William Bibbiani Reviews Fight Club on Blu-Ray!
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a group of men in possession of a good selection of DVDs will inevitably want to watch Fight Club. I’ve seen this firsthand, possessing as I do some 500-strong DVDs (& Blu-Rays); over the years, any group of men in their late teens or twenties given access to my collection will only be able to agree to watch Fight Club, or possibly ask if I have Old School (a film I refuse to allow in my house). David Fincher’s film, despite both critical and box office failure upon its initial release, has outlasted many of its cinematic contemporaries as a mainstay amongst younger generations who continue to be inspired and excited by its aggressive and masculine campaign against the brainwashing western consumer culture. It’s a little ironic then that this new Blu-ray release of the film necessitates that these rebels purchase a new copy, and it’s completely counter-intuitive that a film that is still successfully marketed to the young now reads “10th Anniversary Edition” on the cover, in a perverse attempt to make all of us suddenly feel old.
Both Fight Club and The Matrix came out in 1999, but I think Brad Pitt’s
interpretation of “Whoa!” is far superior.
Rewatching Fight Club today, it’s difficult to determine what, exactly, made critics so eager to criticize in the first place. As played by Ed Norton, “Jack” lives a Kafka-esque life of unquestioned social repression, finding brief solace in financial consumption but, as a hopeless insomniac, no actual respite for the any of soul-crushings he suffers every day as a cog in the corporate machine. After a freak accident destroys all of the possessions he once latched onto, he finds himself living with Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), an urban anarchist who openly rejects consumerism, yet is himself a master of style, seduction and manipulation. At first, Tyler and Jack create Fight Club, a self-destructive support group for men – and only men, significantly – to vent their impotent rage upon each other. But as Tyler’s influence and followers grow exponentially so do his ambitions, and what was once merely a club gradually (d)evolves into a doomsday cult seeking a complete overthrow of modern society.
Perhaps critics were confused by Fincher’s personal take on Durden’s message, which by the end of the film is challenged but never successfully repudiated. Brad Pitt, in as iconic a performance as Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange or Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood, is in this film completely incorruptible, a modern Fountainhead. Even his acts of outright terrorism are specifically designed to suffer no human casualties – an implausible achievement that helps undermine Jack’s criticism of his actions. It’s difficult to condemn the bad guy’s plans when all he really wants to do is implode empty buildings and erase everyone’s credit card debt (the latter of which eliciting an even giddier glee today than it did ten years ago). Maybe Fincher did subscribe to Tyler’s ethos while making Fight Club, or maybe Jack’s real motivation in stopping Tyler wasn’t on moral grounds, but a question of principle. Maybe Jack finally realized that the real enemy wasn’t corporate brainwashing, but brainwashing itself… condemning Tyler Durden as the real villain after all.
Apparently this particular shot wasn’t meant to be overanalyzed…
With this new Blu-Ray release of Fight Club comes the inevitable question of whether or not to replace your old two-disc DVD special edition. The previous set contained four commentaries and a plethora of behind the scenes features, and remains a very respectable standard-definition release; so respectable, in fact, that every special feature has been transported over to this new Blu-ray edition (and in only one disc, no less). Sadly, not every Blu-ray release does this, so it’s important enjoy and support it when you can. Only three new special features are included in this release: “A Hit in the Ear: Ren Klyce and the Sound Design of Fight Club” (an informative short about the film’s Oscar-nominated Sound Design, and an interesting feature that allows you to remix the sound for three distinct scenes from the film), “Flogging Fight Club” (a smug, self-congratulatory short about Fincher, Norton and Pitt receiving an award from Spike TV, although it does contain some interesting behind-the-scenes footage of the stars preparing their acceptance speech), and “Insomniac Mode: I Am Jack’s Search Index” (a fantastic and practical search engine, allowing the viewer to wade through mountains of special features and jump to information about a specific topic, be it in a documentary or a conversation from one of the many commentaries).
The special features are not, however, the reason to upgrade to Fight Club on Blu-Ray. The real reason is the new high-definition transfer, which is frankly an absurd improvement over the previous special edition DVD. While in its day that DVD transfer was considered truly respectable, trying to look at it after watching this Blu-ray reveals that, in comparison, it’s actually kind of crap. It actually looks like someone sneezed over every frame of the film: detail is smeared and black levels are noisy. The new high-definition transfer presented here reveals every bead of sweat on Ed Norton’s face, and all the texture on Brad Pitt’s unique wardrobe. The Paper Street Soap Company has never looked so deliriously decrepit. Blacks are mostly inky throughout, and colors pop. There’s also a pleasing and persistent level of grain on-screen, capturing the cinematic qualities of Fight Club while reinforcing its rougher edges. Some Blu-ray transfers aren’t overwhelming improvements on the original DVDs (I’m looking at you, Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World), but if you’re trying to sell someone on the difference in video quality between Blu-ray and standard definition, Fight Club is a perfect example.
Just compare this opening shot in standard definition (pictured) and in
Blu-ray high definition and you will be impressed. We promise.
20th Century Fox has wisely refrained from reinventing the wheel with this Blu-ray release of Fight Club, providing a significant increase in quality from the original set while retaining all of the bonus features that made the old edition so indispensable in the first place. It’s a gorgeous presentation of one of the best films of the 1990’s, a film that still challenges and enthralls audiences today, even if times have changed (Tyler’s speech about how his generation was never defined by war or economic depression isn’t aging well, honestly). If you own a Blu-Ray player, then you owe it to yourself to own Fight Club in high-definition.
