I have re-watched Fight Club now and my views are complicated.
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Originally Posted by choc e-Claire
it's just so punishingly, consistently misanthropic and that just bleeds through into the enjoyment of the film itself
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I do have to agree with you on that one to a certain degree. There is very little sincerity, but a hell lot of cynicism in the world the movie presents. That winds up hurting what I believe to be the movie's intended message. Some parts, like that one sequence about Marla's phone call (if you know, you know.) would absolutely not be portrayed like that today. For a good reason. Such themes require a certain care and seriousness.
I stick to my original assessment that I see it as a satirical condemnation of the main players' toxic attitude. It is sprinkled throughout the entire movie - Durden is presented as a cultish charlatan. The movement is portrayed as an oxymoron - claiming to be liberating and anti-corporate, but taking on the form of a national franchise, with business deals here and there acquiring new territories. Not to mention the downright religious connotations and oppressive, highly dictated and regulated methods. Their acts of vandalism and "mischief" are referred to as "homework" - drawing comparisons to children in school.
A lot of the asides about consumerism ring shallow, because they pretty much come from shallow characters. They think themselves clever, but offer no real insight, no viable solution - only further misery and destruction + undying devotion to a self-professed leader.
And I think that's where some of its messaging seems to get muddled - while it does seem to point its fingers at those cautionary tales, it doesn't actually present a better alternative. The movie is a bit too pre-occupied with showing the absolute abyss of that mindset and plays devil's advocate a tad too long. By that point, the world it presents seems completely empty and you're just left with the impression "Thing bad. Don't become bad thing." Or, as some misguided, mostly male viewers took it "World bad and mean to me, I'll try to bend it to my will or follow someone who promises me that."
The closest it ever gets to presenting a more healthy way of dealing with the malaise of modern life is in the beginning when the protagonist allows himself to cry in Bob's arms. It is undercut by the quips and his selfish/callous attitude though. The condemnation and overall message would be allowed to blossom more if some sort of contrast were evident. And that doesn't just apply to the message of the movie, but also the storytelling.
Still a pretty solid character study though.
I'd give it a 7.5/10 these days. Not as deep as many make it out to be. But far from mindless and obviously a project a lot of creativity went into.