Fight Club: A Controversial Classic

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The film Fight Club has generated controversy from the very moment it was released. Critics have both acclaimed and denounced this film. At the same time, it has been a fan favorite, ranking 14 on IMDB’s Top 250 Chart. On one hand, the film Fight Club lacks in its originality and unrealistic plot. On the other hand, it displays exceptional acting. Ultimately, Fight Club fails to deliver, leaving the audience disappointed.

The story revolves around an average middle-class ordinary man, living in a day-to-day routine. However, this young man has a distinct characteristic⎯he is an insomniac. The protagonist insists, “When you have insomnia, you're never really asleep... and you're never really awake.” He begs his doctor for some drugs that would allow him to sleep, but the doctor doesn’t give in. Instead, his doctor suggests the narrator to attend support groups. The narrator takes his advice, but becomes overly addicted to these support groups. It becomes his daily ritual because it enables the protagonist to cry, which in turn grants him the amenity of sleep. Soon after, he becomes aware of another “faker” in the presence of the support groups, Marla Singer. The narrator hates this woman. He feels that she ruins the raw experience and sincerity of the other members. He describes her as, “Marla... the little scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if only you could stop tonguing it, but you can't.” He even goes on to say “If I did have a tumor, I'd name it Marla.” As a compromise, both he and Marla agree upon a schedule of meetings that would restrict the two from seeing each other.

The narrator’s job requires him to fly to various cities. On one particular flight home, he meets an eccentric man named Tyler Durden, w...

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.... His alter ego, played by Brad Pitt is no less effective. Pitt’s character portrayal of Tyler Durden is convincing and believable. He successfully conveys the dangerously violent yet harmless man throughout the entire film.

Despite its disappointing delivery, Fight Club remains a classic film because of its overall theme. It insists a meaningless life will lead to destruction, though perhaps not as extreme as the creating of a fight club. No matter how hard the protagonist tries to adjust in society by their rules, he is left miserable and incomplete. He says, “This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time.” And, “It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.” The purpose of this film is to free the audience from roles of society and insecurities so that one can truly live, an eternal and universal truth.

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