an underground fight club, and what ensues is pure mayhem.
What many people don't realise, when talking about a now highly-acclaimed film such as Fight Club, is that around the time it's initial release Fight club was genuinely considered a failure. Critics such as Robert Ebert labelled Fight Club as a, "celebration of violence", only rating it 2/5 stars. Also, box office was no success either, with it only grossing just over 20 million less than it's budget domestically in the USA.  So why is it that Fight Club is deemed a cinematic triumph?
Quite simply, on this occasion, critiques at the time were completely wrong!
Fincher's dark gritty flick is truly a triumph to behold. The story, based off Chuck Palahniuk's novel, is a intelligent character assassination of a overly consumer obsessed society, that maybe is more relevant now than it was back in 1999. It has to be acknowledged, to any fickle viewer, Fight Club is certainly not just about fighting. The plot is brilliant, and perfect for Fincher's direction, as it certainly follows the same depraved darkness that suited him so well in Seven.
In addition to this, the cast is tremendous in their roles. Firstly, in a more supportive role, we have Helena Bonham Carter as Marla, the first point of the films love-triangle. In perhaps her strongest role, Carter delivers a sound performance, as a truly broken character stuck in a rut of depression and depravity. She really is, oddly, the films heart, as her emotional struggle is the only that is not the result of her own doing. It isn't a surprise her character is overlooked, given the performances that surround her, but she still is terrific.
Next we have the two heavy weights of this picture, Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. After watching the film again, I really could not envisage any other two actors taking on these roles, too such an effect as Norton and Pitt. What works so well for their chemistry, and the film as a whole, is how opposite they are as actors. Norton is great at depicting the socially awkward, whereas Pitt embodies arrogant and commanding in every role he takes on. This allows their dynamic and overall struggle to be more violent and believable, allowing the audience to buy into what is really a far fetched plot.
Last but certainly not least is David Fincher's direction. The formidable director never shies away from the dark, and Fight certainly suites him for it.  His use of montage as well as darkened colour pallet, ensure that we are entrenched in this gritty portrayal of our dull burden of a society. Also, through his direction the plot become greatly mysterious, and Fincher allows the viewer to experience every twist and turn of the plot seamlessly with clear insight.
Therefore, seeing as I was around 2 at the time of it's initial release, I cannot comprehend why this film was received with such negativity. However, all I can and will say is that Fight Club is a terrific amalgamation of grit and realism that superbly portrays how society gives birth to the depraved.

My Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB: 8.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes:  80%
Did You Know?:  When a Fight Club member sprays the priest with a hose, the camera briefly shakes. This happens because the cameraman couldn't keep himself from laughing.