The Downward Spiral

"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must live." ~Charles Bukowski




"People are always asking me if I know Tyler Durden." So began Fight Club (1999), quite possibly the most quotable movie. Ever. Period. Our protagonist (Edward Norton), whose name is never given, is an insomnia-stricken automobile recall specialist who finds inner peace (and sleep) when he begins frequenting support groups. A good cry equates to a good sleep. All is swell and proper until Marla Singer (an exquisitely crazy Helena Bonham Carter) invades the support group circuit.

~Crazy never looked so good.~

Marla's lie reflected our narrator's lie and insomnia ensued. 

It was then we are introduced to Tyler Durden (pre-tabloid Brad Pitt). After our narrator's condo explodes, he goes to live with Tyler and the two of them start Fight Club. Oh the anarchy, the sweet anarchy. 

What started as an underground fighting club grew into an elite militaristic troupe of Space Monkeys causing chaos and mayhem all around, eventually leading to an intricate plan to blow up the credit card companies. When BitchTits Bob (Meat Loaf) is shot in the head trying to destroy a piece of public art, our narrator thinks it has gone far enough, and tries to stop Tyler. 

And this is where the movie gets really fucked up! Our narrator and Tyler Durden are . . . the same fucking person. It's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on 'roids.

~(and by 'roids I mean tea and crumpets)~

Fight Club is a satire of the consumerism of America. We are at conflict with our two halves everyday, our consumerist self (eating, working, spending) and our animal self (fucking, fighting, killing). Our homes are broken, our spirits are broken, our vision is broken. We are all misguided orphan bastards with spear in one hand and briefcase in the other. We don't know where are we and we don't know where we're going. This movie at least tries to find the hope in hopelessness, the faith in faithlessness, and the comfort in the fact that the bottom is only as far down as your imagination can go.