Fight Club [Blu-ray] [1999]

UPDATED REVIEW 16/01/2013 One of the best movies ever made: An exercise in "visual philosophy", using all technical resources to illustrate and narrate a mental imaginary and machinations based plotline. Fight Club is a fable of the id, ego, and super ego interacting, to revive the main character ("Jack) from his stupor. This lethargy and detachment from his bodily needs and id instincts, prevents him to sleep and mate. His sexual drive and need for love have been channeled into consumerism. He buys things he doesn't need compulsively, to escape his misery without success. The solutions he (or his psyche segments) comes up with are evolutionary, but basically of the same substance he longs and aches for to awaken him from this lethargy. He starts off visiting shockingly bleeding heart -support groups. Used to the corporate politically correct, neutral and aseptic dialogues, this candidness rattles him up towards vitality, recognizing his own humanity, enlightening the steps to come in the path. Nirvana is his desired path, the path at the very core of all human being that looks for religion, drugs or any perception of god or what is beyond words and things, and ultimately that ghost inside us. His Id/super ego is Tyler Durden. He shows him how to escape from fear. That fear that drove him to drown himself into things, in work and vapid banality. Then there comes the Fight Club. "Fight club wasn't about winning or losing. It wasn't about words." Says Jack. It is not about violence in the sense of hurting someone else out of anger, I would add. Jack is detached from the animal we are, that eats, defecates, has sex and breathes. Jack is detached from the caveman we have been for thousands of years, that "evolved" men despise, but is rooted in our DNA. Jack is an extreme case of the dangers of excessive consumerism, individuality and materialism of our culture. Jack fears loosing (a fight, his job, anything that threatens his ego or causes him pain) and longs for human contact and intimacy. Searching for a relationship is a big stretch. Baby steps, the support group first. Then fighting furnishes him with all this. I would like to address the movie's critics like Robert Ebert, who fail to seize the zeitgeist and how fight club relates and how the violence is tangential. The story is about a very particular individual with a very common pathology who seeks a very unorthodox solution in a very dire, desperate situation. This masterpiece exercises and puts forth "visual philosophy", displaying what would be a modern version of Zen enlightenment exercises or Koans. There is no doctor that treats greed and Ikea fetishes. This dude is on his own. He needs to get in touch with his masculinity and loose the fear at the root of all fears, the fear of death, and so do the other attendees of the Fight Club. Fighting is a start; the fear of physical harm is in the same line. Guys don't go to Fight Club to win, everyone is a winner, because the target is to unload the burden of fear. If you desensitize yourself to the fear of punches and blood, abstract fear triggers, as being fired diminish by contrast. Our culture is plagued with fears of the unknown, the what ifs that blocks us from taking risks that could change or enhance our life. Tyler Durden, the superego is boundless and moves forward unfettered to things that are not realistic for the ego, the pranks and crimes against possessions of the project mayhem. But before that he confronts Jack with the fear of death using chemical burn. Crazy, unorthodox yet effective, and more important in a movie: entertaining. Finally, Jack evolves towards love, the main driver from the start. The movie is a love story. His relationship with the woman is abrasive, because his sexuality is twisted, hence is expressed through unexpected outlets at the start. He develops his personality and is able to express caring for a female and start a relationship and integrates his psyche, destroying his overpowering superego. Metaphorically expressed by the dissolution of Tyler. A beautifully aesthetically stunning crafted movie, fluid as our thouth processes are. From the start it displays a voyage through the brain's fear center. As a fable that it is, the use of special effects and creative, aggressive, edgy cinematography suspends your disbelief into a journey in a very human experience, a tale about our war. As Tyler Durden says when he puts the finger on our greed/consumerism epidemic, "our war is a spiritual war". Interwoven masterfully are the elements of a man's struggle with this disease and fighting our war. It never stops being an action film. The rant that Tyler delivers to the fight club, encapsulates some of the concerns the movie wants to bring the audience to brood upon. It is one of the few congruent lines thrown in your lap to understand the movie and the issues brought to light. Issues related to living lives without meaning, in mechanic jobs we hate, to buy stuff conditioned by the media to, but that we really don't truly need. We've become consumer droids. Space monkeys conditioned to press buttons towards oblivion. The media offers its carrot: fame, fortune, and every Ego-booster conceivable. And if the entanglement is rooted on the ego logic, ego perception and egotistic behavior it only messes up the problem further. All reinforces the need to gain awareness of the influence of the ego. The movie doesn't wrap up nicely the answers to these questions, and throws them on your lap. This movie left me with the strong impression of watching one of the most aggressive criticisms towards the dangers of excessive consumerism, of my generation. It is difficult to believe it was made by the director of Seven and two of the most prominent actors of our generation who put their necks on the line to express these concerns. Bravo!!

I purchased the 4k Steel Book version. I’ve seen the movie before, so I’m not going to critique the film that much. However I will say there is a bit of an inconvenience with this packaging. I’ve listed a photo of the way the Disc’s are placed in the case and honestly it is a little tricky to get the Blu Ray version out of there. (4k UHD is placed on top of the Blu Ray Disc) The 4K UHD version of the film on the other hand is very good. The quality difference is obviously noticeable and not only is it noticeable it makes a big difference in viewing the film. I’ve noticed details I haven’t seen before. The audio quality is also a little better as for me I find it more crisp and clear. Honestly I would recommend people to buy the 4k version just to experience this movie to its fullest potential.

Fight Club tells the story of Jack (played by Edward Norton), just a regular guy. He's average looking, has a stable job, a nice apartment, nice furniture, plenty of free time. And he's not happy. Jack just feels bored with life, saying "this is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time". He also suffers from insomnia which only adds to his depression. Then he meets Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt). Whereas Jack is an everyman that we can all relate to, Tyler is the guy we all wish we were. He's good looking, cool, charismatic, and the kind of guy who can convince anyone of anything. Together, the two of them start Fight Club, where once a week a group of men meet together in filthy basement to fight each other for fun. These are men who feel they have been emasculated by society and it is only in Fight Club that they feel alive. I wont say more but the plot really does get progressively more interesting and I was not prepared for how it would end. The movie explores important issues like consumerism, an issue that is just as relevant today as it was in 1999. Contrary to what some critics might say, this movie does not glorify or condone violence. It presents relevant issues without providing clear solutions. Fight Club leaves it up to the viewer to decide what to think, rather than telling you what to think. The cast of the movie is fantastic. I had never seen Edward Norton in a movie before but this performance alone has made me a fan. He plays the role of an everyman perfectly and I just a can't imagine anyone else in the role. The same can be said for Brad Pitt. I've recently started to become a fan of Pitt after seeing movies like Seven and Inglourious Basterds but his role as Tyler has got to be his best. While both were great it was Pitt that stole the show here. Every scene he is in and every line he says is memorable. Helena Bonham Carter does really well but wasn't nearly as memorable as the two leads. While she does have some good moments (one rather infamous quote in particular) she didn't really impress me. The writing was fantastic and there are just so many memorable and funny lines in this movie. As for presentation the movie looked fantastic. It might just be because this was my first time seeing a blu-ray movie but I thought Fight Club looked great. There was just something about the visual style I loved; the gritty look, use of color, and visual tricks. The cinematography and visual effects were both great and there are many moments that still look great today. This is definitely a film you want to watch twice. When you do you will notice so many little details and visual tricks that flew right over your head the first time. David Fincher put a lot of hard work into this movie and it definitely shows. The movie arrived at my house on time and in perfect condition. While I think the blu-ray case is rather thin and flimsy I suppose that's normal and not really a problem. The cover art (showing a graffiti-styled image of Norton and Pitt) is great and I've already made it the wallpaper on my computer. There are a lot of extras and behind the scenes content to watch, all of which were really interesting. No other movie in my collection has this many extras. I really hate giving five-star reviews (I actually hate giving ratings altogether but Amazon forces you to). No movie is perfect and I try to find at least some flaws to be fair. Unfortunately I just can't think of any issues I had with Fight Club. This is definitely not a movie for everyone and a lot of people wont like it but personally, I loved it. Fight Club has definitely earned a spot in my top five favorite movies and I already want to watch it again.

Literally the best movie of all time

Fight Club is my favorite movie. For years my favorite movie was Terry Gilliam's Brazil, but Fight Club has managed to remove it from the mantle and take it's place as what I consider to be the finest film ever made. Not to quote the infamous line from the movie, but you truly cannot tell a person about Fight Club. It's like The Matrix, it's a film better seen the first time knowing nothing about. Even better if you go into it with misperceived notions of what the movie's about, so you can be proved wrong. I think the only problem with the movie is that it was meant to be seen on the Big screen. It uses certain camera tricks and techniques that were meant to enhance the theatrical experience. I fear that anyone seeing this movie for the first time at home will not take from it everything that the theatrical experience provided. So...for a proper viewing of this film...PLEASE follow the following rules: 1) be relaxed. be ready and in the right state of mind to sit back and watch a long film. It's NOT like watching "The Thin Red Line", but it is an involved film that will require your patients and attention 2) remove all distraction. Go to the bathroom, unplug the phone, and be settled to watch a great movie 3) turn off the lights, you'll like the movie a lot better in darkness...it's a very dark film and you'll need darkness to see everything 4) if you didn't like it...wait two weeks and watch it again. For a movie review: It is difficult to talk about the film without ruining it. I first saw the preview for it when I went to see The Phantom Menace. It was part of a Fox set of previews. I saw a bunch of guys fighting and a bar of soap. I thought, "Is this like that lame Van Damme movie Lionheart? No thanks." In fact none of the previews made me want to see it. Months later, after it's release, I heard a radio add for the film. The add sparked a little interest in me because it involved the reading three scathing reviews by critics and one positive review. I thought it was very ballsy of them to release those adds, but I still didn't go see the movie. The next week I was away in upstate New York on a job interview. I was flown there from California and had nothing to do on Thursday night in the tiny town that I was staying in. They had an impressive movie theater, so I thought I'd unwind from my 10 hour interview by taking a film in. When I arrived at the theater, Fight Club was just starting, so I bought a ticket on a whim (even though I really didn't like Lionheart very much). I walked out of that film with my mind buzzing. I had just enjoyed one of the most incredible theatrical experiences I had been through in a very long time. As soon as I go back to San Diego I took three friends to see the movie. I was so excited for them to see it and to hear their reaction. I Needed someone to talk about the film with. After the movie, and for the entire ride home in the car, no one said a word. I thought to myself "Oh no! They hate me for making them see this movie." Finally all three broke the silence and thanked me for taking them to one of the best movies they've ever seen. I saw that movie 4 times in the theater, because I wanted all of my friends to see it. Some loved it, some hated it, some didn't get it...but all were happy they saw it. I don't want to give away any of the movie. I'll just warn you that you'll like it or you'll hate it. Either way, you should see it. If you have no opinion about it...you need to learn to think a bit more critically about your world and the art that you see, because this is a film that you should have an opinion about. As for the DVD, like the Seven DVD, David Fincher packs it full of goodies and commentaries that make it a worthwhile purchase. Finally, you can make a great Trilogy if you watch three movies in this order. First watch American Beauty, then Fight Club, and finally Office Space. All three films have similar messages told in very different ways. Watch Office Space last, because the first two films are so heavy, you might need a little comedy to lighten your mood. Warning: watching these three films may make you quit your tedious job/life and go look for something more fulfilling in the world.

Good movie, great cast,

Fight Club was one of my favorite movies when it first came out, and I watched my original copy more times than I can count. Somewhere over the years it disappeared during moves, life changes, or one of those mysterious cases where things simply vanish. I recently decided it was time to replace it and picked up the Blu-ray version. The film is every bit as good as I remembered. The story, acting, pacing, and dark humor still hold up remarkably well, and it's one of those rare movies that rewards repeat viewings. The Blu-ray transfer looks excellent compared to the older formats I owned years ago. Picture quality is sharp, audio is solid, and it was nice revisiting a film that had such a big impact on me when it was released. If you're a longtime fan replacing an older copy, or someone who somehow hasn't seen it yet, this is an easy recommendation. Some movies fade with age. This one doesn't.

WARNING. THIS REVIEW GIVES END OF FILM AWAY. Critics and viewers who think this is about getting your macho up miss the point. So do those who think this is a "violent" film. Fight Club is really about personal liberation, and genius that osolates into insanity. Ed Norton's no name character is living a banal, materialistic yuppie life. He has no friends, no gal, and his possessions define him. Low and behold, he can't sleep. Our hero first seeks refuge in support groups and new age mush. He goes to meetings for diseases and addicitions he does not have. He is a "tourist," and at first, a very sound sleeping one. Until he meets Marla, fellow tourist. Marla is much better at this game than he is. She is also alot more crazy, or liberated, or both. She walks in traffic, realizing life can end any moment. She outwits her rival tourist, and soon, he is back to sleepless square one. Soon, he meets Tyler. Tyler has no use for material objects, but has as much distain for the touchy feely, microwave sensativity alter-exisistance of our protagonist. Tyler beleives in living in the moment, which requires shedding of all attachments, physical and mental. "It is only when you have lost everything," he says, "that you are free to do anything" How does one get here? The two start an underground, secret fight club, where other young men with similar plights can go and box, with total abandon. Eventually, this grows, to the edge of sanity. Soon, boxing is found to be only a means to an end--stripping ones self down to primal instincts and being truely alive. Between bouts, Tyler starts a fling with Marla. But even fighting and worrier simplicity is not enough; the fight club decides to spread the gospel, and devise a plan to blow up several financial institutions, wiping out credit records and thus the whole base of materialistic capitalism, which, fight club members would say, binds us all into emotional sleep in pursuit of $300 neckties and Dolche Gabana armpit razors. Fair enough, but anarchy was not what our narrator intended--all the guy was really trying to do was get some sleep--and he sets out to stop Tyler from executing his master plan. Only one problem: Tyler does not exist. This raises one of several major points in the film. Our hero did not feel he could make such big changes on his own, and sets up an alter-ego, which is really his ideal self--all the things he aspires to be and can't. This sounds insane, but to a degree, we all have a fantasy about doing what we want when we want, saying what crosses our mind, and being free from the demons-material, social, and psycological- that stop us from being ourselves. Usually, we see our ideal selves as another person, devorced from us. Now, if we believe our heros version of events, he has gone quite mad, but on another level his madness is genius. We all have this internal process. He just externalized it, and probably came closer to getting free form his chains then most of us will. Where does personal liberation end and anarchy begin? Good question, and isn't it the fear of stepping over the line that stop most of us from finding out. Which is scarrier--staying how we are or wading into the forbidden zone? I don't know. Fight Club makes more keen social comments. When our hereo begins to let go of his yuppie lifestyle and begins his 12-step programs, he is only trading one costume for another. The film is as critical of the 'lets cry and find our power animal' psudo-psychology that has infested out culture as it is the crass materialism it replaces. It is like the alcoholic who goes to AA, and this replaces the liqour as the base for his or her identity. The violence in Fight Club is really not violence as we think of it. Everyone fighting wants to be there, and the intent of the fighting is collective liberation, not to do harm to another. It is a means to an end: with other characters, the boxing could have been pottery or fly fishing. So it is difficult to be upset by this "violence" when you consider its unique roll in the story. Two other points about violence stand out: First, the one time he takes a fight to far and disfigures a fellow member, it is at a point in the film where he is about to go over the edge; a turning point. Second, yes, empty skyscrapers are blown up at the end of Fight Club. But remember, this was two years before September 11th. We knew in the back of our minds a large scale terrorist attack was possible, but our biggest focus in 1999 was how much the NASDAQ went up each day; this was a very different time. America was partying. No one knew the unthinkable would happen soon, so you really can't say, retroactively, that the destruction in the film was in bad taste. Regardless, Fight Club is a funny, entertaining, thought provoking film, its points much more nuanced than the title and fight scenes indicate.

Es una excelente película, de las mejores del séptimo arte. Si bien la edición (10º Aniversario) no pareciera ser una edición de aniversario, si lo es; ya que, pues contiene algunas características especiales... 😬 En lo personal me encantó el arte del disco y portada. Y por el precio tienes la película en su máxima calidad posible (de momento). Ojalá salga más adelante en 4K... *La agarré en oferta por $161, andaba desde los $200 hasta los $250 si no mal recuerdo. 🤔 Estoy muy contento con mi compra. 🙂

Everything came in good condition, the only downside being that it was region 1 only, witch is kind of bad for ppl living in the eu. great movie overall

I have watched other David Fischer's movies "seven", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", which Brad Pitt appears, and these movies was also great. The movies made me a big fan of him, but after watching this movie, I was so impressed and got more into his performance. I have ever watched so many movies in my life, and I can say it without doubt, Fight Club is one the best movie I have ever watched. The actors in this movie look unique and very cool. That makes this movie attractive. The film narrator, actually his real name is unrevealed in this movie, who is also leading character (Edward Norton) spends his life working boring job and has problem with sleeping. However he finds joy which is going to as many support seminar for people suffering from cancers as he can. He is not suffering from cancers though. By Bring there, talking with people who has serious disease, getting ready to cry, he is able to release himself and sleep very well at night. This is his vacation. One day, a woman, Marla Singer(Helena Bonham Carter), comes in the seminar, forces him to stop attending the seminar and ruins his routine. The narrator also meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) on the plane. He is charismatic soap salesman looking very straightforward, and he enjoys his life by doing what he wants. The narrator has nothing special about his life, but everything changes when he meet Tyler. One night, two of them meet at bar and suddenly Tyler asks the narrator to hit him as hard as the narrator can. At first, it looks strange request but after they start hitting each other they feel good for some reason. A strange feeling comes to them. They feel satisfied by fighting, feeing pain. The narrator begins to think "everything else in life got the volume turned down. I could deal with anything". As they start fighting in front of bar as usual at night, other people watching them soon join in. Under the ground of the bar becomes Fight Club. Only the moment they are fighting makes them feel alive. It doesn't need words. I was really surprised when I found that Tyler and the narrator was actually the same person. Tyler was the ideal character that the narrator created. It was funny to see Edward Norton hitting himself in front of bar, and at the same time, it was impressive. Some people may say this movie is aggressive and promotes violence. I don't think so. The purpose of Fight Club is self-destruction. Not violence to others but accepting the pain makes them feel alive. I think this is the point of this movie. There is a symbolic scene where the narrator fights with a blonde guy. Even though the guy is already knocked off and passes out, he keeps punching the guy on the face. This scene made me really sick. He is completely beaten up and his face is covered with blood. Tyler said to him " where did you go? Psycho boy". I realized that this kind of extreme violence is thought as unacceptable behavior in this movie. Also I was moved by some Tyler's lines. "It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything." "This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time." "Without pain, without sacrifice we would have nothing." I feel like Tyler tells me something important of life. That's why I love this movie. I absolutely love this movie and can watch it over and over again. Both Brad Pitt and Edward Norton's acting is absolutely fantastic. Thanks to Fight club, I've rediscovered how great actors they are. This movie has some strong messages. It's about finding yourself and finding out what you really want to do in your life. I'm sure you will get into this movie and some quotes. I recommend you to watch this movie if you are interested in.

I love the movie and the CD is all good

Cette édition, c’est la version « je prends le film au sérieux, mais pas trop quand même ». Image clean, bonus solides, packaging qui sent la sueur, le savon et les bonnes années du cinéma. Le film n’a pas pris une ride. Moi oui. Mais peu importe : indispensable dans toute collection digne de ce nom.