Outline for Presentation

Fight Club

I.                   An insomniac office worker, who also acts as the films narrator, portrays the movie through first person and allows viewers to see life through his cynical perspective. He is soon introduced to Tyler Durden, a free spirited soap maker who seems to be living the care free life the narrator has only dreamed of. This film is best described on the IMDB website under the “Motion Pictures Rating” as “Rated R for disturbing and graphic depiction of violent anti-social behavior, sexuality and language.”

II.                Characteristics and conventions of the film that link it to Classic Noir

1.      The tone of Fight Club stays true to Noir by using dark lighting and grungy settings in a seemingly beautiful city. 

A.    The narrator’s unfortunate apartment fire leaves him to live in a condemned building that soon feels like home than his showcase apartment ever did. The dimly lit building and dirty interior stay on course with Noir’s shadowy and distorted scheme.

2.      Classic Noir is being depicted through Immoral Corruption

A.    An assignment for the group members of Fight Club turns horribly wrong when Bob is shot in the head by security. The narrator is shaken by the loss of his friend in which he yells at the group member, “This is a man and he has a name, his name is Robert Paulson.” The members begin to chant “His name is Robert Paulson. His name is Robert Paulson.” This shows that Fight Club is no longer just a group; but it has grown into a full pledged terrorist organization.

B.     In Paul Schrader’s “Notes on Film Noir” he explains how “Characters are more corrupt, themes more fatalistic and the tone more hopeless.” The sick realization that human nature has been skewed in the film leaves the audience in a traumatized state, recognizing that Classic Noir is being depicted through immoral corruption.

III.             Elements of the film that deviate from Classic Film Noir and link it to Neo Noir

1.      Explicitness through sexual scenes and language

A.    The director of Fight Club was not shy about showing the sexual relations between characters. The first sex scene is portrayed though the narrator’s dream. It is an erotic and raw scene that viewers soon realize is only the beginning. The raunchy level of sex escalates throughout the movie as does the dialogue. Marla is proud to admit “I haven’t fucked like that since grade school.”

2.      The Characters: Ambiguous Protagonist, Femme Fatale (Male)

A.    According to Sean Lindsay: “David Fincher”

“Tyler is very much the Homme Fatale whose charismatic demeanor manipulates the actions of the narrator.” Tyler holds nearly every characteristic of the femme fatale. He is mysterious, gorgeous, fun loving, irresponsible, and manipulates the protagonist into taking part in the crime. Fight Club falls under the Neo Noir category by taking these roles and using modern twists to keep the genre growing. The narrator falls into the of the protagonist but what really stands out as Neo Noir is Tyler taking on the part of the Femme Fatale.