I chose to do my first initial reaction essay on Fight Club because of how incredible it is and because of all the material and insight it gives me. Based on the title, most would assume that this would be a film of a bunch of dudes beating the snot out of each other. But, out of all the major themes present in this movie, the fighting is almost insignificant in comparison. A piece of the film that could be considered as playing a minor role in the production is actually one of the most creative and one of the most expensive parts of the film, the title sequence.
The opening scene uses very creative visual effects and follows the narrator's fear
impulse through his brain's neural network pulling out to the gun that is in his mouth.
The title sequence is so smoothly done and could not have been a more perfect way to
introduce the film. Another creative visual effect present in the film is the captions on the
furniture in the narrator's apartment as if it were in a furniture catalogue. Another well-
made visual effect is the ending in which the buildings collapse in the background as the
narrator and Marla Singer hold hands.
An even more creative aspect to the film is the editing. To elaborate, the character
Tyler Durden is a figment of the narrator's imagination and is edited in as a quick flash
four times before the narrator initially meets him. This is significant in that it shows that
Tyler was always there but didn't instigate until the narrator wanted him to. Also, in the
last scene of the film, the editors subtly added a single frame flash of male genitalia, just
like Tyler Durden would insert into films at his projectionist job.
It should go without saying that the actors in this film play a major role in its
success and captivate the tone of the movie perfectly. Credit goes to the casting directors
for choosing the best actors for their suited roles. Edward Norton is one of my favorite
actors because he embodies every characte...