If you didn't watch the intro or any of my review, then my reaction may be confusing. While this is a first time watch, I had a pretty good idea of what the main character was all about in this film (and the ultimate plot twist) because of comparisons made to my favourite TV show of all-time: Mr. Robot (and FC was one inspiration for it: letterboxd.com/esmail/list/mr-robot-companion-list ) So while the shock factor isn't present here, I hope that my reaction is still enjoyable and hopefully different than many others out there because of this. Thank you so much for watching with me! ❤ All links are in the description or kaiielle.com/links and my website is also where you can find my entire reaction library ✌
i dont think you realize that marla is also a figment of his imagination...why else would she be smokin in a cancer group....she doesnt exist other than in his head. she is only in his mind when he is having problems.
This movie helped alter the course of my life. I saw Fight Club in my 2nd year of medical school when it came out. I wanted to be a doctor since i was 12, but after awhile (and after wowing adults with straight As) EVERYONE ELSE wanted me to be a doctor, too : parents, counselors, teachers, friends, girlfriendsTthe pressure to succeed was almost as much as the effort to succeed. I let out a monster I couldnt get back in the cage. Nobody MADE me do this. But I couldnt stop myself. And I felt like I was too committed to turn back. Or stop. Too far to give up. Too far gone. But i knew something wasnt right. I was "Jack." I actually asked myself "what XXX defined me as a person?" Which tablecloth? Which KHAKIS. In fact, at the time this movie came out, there was a Docker's Pants ad about Khakis with different "cool" names for the color gray: "Titanium," "Gunmetal," and "Carbon." It had cool guys and girls frolicking on the beach. I wanted to be ONE of those cool guys. And the advertisement hook was "Which khaki is you?" When Tyler says "You're not your Khakis..." I think he's referencing this pop culture popular advertisement, that probably came out when the author was writing the book, but (the ad) discontinued by the time the movie came out a few years later. ANYWAY...I saw Fight Club and I saw ME. It gave me the impetus I needed. I changed my focus from lucrative cardiology/heart surgery to more humble Pediatrics. I started focusing on patients, not grades. I started spending money on experiences with people not possessions. It was the mirror I needed to see what I KNEW all along: "Im not my khakis." NO possession defines me as a person. Now, I'm not as wealthy, nor as "status-y" with a middle-age boring/satisfying life, but at least I didnt end up like Tyler, with a hole in my own head. I dont know what other people get out of this movie. But I wlll be forever grateful to the author and director for help in setting me in slightly different path in life at a young and impressionable age (i'm 51, now, semi-retired, about to fully retire, shortly).
This is an amazing story! I still feel like I haven’t gotten my life figured out at the age of 48. I’ve been married, almost 12 years, retired from the military, and drive a flatbed for a living. No kids I feel like I took a wrong turn somewhere and I don’t know how to right the ship.
@@mikeaninger7388 what a great thing to hear. Thank you. I dont have any answers, man. If you feel like you took a wrong turn....maybe you did. I hope you find your push, like i did. And if you dont.. ...well, you might have to push yourself. You're not your khakis. You're not your flatbed. If it helps, I've never felt like i have my life figured out....i just amble along trying to follow my instincts, year to year.
Good! You understood that this movie has several themes, none of which is fighting. My favourite scene was the one behind the convenience store. You can see later that the back of Jack,'s entrance door has many driver's licences taped on it.
57:30 When he kept using the phrase "I am Jack's bla bla" .... that was actually a callback to when he was in the basement reading those old magazines that had organs or inanimate objects talking in the third person about themselves. So it was kind of him making fun of that entire narrative style for the magazine articles.
Yes, that was a long running series in readers digest that ran educational stories for people to learn about their various internal organs. “Jack” was for the man stuff, and if I remember correctly, “Jane“ was for the female parts.
This is actually the reason why they name the protagonist (Ed Norton) "Jack" on a few synopses I read back in the day on VHS tapes and DVDs from the movie. I kept asking "When do they call Ed Norton's character Jack in the movie". And I had seen the movie like 50 times at that point...
Movies are the highest art form because they take all other art forms to complete. The novel is great but the movie distills it, keeps the pure message and then amplifies the message with visuals, music, and subtle acting.
@@somerandommenace I agree and disagree. Video games are probably better than movies for a story because video games allow so much more time but at the same time movies are accessible to almost everyone and video games are not. I would still give video games the edge over movies but tv shows are better than both imo.
Def interested in watching more! I've only seen Gone Girl (and now Fight Club) out of his movies. But Se7en, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Game, and Zodiac are all on my [very long] to-watch list.
When Tyler tells the Narrator to “stop trying to control everything and just let go” and then he does, he loses control of Tyler. And then Tyler goes away because he’s free to go wherever he wants without the Narrator knowing, until he realizes the truth and suddenly starts trying to control Tyler again. One of the things you notice on a rewatch. Also on the Mr. Robot comparison… I watched Mr. Robot after seeing this movie. The “erase the debt record” plan made it so obvious that they were the same story from episode 1. It just made the whole first season even more trippy, even on a first watch.
Once you realize Mr Robot is being Fight Club everything falls into place (Their abandoned arcade headquarters "Fun Society" is like a clubhouse, so then "F Society" = "Fight Society", which could mean both a Fight *Club...* but could also mean to fight *against* society" like *Project Mayhem.)* What's great is the later seasons that ask what would happen after the buildings dropped and "Where is my Mind?" and the closing credits, and we get that same twist in different ways multiple times. ("All of what I told you is accurate except I left out the fact that I'm still in prison...")
I'm not sure that is a reason to think it was the same story. Fighting to get rid of debt in a similar way predates Fight Club, and has been done many times since, and none of them had the split person at the centre. I love Mr Robot overall, but the elements of them being the same person were just very obviously telegraphed and not well written (at least not if you are supposed to not realise).
There's a scene in the Barbie movie where Barbie say's something like, "I feel so ugly" and they pause the scene and a narrator comes in to break the 4th wall and say "Margot Robbie is not the right casting to sell this line." That's how I always thought about the scene on the subway where Edward Norton asks Brad Pitt if the Gucci ad is how men are "supposed" to look. After this movie came out the number one request personal trainers got from men - for literally 25 years - was, "make me look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club". This movie also did more to introduce The Pixies to a new generation than anything else, and gave them a bigger audience than they did when they were at the height of their popularity a decade earlier.
Except with the reality that he is asking himself, and more specifically asking his idealised imagined version of himself, the scene works even more with Brad Pitt being asked than someone else!
@@wyterabitt2149 Oh, absolutely. But I would say there’s a similar dynamic in the Barbie movie. The whole thing is about this idealized version of what someone is *supposed* to be, except in Barbie she’s literally a doll that for nearly a century has given girls an unrealistic standard for what a woman should look like.
I totally was blindsided when I saw this film in the theatres. My mate and me thought it was just going to be a film about a bunch of lads fighting each other lol
This is my favorite movie. The twist is given away when they pass each other on the moving sidewalks. Just as the Narrator says, "Could you wake up as a different person?" the camera moves to focus on Tyler. I saw this 20 years ago when I was in college. I didn't see the ending coming and was blown away. I immediately rewatched it. Another detail is that in a deleted scene, the Narrator has a cigarette, and Tyler says that he quit, and the Narrator immediately takes the cigarette out of his mouth.
"It's never too late to see a movie for the first time" "I know nothing about the movie except that 'Tyler Durden' is compared to the main character of Mr Robot..." There it is - if you wait too long, the whole big twist can be spoiled for you and you won't even know it.
Definitely. I've said in other reactions on the channel that sometimes spoilers can't always be avoided. Still worth watching though, no? 😄 I'm very glad I did!
@@kaiielle Absolutely! As much fun as the first-time mind-blowing twist would have been, knowing the twist ahead of the reveal lets you appreciate the movie in a whole different way, and doesn't detract, but actually enhances repeated viewings. You will watch this again, more than once, and you will notice new things every time.
This movie changed my life. I was 21 in the theater when this came came out. My friends and I went to the movies and we didn't know anything about this movie. Everyone in the theater was blown away. I was a very materialistic person, young and stupid. After watching this, I became a Buddhist stoped drinking every night and going to bars. Went back to college. Got a degree. My life has never been the same.
At the beginning of the movie, he refers to an old magazine article series that described the various organs and systems of a generic man named Jack. It was designed to teach kids and adults about anatomy. That is where Jack came from.
This was a very popular series in Reader’s Digest, which for years was the most-popular magazine in America. I believe it still exists, but it’s a pale shadow of its former self, a victim of the post-9/11 publishing crash, the growing shift to digital content, and changing demographics.
I think one of the things people don’t talk about enough is that the movie doesn’t really hide the big twist. The viewer makes an assumption on the first viewing but anyone who watches it twice will see the script almost flat out tells you the twist multiple times and can make you feel dumb you didn’t catch on at first. I never fault people who catch it on the first viewing or don’t believe them. The movie doesn’t cheat you. And the best thing the movie does is reveal the twist at the end of act 2. It’s a revealed plot point that can be shocking but not the point of the movie. If you “figure it out” the first time, the movie is still fulfilling
This is also a fantastic book and the author writes books that are so bizarre Fight Club is actually fairly normal compared to some of them. As someone who loves stories it is always refreshing when someone is willing to take chances and go right off the rails, but is also able to write it well.
"They're like robots..." 🤣🤣🤣 The car scene is hilarious in hindsight. The Narrator is just driving along, talking to himself, while 'self-portait' and 'build a house' just keep shouting about not asking questions from the back (until he asks them a question 🤣🤣🤣) Also, after the wreck Tyler pulls the Narrator out of the driver's side window of the rolled car 😉 Another movie with a transformative car wreck - David Lynch's Crash (1995)
You mention tropes, or narrative devices, but the split personality is literally a device being used to facilitate the actual criticism that's taking place in the film. The real underlying points being made aren't about the mental illness. This is a critique of capitalism, materialism, consumerism, and an examination of the relationship of men to modern society. The mental illness is a symptom of the alienation the character feels, and that's why so many find the film and the character to be so compelling.
“The things you own end up owning you”. This is the line of the movie as it doesn’t just refer to the lifestyle “they” are ultimately running from, but also the lifestyle they seek. Be it modern living or hitting bottom, the point is that none of us has the ultimate courage to not be defined by something. Consumerism or nihilism both initially and ultimately define Jack. Jack’s search is valid and brave to just be himself as he was created to be. But he, like us all, can’t help but be defined by an externality, a philosophy, a group. The irony is that he runs from a society of manipulation, but ultimately you will even manipulate yourself for power, influence, control.
Its the zeitgeist. If you had watched this when it came out, this would have been one of the first multiple personalities movies you ever saw. Matrix is the same way. When I watch people react to certain movies like this, i expect twists to be figured out. People forget that their experiences in life are not other peoples. I used to get annoyed at public service announcements on tv growing up, because they showed the same ones year after year. Then one day my mom said "they are not for you anymore, they are for younger people that haven't learned this yet." Changed my perspective. Opened it up to personal experience.
Since you've already watched Mr. Robot, you might be familiar with the term, but "split personality" isn't really used my medical professionals to describe this condition anymore. It's called DID aka "dissociative identity disorder" now. A much more accurate term for what it means, honestly. It's never really a "split" in a personality, but more so the development of different alters (which is the term for these various identities) within a system as a trauma response.
I don't get why anyone would be surprised at someone guessing the "twist" in this movie.. IT'S NOT A TWIST. It's not even supposed to be. It's meant to be in your face the whole time. If they wanted it to be a surprise, they could have just had the cameras follow Tyler as the narrator asks if you could wake up as a different person. they could have cute the "Sometimes Tyler spoke for me" scene. They could have cut the "This conversation is over" scene. But they chose not to, because it was never meant to be hidden. I think I'd have preferred it if they had cut those 3 scenes, though. There were plenty of far more subtle clues. Like how, after the car crash, Tyler pulls the narrator out of the driver's seat, not the passenger seat.
I didnt figure it out until the scene where ed and marla have the " what are you getting out of this?" conversation. Having had similar conversations with women. Nice vid.
Great reaction. Most people dont guess the twist so fast, but thats no problem. It was interesting to see your reaction because you were picking up the clues along the way. Very unique reaction. Keep up the great work!
David Fincher's first three original films (Seven, The Game and Fight Club) are all masterpieces. Highly recommend you react to the other two if you haven't already.
This movie turned me onto Chuck Palahniuk. I own a copy of every book he has ever written, and reading his work has been a great fandom of my life. He has singularly increased my love for literature and cinema.
1999 was the BEST year in cinema. Period. I could list 20 movies that would be worth watching from that year, but I'll start with "Ravenous". Because NOBODY has ever reacted to that gem.
When it comes to Edward Norton obviously American History X is the movie to see, if not seen already. Noteworthy is also his very first movie role, Primal Fear, which immediately got him an Oscar nod.
The one huge thing everyone that's seen the movie remembers is the twist, and it is done masterfully. However, it likely isn't the only twist in the movie. There is another that has a lot of hints toward it, but never gets explicitly stated and goes over pretty much everyone's heads and completely changes the movie. Some may say that it is a different interpretation and not intended (I disagree), which is why I won't outright say what it is either, but the clues are all there if you watch closely enough. I'm sure someone has made a TH-cam video on it, but honestly when I came to the realization myself after a few rewatches, it was the best feeling in the world.
The google search tabs for the ID4 reaction clip at 30:06, 🤟 This is one of those movies where second-time-reactions would be good to do. Movies where the twist is constantly foreshadowed in a way that most people don't pick up on until they know the twist. Memento, The Prestige, etc.
After seeing it once and knowing the twist ending, my favorite part is after they vandalized the building and Ed Norton is questioning what they just did. But later we see he was in all the situations Brad Pitt was in.
There are 2 Brad Pitt movies for me that show just how talented he really is, Fight Club was one, the other is 12 Monkeys. Both characters are dealing with problems with sanity and alternate realities, for me 12 Monkeys is the better of these 2 movies, but they are not far apart at all. Glad you reacted to this one, but I'll admit I wish you didn't know about the twist, it's just more fun when that happens. But it is awesome that you're a fan of Mr. Robot, one of the greatest shows ever.
Yes, when KL mentioned Brad Pitt's role I immediately thought of 12 Monkeys as well. He has a smaller role in that movie, but a similar quality in his performance.
It's interesting that David started out as a music video director. He directed Paula Abdul’s "Straight Up," Madonna’s "Oh Father," Aerosmith’s "Janie’s Got A Gun," and George Michael’s "Freedom," among many others. Anyway, the reason I mention this is that back then, I always thought what a good director he was and how he made the videos so stylish and intersting, and now here he is making all these good movies.
One of my favorite movies. As a guy raised by a single mom this was a very interesting social comentary and humor struck a cord for me. I've flirted with Mr. Robot but now have to go see it.
When some people complain about reactors correctly guessing parts of the story, I think they do believe what you said they believe, but I also think that some people didn’t pick up on the same things that the reactors did, so they feel like there’s no way anyone else could have picked up on those things, unless they “cheated” somehow. Also, I think that why some people gravitate towards the Brad Pitt side of the character is because they’re probably more like Edward Norton in real life, so like in the movie, they wish they could have more attributes of the Brad Pitt side of the character. Or, some may even admire the Brad Pitt side of the character, because they think he’s what a “man” is supposed to be.
Truly great reaction KL! Like my pfp? It's a little different from the ones you mentioned. In the reaction I loved how short your comments were, they were efficient, but on-point. You had a cute, smug look (bc you already knew what was happening with the duel personality) on your face sometimes that was adorable. The thing about the Durden character is something you kinda touched on, some of what he says is so right and touches some primal nerve, I think especially in men, but other things he says and does are totally unhealthy. This all gets mashed together in scenes so sometimes it might be difficult for some people to parse (but you saw all of that with no problem). I think you're the first female reactor I've seen to actually love this film, most are ambivalent, some hate it. I guess it speaks to your intellect and coolness.
David Fincher’s creative vision and how he makes movies (every shot meticulously captured) was my main interest in the years after its release. Once I started watching Mr. Robot (multiple times through), I enjoyed the nuance of how the two characters are kept “separate” way more.
Something interesting behind the scenes is that Ed Norton gradually started eating less and staying indoors, while Brad Pitt worked out and gained mass. Ed got weaker. Brad got stronger and healthier. This is similar to the book Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, where one side of the person gets gradually weaker and the other side gets stronger, as he begins to take over. Dont quote me on this, but I believe Seneca said "You have 2 wolves inside you: one in the sun and one in the dark. Which one grows? The one you feed." I also think one of the reasons that people admired Tyler Durden is that his body is nearly perfect in this movie and most guys think "Yeah....that's what I want to look like." A few years ago, I had a personal trainer tell me that 90% of his male clients say "I want to look like Fight Club," as their "fitness goal."
I think this is close to a perfect movie for me, because it looks super good without being superficial, it's well acted without being an over the top showcase of abilities, and it has a strong message, which is still not cheesy or entirely spelt out for you. I think this is all because of Fincher, and his personal restraint in not allowing any aspect of the movie completely take over and spoil the others.
The best Robot/Fight Club tie in for me is definitely Where Is My Mind. The ending crescendo song of the movie and the turning point of season 1 of Robot, but a piano cover.
A lot of people lack that Tyler Durden type of confidence, for many different reasons, that's why you see a lot of people latching on to the character. FYI, Tyler goes by on a moving escalator before he's in the seat next to Edward Norton!
@@DaneofHalves Whatever that show is. The majority of people don't watch it. It is not popular or i would have seen it. Heard about it. I watch everything before any else does and before it becomes popular.
In the novel they went into great detail on how to make the bombs, to the point that they had to tone it down as it was actually accurate and they didn't wanna give people ideas. Also the line that Marla says after her and Tyler have sex the first time was changed due to the original being "I wanna have your abortion." The director never told the producer who asked for the change what it was changed to.
10:48 This actually happened, not too long before Fight Club. If you google Lorena Bobbit (or was it Bobbet? I can’t remember), you’ll get the story. It briefly made national news. She did exactly what Brad Pitt describes, to her husband.
This came out back when I was in high school and me and my friends were obsessed with it for a little while. Whenever we found out somebody hadn't seen it, we'd all get together and watch it again just so we could see their first time reacting to it. And because of Fight Club, I got really into Chuck Palahniuk's books. Highly recommend him. There's another movie adaptation of one of his books, "Choke". Starring Sam Rockwell. It's pretty good, but not as memorable as Fight Club.
Knowing the Twist its now about looking at all the clues leading up to it. For example We never hear Edward Nortons characters name, when he meets Tyler he calls him from a pay phone. Tyler doesn't answer, but calls back. However, if you look closely you'll see the pay phone says "no incoming calls allowed," showing that Tyler can't call back because he isn't real. I read when "Fight Club" first hit theaters it bombed, apparently making just $35 million domestically on a budget of $63 million. I didn't know it bombed cause its become a cult classic. And Loved Mr Robot Rami Malek and Christian Slater were so good in there. I never made the connection like you between the two.
The Narrator pointing out that Tyler and Marla were never in the same room except when having sex was a big one for me, especially with how Marla reacts to the Narrator's casual cruelty.
It’s funny that you keep mentioning the narration. In the book, which is way better, you never know the main characters name, he’s simply The Narrator… Also the sound of Edward Norton punching Brad Pit at the beginning is realistic because the director told Norton to actually punch Pit even though Put didn’t know it was gonna happen. Lol!
Fight Club is definitely a top 5 fave, although I hate the "frat boy film" reputation it has. I like that, after watching the film for the first time, the opening credit sequence starting in Jack's brain makes sense and sort of hints at the twist.
I have a theory that The Narrator (whatever we're calling Ed Norton's character) was sexually abused by his mother. He can't see himself having sex with Marla, says that other than humping, Marla and Tyler are never in the same room at the same time, and that his parents pulled the same trick. Also, earlier, he states that his father left when he was, like, six years old. Parents pulled that trick for years? If someone left your life when you were six, how many years of memories would you have of them and their behavior?
Excellent observations! We get so little about the Narrator, so these little tidbits are crucial in understanding him beyond Tyler. I do think it is interesting that he starts becoming a powerful and dangerous person when Tyler appears in his life (Tyler's words coming out of my mouth), while more commonly the 'protected' personality is meeker than the more assertive 'protector' personality until the protector is incorporated or eliminated.
50:44 what was just spoken about moments before this timestamp is "Tv tropes will ruin your life" lowkey in effect. We predict because tropes happen, and the more you know about what makes a story work, the more you see it in other stories, which, yes, will lead you you predicting the "big twists" long before you were supposed to, and the "ruin your life" part comes from not experiencing the same mindblowing moments less savvy people did cause you predicted it early.
Yeah, I know some people will be disappointed that I don't provide the reaction they hope for, but it's not something I have control over. I was a little nervous to put out this reaction as a result.
Great reaction, the book goes a lot deeper, in Tyler's head also they did sequel graphic novels that are crazy too. All done by Chuck Palahniuk, really interesting writer.
You're spot on in saying that the message to take away is who you are as a person. When you hate the person you are there is a tendency to over correct. That to me is what Tyler is. He is the narrators over correction to everything he hates about the world and social expectations. The most important thing I took away from this film is that if you're unhappy you need change. But you can't just run blindly and you need to be genuine to your needs. The narrator needed less focus on money, status, possessions etc. Fight Club is a model for what is not far enough and what's too far in that struggle. There are just a bunch of edge lords out there that think Tyler Durden is the hero of the story and must have fallen asleep for the last 1/3 of the film
It gets a lore more complicated than him being a random villain, and anyone who thinks differently is an "edge lord". He isn't a pure her either. And one of the big problems with debating the story is that the crazies on both sides of more recent culture wars have twisted the entire thing. The worst of men whining and using it as a beacon for what it is not supposed to be to support their twisted position, and the worst of women demonising and reducing any part of the film to simplistic "toxic" this and that. So now any conversation about him is only based on these things.
First time seeing someone watch this and basically figure it out from the get go. Even though i knew that you knew because of Mr robot, this was still a fantastic video you did.
I wonder if this movie was one of the influences for the first Max Payne game (2001). Some of Edward Norton's narration lines are similar (edit: in style, not content) to Max's reflections during the comic book cutscenes.
Hey there! I really enjoyed your reaction; sorry I’m a week late to the party. I’ve seen your videos before, but I have no idea why I’m not already subscribed to your channel. So I’m fixing that to start. It’s so tiring when people accuse reactors of faking it. Like, first of all: who cares? Even _if_ that were true, is that really a problem that needs solving? But more pertinently: people who make accusations like that are almost invariably the same ones who post spoilers. I don’t think people understand that saying things like “this is just like Mr. Robot” or “if you like big twists, you should watch Fight Club” are huge spoilers. (Issue number 2 for the council - why do we even care about spoilers? - is tabled for now.) I’m very old and have spent my whole life watching TV and movies. I don’t think the average young person realizes just how often these media borrow from prior art. Movies are great, but they’re like Legos; they’re all constructed from the same building blocks. On a long enough timeline, everything looks formulaic. You could say that Fight Club was Gen X’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. That’s a bit reductive, perhaps, but not so much as you’d think.
I completely agree with you about the more you consume be it books, media, or life experiences leads directly to being able to easily identify tropes or story lines in movies. This is why I have never liked the entire horror genre, for me it is utterly and completely predictable and therefore boring as all get out so I choose not to watch them. I believe there is an old theory or saying that there are only 4 types of stories all told in different ways. The following theory I'm going to put forth has been debunked by the writer of the source material for the movie, however I think the director may have taken his own liberties with the story. If you go watch this again, fully realizing that you were right about Tyler being an alternate personality, pay particularly close attention to Marla and ask yourself is she real, or just another alter.
Your truly genuine reactions are one of the reasons you shine, Kaiielle. Personally, I really enjoyed watching you figure out and then become certain of what was up, while you still truly appreciated and enjoyed the film. I've seen the movie many times with many people, and never knew anyone who figured it out ahead of time. A favorite film of mine to be sure. Psychology can explain why so many people are drawn to and idolize Tyler on a more-than-superficial level (whether they're aware of it or not): th-cam.com/video/YoezYyb3ECU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=tQvzf1K00vIwgRtF
It's possible they used the street name "Paper Street" as another clue to indicate Tyler didn't exist? I believe when an architect is drawing up plans to build on an undeveloped lot they call the streets "Paper Street" because they don't exist yet except on paper (the movie was from 1999 so I'm sure it's all digital by now).
A good movie with a similar visual split is Mr. Brooks (2007). The imaginary alter ego isn't a spoiler, it's the premise as they talk to each other from the first minute in, but it has some great visuals in how it shows them talking. Like the real one will usually see the imaginary in mirrors or behind him instead of normal face to face conversational style. The main crime thriller plot is fine, but the movie is really carried by imaginary William Hurt's delivery.
Another great reaction. Funny I saw this movie in the theaters, seen it a few times since and plenty of reactions. Until you said it I didn’t realize that was J. Leno also. 😳😊👏👏
I think you were on to something during the movie, and that Ed Norton is indeed Jack. Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden is a new character constructed by the mind of the Narrator. Evidence that he is Jack from the third person writings in the books were actually written by him during one of his insomniac episodes, then he would revert into those third person moments during any stress or trauma.
Your comment about the train sounding real has me pondering life because I LITERALLY have a train track in my backyard and it was going by when you said it 😂. And if anyone wants to know, it’s scarcely used. They use it here in the south to transfer farm seed.
I was a young man when this came out, and there was a large audience focusing on men reclaiming their "manhood." I fell into this (moderately, in the idea that I never felt I had real control over my life. As an 18-19 yr old, I guess I never did.) but as I got older, I saw so many more aspects. Like this is a possible negative outcome of late-stage capitalism. Cults, violence, militarization, and the ultimate losing of self. Still love the movie, but it's not something I look up to anymore. Great review. Guess I need to watch Mr. Robot.
The ‘Jack’ that Edward Norton’s character refers to is the name used in that series of Reader’s Digest stories he was reading, such as “I am Jack’s Gall Bladder” or “I am Jack’s Tonsils”. You even included his discovery of these articles in your edit, you just missed it. My grandmother had a huge pile of old Reader’s Digests which I read whenever I was bored and the ‘I am Jack’s (insert body part here)’ articles were always my favourites. They were a unique and entertaining way of explaining human anatomy one body part at a time by presenting them as characters describing themselves. So every time Ed was referring to ‘Jack’, he was just riffing on that basic concept to describe his situation in a humorous way.
Whoo boy!! I'm not ready K!! Hold on. I need to go grab dinner for this one!! BRB 🥰 Love this movie. Saw it in the theaters. Such a good flick to see during that dark gritty era of movies
In the script, Edward Norton's character was written as "Jack". There's lot's of debate and disagreement over what his real name is but I fall on the side that it's not "Tyler". I see Tyler as just one of his many aliases.
I skipped the reaction and went to the review because I saw this coming. The thing is that this 90's genera has come and gone, and once the genie has been opened, it can never be put back in the bottle. American Pyscho, Total Recall, Matrix, Momento, Donnie Darko, etc (even Psycho). This was a once in a lifetime period of movie story telling that won't return until these movie and their influence are forgotten. I am glad I got to watch these with innocence.
Mr. Robot massively self-spoiled by using that song in combination with that filming style. Gave away the whole plot of the show in the first episode. I was too pissed that they threw everything away just for a "wink-wink" gimmick to enjoy most of it.
@10:44 Tyler says, "You know, man, it could be worse. A woman could cut off your penis while you're sleeping and toss it out of the window of a moving car." Your reaction of a baffled guffaw is understandable, but that dialogue was not randomly thrown in for shock value. The line refers to an infamous assault involving Americans John and Lorena Bobbitt in 1993 where that dismemberment took place. Considering that Fight Club is entirely about emasculation and toxic masculinity, the line makes a lot of sense in the context of the film.
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If you didn't watch the intro or any of my review, then my reaction may be confusing. While this is a first time watch, I had a pretty good idea of what the main character was all about in this film (and the ultimate plot twist) because of comparisons made to my favourite TV show of all-time: Mr. Robot (and FC was one inspiration for it: letterboxd.com/esmail/list/mr-robot-companion-list ) So while the shock factor isn't present here, I hope that my reaction is still enjoyable and hopefully different than many others out there because of this. Thank you so much for watching with me! ❤
All links are in the description or kaiielle.com/links and my website is also where you can find my entire reaction library ✌
i dont think you realize that marla is also a figment of his imagination...why else would she be smokin in a cancer group....she doesnt exist other than in his head. she is only in his mind when he is having problems.
Yeah, whoever made the comparison spoiled it for you. I’ve never watched Mr. Robot, so I guess it’s spoiled for me too, then.
@@CallOfCutie69 There are a large number of twists in that show though
you totally didn't get the movie. You had the typical generic reaction with shallow critique.
Seeing Mr. Robot, the rip-off version of this movie, RUINED it for you.
This movie helped alter the course of my life.
I saw Fight Club in my 2nd year of medical school when it came out. I wanted to be a doctor since i was 12, but after awhile (and after wowing adults with straight As) EVERYONE ELSE wanted me to be a doctor, too : parents, counselors, teachers, friends, girlfriendsTthe pressure to succeed was almost as much as the effort to succeed. I let out a monster I couldnt get back in the cage. Nobody MADE me do this. But I couldnt stop myself. And I felt like I was too committed to turn back. Or stop. Too far to give up. Too far gone. But i knew something wasnt right.
I was "Jack." I actually asked myself "what XXX defined me as a person?" Which tablecloth? Which KHAKIS. In fact, at the time this movie came out, there was a Docker's Pants ad about Khakis with different "cool" names for the color gray: "Titanium," "Gunmetal," and "Carbon." It had cool guys and girls frolicking on the beach. I wanted to be ONE of those cool guys. And the advertisement hook was "Which khaki is you?"
When Tyler says "You're not your Khakis..." I think he's referencing this pop culture popular advertisement, that probably came out when the author was writing the book, but (the ad) discontinued by the time the movie came out a few years later.
ANYWAY...I saw Fight Club and I saw ME. It gave me the impetus I needed. I changed my focus from lucrative cardiology/heart surgery to more humble Pediatrics. I started focusing on patients, not grades. I started spending money on experiences with people not possessions. It was the mirror I needed to see what I KNEW all along: "Im not my khakis." NO possession defines me as a person.
Now, I'm not as wealthy, nor as "status-y" with a middle-age boring/satisfying life, but at least I didnt end up like Tyler, with a hole in my own head.
I dont know what other people get out of this movie. But I wlll be forever grateful to the author and director for help in setting me in slightly different path in life at a young and impressionable age (i'm 51, now, semi-retired, about to fully retire, shortly).
Thanks for sharing!
This is an amazing story! I still feel like I haven’t gotten my life figured out at the age of 48. I’ve been married, almost 12 years, retired from the military, and drive a flatbed for a living. No kids I feel like I took a wrong turn somewhere and I don’t know how to right the ship.
@@kaiielle thank you for responding
@@mikeaninger7388 what a great thing to hear. Thank you.
I dont have any answers, man. If you feel like you took a wrong turn....maybe you did.
I hope you find your push, like i did. And if you dont.. ...well, you might have to push yourself. You're not your khakis. You're not your flatbed. If it helps, I've never felt like i have my life figured out....i just amble along trying to follow my instincts, year to year.
Good! You understood that this movie has several themes, none of which is fighting. My favourite scene was the one behind the convenience store. You can see later that the back of Jack,'s entrance door has many driver's licences taped on it.
The guy walking towards Marla the first time they talk is Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club.
I did not know this. That’s awesome!
ive always wondered if it is or not but im pretty sure its not.
57:30 When he kept using the phrase "I am Jack's bla bla" .... that was actually a callback to when he was in the basement reading those old magazines that had organs or inanimate objects talking in the third person about themselves. So it was kind of him making fun of that entire narrative style for the magazine articles.
Yes, that was a long running series in readers digest that ran educational stories for people to learn about their various internal organs. “Jack” was for the man stuff, and if I remember correctly, “Jane“ was for the female parts.
@@lukeball4937”I am Jill’s nipple.”
This is actually the reason why they name the protagonist (Ed Norton) "Jack" on a few synopses I read back in the day on VHS tapes and DVDs from the movie.
I kept asking "When do they call Ed Norton's character Jack in the movie". And I had seen the movie like 50 times at that point...
@@chanceneck8072 funnily enough, in the original novel of Fight Club, its Joe, not Jack.
Chuck said this actually did his book more justice than he ever wrote.
That's awesome!
Movies are the highest art form because they take all other art forms to complete. The novel is great but the movie distills it, keeps the pure message and then amplifies the message with visuals, music, and subtle acting.
@@LibertarianJRT no video games are because they have everything movies do but you're actually a part of it
@@somerandommenace Yes, exactly. I just wanted to say that, too.
@@somerandommenace I agree and disagree. Video games are probably better than movies for a story because video games allow so much more time but at the same time movies are accessible to almost everyone and video games are not. I would still give video games the edge over movies but tv shows are better than both imo.
David Fincher is on another level of filmmaker. This is just ONE example.
Def interested in watching more! I've only seen Gone Girl (and now Fight Club) out of his movies. But Se7en, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Game, and Zodiac are all on my [very long] to-watch list.
@@kaiielleThe Game is a must-watch.
“His name is Robert Paulson.”
R.I.P. Meatloaf
His Name Is Robert Paulson!
His name is Meatloaf Paulson
His nameis Robert Meatloaf
His Name is Robert Paulson!
His name is Paulson Robert...
When Tyler tells the Narrator to “stop trying to control everything and just let go” and then he does, he loses control of Tyler. And then Tyler goes away because he’s free to go wherever he wants without the Narrator knowing, until he realizes the truth and suddenly starts trying to control Tyler again. One of the things you notice on a rewatch.
Also on the Mr. Robot comparison…
I watched Mr. Robot after seeing this movie. The “erase the debt record” plan made it so obvious that they were the same story from episode 1. It just made the whole first season even more trippy, even on a first watch.
Once you realize Mr Robot is being Fight Club everything falls into place (Their abandoned arcade headquarters "Fun Society" is like a clubhouse, so then "F Society" = "Fight Society", which could mean both a Fight *Club...* but could also mean to fight *against* society" like *Project Mayhem.)*
What's great is the later seasons that ask what would happen after the buildings dropped and "Where is my Mind?" and the closing credits, and we get that same twist in different ways multiple times. ("All of what I told you is accurate except I left out the fact that I'm still in prison...")
I'm not sure that is a reason to think it was the same story. Fighting to get rid of debt in a similar way predates Fight Club, and has been done many times since, and none of them had the split person at the centre.
I love Mr Robot overall, but the elements of them being the same person were just very obviously telegraphed and not well written (at least not if you are supposed to not realise).
There's a scene in the Barbie movie where Barbie say's something like, "I feel so ugly" and they pause the scene and a narrator comes in to break the 4th wall and say "Margot Robbie is not the right casting to sell this line." That's how I always thought about the scene on the subway where Edward Norton asks Brad Pitt if the Gucci ad is how men are "supposed" to look. After this movie came out the number one request personal trainers got from men - for literally 25 years - was, "make me look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club".
This movie also did more to introduce The Pixies to a new generation than anything else, and gave them a bigger audience than they did when they were at the height of their popularity a decade earlier.
Except with the reality that he is asking himself, and more specifically asking his idealised imagined version of himself, the scene works even more with Brad Pitt being asked than someone else!
@@wyterabitt2149 Oh, absolutely. But I would say there’s a similar dynamic in the Barbie movie. The whole thing is about this idealized version of what someone is *supposed* to be, except in Barbie she’s literally a doll that for nearly a century has given girls an unrealistic standard for what a woman should look like.
I totally was blindsided when I saw this film in the theatres. My mate and me thought it was just going to be a film about a bunch of lads fighting each other lol
This is my favorite movie. The twist is given away when they pass each other on the moving sidewalks. Just as the Narrator says, "Could you wake up as a different person?" the camera moves to focus on Tyler. I saw this 20 years ago when I was in college. I didn't see the ending coming and was blown away. I immediately rewatched it. Another detail is that in a deleted scene, the Narrator has a cigarette, and Tyler says that he quit, and the Narrator immediately takes the cigarette out of his mouth.
"It's never too late to see a movie for the first time"
"I know nothing about the movie except that 'Tyler Durden' is compared to the main character of Mr Robot..."
There it is - if you wait too long, the whole big twist can be spoiled for you and you won't even know it.
Definitely. I've said in other reactions on the channel that sometimes spoilers can't always be avoided. Still worth watching though, no? 😄 I'm very glad I did!
@@kaiielle Absolutely! As much fun as the first-time mind-blowing twist would have been, knowing the twist ahead of the reveal lets you appreciate the movie in a whole different way, and doesn't detract, but actually enhances repeated viewings. You will watch this again, more than once, and you will notice new things every time.
Yes, I can't wait for that! It'll be fun.
This movie changed my life. I was 21 in the theater when this came came out. My friends and I went to the movies and we didn't know anything about this movie. Everyone in the theater was blown away. I was a very materialistic person, young and stupid. After watching this, I became a Buddhist stoped drinking every night and going to bars. Went back to college. Got a degree. My life has never been the same.
At the beginning of the movie, he refers to an old magazine article series that described the various organs and systems of a generic man named Jack. It was designed to teach kids and adults about anatomy. That is where Jack came from.
This was a very popular series in Reader’s Digest, which for years was the most-popular magazine in America. I believe it still exists, but it’s a pale shadow of its former self, a victim of the post-9/11 publishing crash, the growing shift to digital content, and changing demographics.
I think one of the things people don’t talk about enough is that the movie doesn’t really hide the big twist. The viewer makes an assumption on the first viewing but anyone who watches it twice will see the script almost flat out tells you the twist multiple times and can make you feel dumb you didn’t catch on at first. I never fault people who catch it on the first viewing or don’t believe them. The movie doesn’t cheat you. And the best thing the movie does is reveal the twist at the end of act 2. It’s a revealed plot point that can be shocking but not the point of the movie. If you “figure it out” the first time, the movie is still fulfilling
This is also a fantastic book and the author writes books that are so bizarre Fight Club is actually fairly normal compared to some of them. As someone who loves stories it is always refreshing when someone is willing to take chances and go right off the rails, but is also able to write it well.
Survivor is my favorite Chuck Palahniuk novel.
@@havok6280 haha yea that one always hit for me, think Rant was my favorite
"They're like robots..."
🤣🤣🤣
The car scene is hilarious in hindsight. The Narrator is just driving along, talking to himself, while 'self-portait' and 'build a house' just keep shouting about not asking questions from the back (until he asks them a question 🤣🤣🤣)
Also, after the wreck Tyler pulls the Narrator out of the driver's side window of the rolled car 😉
Another movie with a transformative car wreck - David Lynch's Crash (1995)
You mention tropes, or narrative devices, but the split personality is literally a device being used to facilitate the actual criticism that's taking place in the film. The real underlying points being made aren't about the mental illness. This is a critique of capitalism, materialism, consumerism, and an examination of the relationship of men to modern society. The mental illness is a symptom of the alienation the character feels, and that's why so many find the film and the character to be so compelling.
The first two rules of Fight Club are there so that the members will in fact talk about fight club. People can't help talk about the things they like.
“The things you own end up owning you”.
This is the line of the movie as it doesn’t just refer to the lifestyle “they” are ultimately running from, but also the lifestyle they seek. Be it modern living or hitting bottom, the point is that none of us has the ultimate courage to not be defined by something. Consumerism or nihilism both initially and ultimately define Jack. Jack’s search is valid and brave to just be himself as he was created to be. But he, like us all, can’t help but be defined by an externality, a philosophy, a group. The irony is that he runs from a society of manipulation, but ultimately you will even manipulate yourself for power, influence, control.
Its the zeitgeist. If you had watched this when it came out, this would have been one of the first multiple personalities movies you ever saw. Matrix is the same way. When I watch people react to certain movies like this, i expect twists to be figured out. People forget that their experiences in life are not other peoples. I used to get annoyed at public service announcements on tv growing up, because they showed the same ones year after year. Then one day my mom said "they are not for you anymore, they are for younger people that haven't learned this yet." Changed my perspective. Opened it up to personal experience.
Great comparison!
Since you've already watched Mr. Robot, you might be familiar with the term, but "split personality" isn't really used my medical professionals to describe this condition anymore. It's called DID aka "dissociative identity disorder" now. A much more accurate term for what it means, honestly. It's never really a "split" in a personality, but more so the development of different alters (which is the term for these various identities) within a system as a trauma response.
I don't get why anyone would be surprised at someone guessing the "twist" in this movie.. IT'S NOT A TWIST. It's not even supposed to be. It's meant to be in your face the whole time. If they wanted it to be a surprise, they could have just had the cameras follow Tyler as the narrator asks if you could wake up as a different person. they could have cute the "Sometimes Tyler spoke for me" scene. They could have cut the "This conversation is over" scene. But they chose not to, because it was never meant to be hidden. I think I'd have preferred it if they had cut those 3 scenes, though. There were plenty of far more subtle clues. Like how, after the car crash, Tyler pulls the narrator out of the driver's seat, not the passenger seat.
29:00 thought you'd have more to say about this moment given your awareness of the twist. Very clever. Love Mr robot too.
Love the Durden-esque little flashes in the edit. A nice touch on a great reaction to a brilliant movie. Cheers and Happy Weekend Kaiielle. 🥃☮❤
I didnt figure it out until the scene where ed and marla have the " what are you getting out of this?" conversation. Having had similar conversations with women. Nice vid.
My friends started one in high school. They beat the fudge out of each other. I denied joining in, because they clearly missed the point.
*declined
Great reaction. Most people dont guess the twist so fast, but thats no problem. It was interesting to see your reaction because you were picking up the clues along the way. Very unique reaction. Keep up the great work!
David Fincher's first three original films (Seven, The Game and Fight Club) are all masterpieces. Highly recommend you react to the other two if you haven't already.
Everyone forgets about the bombs in the buildings at the very end. Welcome to the club!👊
This movie turned me onto Chuck Palahniuk. I own a copy of every book he has ever written, and reading his work has been a great fandom of my life. He has singularly increased my love for literature and cinema.
My all time favorite movie, the acting, the filmmaking, the story telling, it’s all perfect
1999 was the BEST year in cinema. Period. I could list 20 movies that would be worth watching from that year, but I'll start with "Ravenous". Because NOBODY has ever reacted to that gem.
God I love the soundtrack for this movie. It more or less lives on my playlists, it works well as a bridge to a wide variety of stuff.
Nice KL. As if one needed more evidence the 90's were the golden age of film, we have this. Fincher is a genius.
When it comes to Edward Norton obviously American History X is the movie to see, if not seen already. Noteworthy is also his very first movie role, Primal Fear, which immediately got him an Oscar nod.
The one huge thing everyone that's seen the movie remembers is the twist, and it is done masterfully. However, it likely isn't the only twist in the movie. There is another that has a lot of hints toward it, but never gets explicitly stated and goes over pretty much everyone's heads and completely changes the movie. Some may say that it is a different interpretation and not intended (I disagree), which is why I won't outright say what it is either, but the clues are all there if you watch closely enough. I'm sure someone has made a TH-cam video on it, but honestly when I came to the realization myself after a few rewatches, it was the best feeling in the world.
"I am Jack's medulla oblongata."
"I am Jack's smirking revenge..." 💪
@@LordVolkov "I am Jack's complete lack of surprise."
The google search tabs for the ID4 reaction clip at 30:06, 🤟
This is one of those movies where second-time-reactions would be good to do. Movies where the twist is constantly foreshadowed in a way that most people don't pick up on until they know the twist. Memento, The Prestige, etc.
Fantastic reaction to this masterpiece of a late 90s movie. I miss the 90s my childhood
After seeing it once and knowing the twist ending, my favorite part is after they vandalized the building and Ed Norton is questioning what they just did. But later we see he was in all the situations Brad Pitt was in.
Mr. Robot was definitely spoiled by Fight Club for me because the influence is pretty obvious. "Where is my mind" in the soundtrack was a huge clue.
Enjoyed this reaction! You got it quick! I was 17 when I saw it in theaters. My friend and I were blown away!
There are 2 Brad Pitt movies for me that show just how talented he really is, Fight Club was one, the other is 12 Monkeys. Both characters are dealing with problems with sanity and alternate realities, for me 12 Monkeys is the better of these 2 movies, but they are not far apart at all. Glad you reacted to this one, but I'll admit I wish you didn't know about the twist, it's just more fun when that happens. But it is awesome that you're a fan of Mr. Robot, one of the greatest shows ever.
Yes, when KL mentioned Brad Pitt's role I immediately thought of 12 Monkeys as well. He has a smaller role in that movie, but a similar quality in his performance.
Fun FAct when they have their first fight Norton REALLY did hit Pitt in the ear
It's interesting that David started out as a music video director. He directed Paula Abdul’s "Straight Up," Madonna’s "Oh Father," Aerosmith’s "Janie’s Got A Gun," and George Michael’s "Freedom," among many others. Anyway, the reason I mention this is that back then, I always thought what a good director he was and how he made the videos so stylish and intersting, and now here he is making all these good movies.
10:44 This was a reference to an actual crime of the day. Lorena Bobbitt. She did exactly that.
One of my favorite movies. As a guy raised by a single mom this was a very interesting social comentary and humor struck a cord for me. I've flirted with Mr. Robot but now have to go see it.
Mr. Robot was 100% influenced by this movie and they don't try to hide it. The "reveal" on that show is even done to a cover of Where Is My Mind.
Sam Esmail certainly owns it.
When some people complain about reactors correctly guessing parts of the story, I think they do believe what you said they believe, but I also think that some people didn’t pick up on the same things that the reactors did, so they feel like there’s no way anyone else could have picked up on those things, unless they “cheated” somehow.
Also, I think that why some people gravitate towards the Brad Pitt side of the character is because they’re probably more like Edward Norton in real life, so like in the movie, they wish they could have more attributes of the Brad Pitt side of the character. Or, some may even admire the Brad Pitt side of the character, because they think he’s what a “man” is supposed to be.
Truly great reaction KL! Like my pfp? It's a little different from the ones you mentioned. In the reaction I loved how short your comments were, they were efficient, but on-point. You had a cute, smug look (bc you already knew what was happening with the duel personality) on your face sometimes that was adorable. The thing about the Durden character is something you kinda touched on, some of what he says is so right and touches some primal nerve, I think especially in men, but other things he says and does are totally unhealthy. This all gets mashed together in scenes so sometimes it might be difficult for some people to parse (but you saw all of that with no problem). I think you're the first female reactor I've seen to actually love this film, most are ambivalent, some hate it. I guess it speaks to your intellect and coolness.
David Fincher’s creative vision and how he makes movies (every shot meticulously captured) was my main interest in the years after its release. Once I started watching Mr. Robot (multiple times through), I enjoyed the nuance of how the two characters are kept “separate” way more.
Very much agree with you!
In the end, the bullet bounced off his tooth, and came out the cheek. If you pause it just right, you can see the tooth come out.
Something interesting behind the scenes is that Ed Norton gradually started eating less and staying indoors, while Brad Pitt worked out and gained mass. Ed got weaker. Brad got stronger and healthier. This is similar to the book Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, where one side of the person gets gradually weaker and the other side gets stronger, as he begins to take over.
Dont quote me on this, but I believe Seneca said
"You have 2 wolves inside you: one in the sun and one in the dark. Which one grows? The one you feed."
I also think one of the reasons that people admired Tyler Durden is that his body is nearly perfect in this movie and most guys think "Yeah....that's what I want to look like." A few years ago, I had a personal trainer tell me that 90% of his male clients say "I want to look like Fight Club," as their "fitness goal."
I think this is close to a perfect movie for me, because it looks super good without being superficial, it's well acted without being an over the top showcase of abilities, and it has a strong message, which is still not cheesy or entirely spelt out for you.
I think this is all because of Fincher, and his personal restraint in not allowing any aspect of the movie completely take over and spoil the others.
I’m still just trying to figure out if Tyler’s briefcase on the plane was actually full of soap or if it had any insurance documents.
The best Robot/Fight Club tie in for me is definitely Where Is My Mind. The ending crescendo song of the movie and the turning point of season 1 of Robot, but a piano cover.
A lot of people lack that Tyler Durden type of confidence, for many different reasons, that's why you see a lot of people latching on to the character. FYI, Tyler goes by on a moving escalator before he's in the seat next to Edward Norton!
Well, that was interesting watching someone watch a movie for the first time, even though they strongly suspected (correctly) the plot twist.
Yeah. The first couple minutes says i knew this, cause Tyler knew this is all one needed to know what was going on. Super easy to figure out.
She did say several times that she was a fan of Mr. Robot which clued her into the movies direction.
@@DaneofHalves Whatever that show is. The majority of people don't watch it. It is not popular or i would have seen it. Heard about it. I watch everything before any else does and before it becomes popular.
I sense fraudulence.
@@WheresWaldo05 One of its episodes is ranked #8 in the highest rated TV episodes ever on IMDb: imdb.com/list/ls561057724/
In the novel they went into great detail on how to make the bombs, to the point that they had to tone it down as it was actually accurate and they didn't wanna give people ideas. Also the line that Marla says after her and Tyler have sex the first time was changed due to the original being "I wanna have your abortion." The director never told the producer who asked for the change what it was changed to.
10:48 This actually happened, not too long before Fight Club. If you google Lorena Bobbit (or was it Bobbet? I can’t remember), you’ll get the story. It briefly made national news. She did exactly what Brad Pitt describes, to her husband.
Look up Lorena Bobbit
😨😨😨
This came out back when I was in high school and me and my friends were obsessed with it for a little while. Whenever we found out somebody hadn't seen it, we'd all get together and watch it again just so we could see their first time reacting to it. And because of Fight Club, I got really into Chuck Palahniuk's books. Highly recommend him. There's another movie adaptation of one of his books, "Choke". Starring Sam Rockwell. It's pretty good, but not as memorable as Fight Club.
Knowing the Twist its now about looking at all the clues leading up to it. For example We never hear Edward Nortons characters name, when he meets Tyler he calls him from a pay phone. Tyler doesn't answer, but calls back. However, if you look closely you'll see the pay phone says "no incoming calls allowed," showing that Tyler can't call back because he isn't real. I read when "Fight Club" first hit theaters it bombed, apparently making just $35 million domestically on a budget of $63 million. I didn't know it bombed cause its become a cult classic. And Loved Mr Robot Rami Malek and Christian Slater were so good in there. I never made the connection like you between the two.
The Narrator pointing out that Tyler and Marla were never in the same room except when having sex was a big one for me, especially with how Marla reacts to the Narrator's casual cruelty.
It’s funny that you keep mentioning the narration. In the book, which is way better, you never know the main characters name, he’s simply The Narrator… Also the sound of Edward Norton punching Brad Pit at the beginning is realistic because the director told Norton to actually punch Pit even though Put didn’t know it was gonna happen. Lol!
Fight Club is definitely a top 5 fave, although I hate the "frat boy film" reputation it has. I like that, after watching the film for the first time, the opening credit sequence starting in Jack's brain makes sense and sort of hints at the twist.
I have a theory that The Narrator (whatever we're calling Ed Norton's character) was sexually abused by his mother. He can't see himself having sex with Marla, says that other than humping, Marla and Tyler are never in the same room at the same time, and that his parents pulled the same trick. Also, earlier, he states that his father left when he was, like, six years old. Parents pulled that trick for years? If someone left your life when you were six, how many years of memories would you have of them and their behavior?
Great catches, I think I agree! Especially since multiple personalities almost always derive from traumatic experiences in childhood.
Excellent observations! We get so little about the Narrator, so these little tidbits are crucial in understanding him beyond Tyler.
I do think it is interesting that he starts becoming a powerful and dangerous person when Tyler appears in his life (Tyler's words coming out of my mouth), while more commonly the 'protected' personality is meeker than the more assertive 'protector' personality until the protector is incorporated or eliminated.
50:44 what was just spoken about moments before this timestamp is "Tv tropes will ruin your life" lowkey in effect.
We predict because tropes happen, and the more you know about what makes a story work, the more you see it in other stories, which, yes, will lead you you predicting the "big twists" long before you were supposed to, and the "ruin your life" part comes from not experiencing the same mindblowing moments less savvy people did cause you predicted it early.
Yeah, I know some people will be disappointed that I don't provide the reaction they hope for, but it's not something I have control over. I was a little nervous to put out this reaction as a result.
@@kaiielle it wasn't a dissapointment for me, my reaction to you calling it was an impressed "clever girl" style nod with a grin.
Icing on the cake was the Pixies track at the end. Imo a perfect movie.
In Mr. Robot they used a cover of the same song in the finale, not exactly subtle.
Great reaction, the book goes a lot deeper, in Tyler's head also they did sequel graphic novels that are crazy too.
All done by Chuck Palahniuk, really interesting writer.
I'm so excited to read the book one day!
You're spot on in saying that the message to take away is who you are as a person. When you hate the person you are there is a tendency to over correct. That to me is what Tyler is. He is the narrators over correction to everything he hates about the world and social expectations. The most important thing I took away from this film is that if you're unhappy you need change. But you can't just run blindly and you need to be genuine to your needs. The narrator needed less focus on money, status, possessions etc. Fight Club is a model for what is not far enough and what's too far in that struggle. There are just a bunch of edge lords out there that think Tyler Durden is the hero of the story and must have fallen asleep for the last 1/3 of the film
Great thoughts! Thanks for sharing them (and for watching!)
It gets a lore more complicated than him being a random villain, and anyone who thinks differently is an "edge lord". He isn't a pure her either.
And one of the big problems with debating the story is that the crazies on both sides of more recent culture wars have twisted the entire thing. The worst of men whining and using it as a beacon for what it is not supposed to be to support their twisted position, and the worst of women demonising and reducing any part of the film to simplistic "toxic" this and that. So now any conversation about him is only based on these things.
Another superb reaction KL and looking gorgeous as always! Look forward to what's next on the channel. 👍🏻
First time seeing someone watch this and basically figure it out from the get go. Even though i knew that you knew because of Mr robot, this was still a fantastic video you did.
I wonder if this movie was one of the influences for the first Max Payne game (2001). Some of Edward Norton's narration lines are similar (edit: in style, not content) to Max's reflections during the comic book cutscenes.
I love Fight Club and Tyler Durden so much that I named my first son Tyler.
Brad Pitt filmed 'Snatch' (another great film) right after the filming of this film.
Hey there! I really enjoyed your reaction; sorry I’m a week late to the party. I’ve seen your videos before, but I have no idea why I’m not already subscribed to your channel. So I’m fixing that to start.
It’s so tiring when people accuse reactors of faking it. Like, first of all: who cares? Even _if_ that were true, is that really a problem that needs solving? But more pertinently: people who make accusations like that are almost invariably the same ones who post spoilers. I don’t think people understand that saying things like “this is just like Mr. Robot” or “if you like big twists, you should watch Fight Club” are huge spoilers. (Issue number 2 for the council - why do we even care about spoilers? - is tabled for now.)
I’m very old and have spent my whole life watching TV and movies. I don’t think the average young person realizes just how often these media borrow from prior art. Movies are great, but they’re like Legos; they’re all constructed from the same building blocks.
On a long enough timeline, everything looks formulaic. You could say that Fight Club was Gen X’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. That’s a bit reductive, perhaps, but not so much as you’d think.
I completely agree with you about the more you consume be it books, media, or life experiences leads directly to being able to easily identify tropes or story lines in movies. This is why I have never liked the entire horror genre, for me it is utterly and completely predictable and therefore boring as all get out so I choose not to watch them. I believe there is an old theory or saying that there are only 4 types of stories all told in different ways.
The following theory I'm going to put forth has been debunked by the writer of the source material for the movie, however I think the director may have taken his own liberties with the story. If you go watch this again, fully realizing that you were right about Tyler being an alternate personality, pay particularly close attention to Marla and ask yourself is she real, or just another alter.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH I'm gonna keep that in mind when I re-watch.
Jack is from the Reader's Digest articles, "I am Jack's colon" etc.
Jim Uhls is one HELL of a book adapter. His FC screenplay is just brilliant. I wonder why he just fell off the map after this.
11:40 I accidentally spit on my phone on that "glitch" . 😆
Your truly genuine reactions are one of the reasons you shine, Kaiielle. Personally, I really enjoyed watching you figure out and then become certain of what was up, while you still truly appreciated and enjoyed the film. I've seen the movie many times with many people, and never knew anyone who figured it out ahead of time.
A favorite film of mine to be sure. Psychology can explain why so many people are drawn to and idolize Tyler on a more-than-superficial level (whether they're aware of it or not): th-cam.com/video/YoezYyb3ECU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=tQvzf1K00vIwgRtF
It's possible they used the street name "Paper Street" as another clue to indicate Tyler didn't exist? I believe when an architect is drawing up plans to build on an undeveloped lot they call the streets "Paper Street" because they don't exist yet except on paper (the movie was from 1999 so I'm sure it's all digital by now).
10:31 I moved across the country and trashed or gave away 2/3 of my stuff to save on moving costs. It was incredibly freeing!
A good movie with a similar visual split is Mr. Brooks (2007). The imaginary alter ego isn't a spoiler, it's the premise as they talk to each other from the first minute in, but it has some great visuals in how it shows them talking. Like the real one will usually see the imaginary in mirrors or behind him instead of normal face to face conversational style. The main crime thriller plot is fine, but the movie is really carried by imaginary William Hurt's delivery.
Another great reaction. Funny I saw this movie in the theaters, seen it a few times since and plenty of reactions. Until you said it I didn’t realize that was J. Leno also. 😳😊👏👏
I think you were on to something during the movie, and that Ed Norton is indeed Jack. Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden is a new character constructed by the mind of the Narrator. Evidence that he is Jack from the third person writings in the books were actually written by him during one of his insomniac episodes, then he would revert into those third person moments during any stress or trauma.
Yessss my favorite movie (and book!) so I can't watch it on my channel, but yayyyy I'm excited to watch your reaction!!🤩
Your comment about the train sounding real has me pondering life because I LITERALLY have a train track in my backyard and it was going by when you said it 😂. And if anyone wants to know, it’s scarcely used. They use it here in the south to transfer farm seed.
I live close to train tracks myself and it has multiple trains come through daily, so it was def tripping me up LOL
I was a young man when this came out, and there was a large audience focusing on men reclaiming their "manhood." I fell into this (moderately, in the idea that I never felt I had real control over my life. As an 18-19 yr old, I guess I never did.) but as I got older, I saw so many more aspects. Like this is a possible negative outcome of late-stage capitalism. Cults, violence, militarization, and the ultimate losing of self. Still love the movie, but it's not something I look up to anymore. Great review. Guess I need to watch Mr. Robot.
Shoutout James M.
Excellent recommendation.
The ‘Jack’ that Edward Norton’s character refers to is the name used in that series of Reader’s Digest stories he was reading, such as “I am Jack’s Gall Bladder” or “I am Jack’s Tonsils”. You even included his discovery of these articles in your edit, you just missed it.
My grandmother had a huge pile of old Reader’s Digests which I read whenever I was bored and the ‘I am Jack’s (insert body part here)’ articles were always my favourites. They were a unique and entertaining way of explaining human anatomy one body part at a time by presenting them as characters describing themselves. So every time Ed was referring to ‘Jack’, he was just riffing on that basic concept to describe his situation in a humorous way.
The Chrome tabs killed me 😂
I knowwwwww lmfao I died when I saw my editor did that.
Now acting as if they are my tabs. Sure 🙄
Whoo boy!! I'm not ready K!! Hold on. I need to go grab dinner for this one!! BRB 🥰 Love this movie. Saw it in the theaters. Such a good flick to see during that dark gritty era of movies
In the script, Edward Norton's character was written as "Jack". There's lot's of debate and disagreement over what his real name is but I fall on the side that it's not "Tyler". I see Tyler as just one of his many aliases.
I feel like you should give your editor some love. He seems sad 😂😂😂
Haha don't worry we have a great working relationship. He likes poking at me through the edits sometimes!
I skipped the reaction and went to the review because I saw this coming. The thing is that this 90's genera has come and gone, and once the genie has been opened, it can never be put back in the bottle. American Pyscho, Total Recall, Matrix, Momento, Donnie Darko, etc (even Psycho). This was a once in a lifetime period of movie story telling that won't return until these movie and their influence are forgotten. I am glad I got to watch these with innocence.
Mr. Robot massively self-spoiled by using that song in combination with that filming style. Gave away the whole plot of the show in the first episode. I was too pissed that they threw everything away just for a "wink-wink" gimmick to enjoy most of it.
One of the few movies, where the book and it are on par.
@10:44 Tyler says, "You know, man, it could be worse. A woman could cut off your penis while you're sleeping and toss it out of the window of a moving car."
Your reaction of a baffled guffaw is understandable, but that dialogue was not randomly thrown in for shock value. The line refers to an infamous assault involving Americans John and Lorena Bobbitt in 1993 where that dismemberment took place. Considering that Fight Club is entirely about emasculation and toxic masculinity, the line makes a lot of sense in the context of the film.