Fight Club - What it all Meant 

Man all I knew beforehand about fight club was that there was a club that involved fighting and it had rules 1 & 2, I did not expect this kind of impact. What a movie.

We all watched fight club at a *very strange time in our lives*

The world and the story building was so cool that I didn't even notice that he didn't even have a name. I was so caught up in the dialog and monologues and character interactions in each scene to even realize! This movie is one of my top 5 masterpieces

I feel sad for those who think the movie's message is about creating chaos and anarchy, about violence and leaving material things aside. You see how fucked up things went when he went full Tyler and how fucked up things were when he was full corporative zombie, It's about finding balance, discovering what you really want, creating your life not letting others create it for you, that sometimes those things we aspire are not exactly what we expected or what we really wanted.

Who else saw the split frames with Tyler before we were introduced to him.

Fight Club was ahead of it's time.

I think the point of the "homework assignment" to start a fight with a stranger and lose was to give strangers the idea that they can fight for themselves and win.

This was the line of the whole movie... " We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."

no other movie affected me the way fight club did....

2:36 no his breakfast will taste better than any they have ever had because he thought he was going to die the night before. having survived a very near-death experience the little things in life become so much sweeter.

"We are not special. We are not crap or trash either. We just ARE. We just are and what happens just happens" From the book.

Not quite. I think you missed a major point in the film. "No don't deal with it the way those dead people do. This is your life - it's right here." "What you're feeling is premature enlightenment". The chemical burn is the greatest moment of his life because it is happening right NOW. Understanding that all you have is the present moment is a step toward enlightenment. "We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'll all be millionaires and movie gods and rock start... But we won't." He is telling them to accept that they are who they are rather who they imagine themselves to be or who they think they'll become. They are waiters, garbage men , security guards. He forces them to stop living through their illusions and dreams and wake up to what is really going on in their lives. He destroys their egos. Strips away everything they thought was important and gives them a new life.

I think everyone should watch fight club at least three times. First for the enjoyment, second to spot all the hints to the twist and third for the philosophy and message of the film.

No shirts no shoes... Bob went against the rules

5:10 I love that. The fight club members believe they are enlightened and seeing the real world but then manage to be indoctrinated into something else. To follow without question. Hell, that is even one of the rules!

The film (from my understanding at least) is about masculinity in the 20th century. Tyler is Jack's ideal projection of masculinity who he tries to use as a farther figure, as he has troubles with his own parents. "our parents are our models for god". Jack has a void in his life, he feels like he has no purpose and no identity. So he fills that void with support groups and material things the line "a fridge full of condiments but no food" reflects this. He forms the fight club so that people can feel something, even if it is pain, but that pain is liberating.

Edward Norton was the perfect embodiment of David/ Bruce Banner, wish they would've made more movies with him.

I’m 25 and I watched Fight Club for the first time last night! Speechless! Didn’t know it came out in 1999!

This movie changed my fuckin life !

Fight club the best movie ever who agrees?

I remember seeing a tv interview Where it was suggested that one of the major themes in Fight Club was from a WW1 vet who became philospher. His central theme being " how he never felt so alive other than when he was in battle" and this was why it was popular with disenchanted / disfranchised youth. A real life experience vs the everyday banality of life

fight club is a must see movie

The main thing about this movie is the way a person can understand the story. Each person integrate this movie differently such as Marla being real as well as an imagination of the narrator like Tyler. So I think this movie is a masterpiece.

NO OTHER Movie made me Question my Life my meaning in Life more then Fight Club.

The film is really at it's core about self destruction. It's about how losing everything you have makes you find out who you really are. The main character loses his consumerist scared side, and he thinks he knows who he is but then he has to lose his Tyler side to find his true self at the end.

"We are not our jobs, we are not how much money we have in the bank but we are not the all singing, all dancing crap of the world either. We are individuals. We are what we make ourselves, what we allow ourselves to partake in, who we align ourselves with, who we protect. We decide what we are and, if we have the willpower, we don't have to bend for anyone. Not even ourselves." That is perfect. It's what so many people miss out when they see this movie. They think that it's trying to promote Tyler's philosophy of anarchy and chaos but his views were just the opposite extreme to the narrator's apathetic lifestyle beforehand. As the film goes on, and project mayhem builds, Tyler becomes more and more hypocritical in his own cause. There has to be a middle ground. Don't allow things to happen to you, choose what happens to you.

In Tyler We Trust

Honestly this just confused me more

I remember I was going to watch this movie just as a way to turn off my brain and watch people beat the shit out of each other. Man was I happily surprised

What is anything? The meaning of meaning itself is merely held within our own definition. By that token, I have analyzed Fight Club to be one man's journey to self-discovery. The ending is cryptically authentic- as the world ends, Tyler embraces his true love. No, not Marla, himself. This may seem farfetched, but as he watches the city crumble, hands interlocked with Marla, what else could he think about? As humans, we are instilled with darwinism's ideals...survival of the fittest. In order for Tyler to survive, Tyler had to kill Tyler in the only rightful way of trend- as the movie proceeds, we learn that Tyler Durden IS the narrator, so in retrospect, the acts of self-violence and abuse are a vice for Tyler to FEEL. A life without emotions is certainly meaningless. Let's put race, religion, all that frivolous shit aside for a second. Would you want to wake up tomorrow to the agonizing defeat of manic depression, insomnia, and desperate to feel? As bleak as it sounds, I understand there are people that feel this way. This movie is not meant to be "figured out" because just like life, it is what you make of it. So, I reiterate, what is anything? The meaning of meaning is what we decide it to be, because life itself is a phenomenon that I have yet understand...why out of thousands of galaxies, it just so happens that our PLANET earth is the perfect distance from a star in that we can sustain life. I digress...do not waste time to try to decipher the seemingly endless plot twists and enigmas of this movie, rather, spend time deciphering the seemingly endless plot twists that YOU endure daily, and if you think you don't, think again. On a side note, this is quite possibly one of the most important films ever made. Inquire the meaning of meaning; embrace your existence for all its worth, hold on to what matters, and never lose sight of death.

I know the flashes are easter eggs regarding Tyler Durden, but they can also take on another meaning. Because of The Narrator's insomnia he's taking micronaps.

I work 3rd shift at a convenience in the middle of the Tweaker and Junkie part of town. The name tag I wear has "Tyler D." on it. A few get it but the younger customers are clueless so I give them sermons of Tyler's philosophy to enlighten them about life at 3 o'clock in the morning. I have to video some of these events because some of the people actually do have some sort of epiphany moment hearing it. I bet the only thing in your fridge are condiments I'll say, 4 out of 5 say yes. The things that you own, end up owning you. Then I add, that's why you're out here at 3 in the morning on a Tuesday looking for some junk. The look on some of their faces gives me the goosebumps. I actually have had a couple of them come back months later to thank me for the talks as it had helped them through the difficult times they were going through, and that leaves me in awe. Also, I'm an avid amateur astronomer and I give impromptu astronomy lessons in the parking lot if some kind of astronomical event is happening i.e. Aroura, Lunar eclipse, meteor shower so the neighborhood thinks I'm some sort of professor or mad scientist which I guess make the Fight Club quotes seem more credible to them. Risking your freedom hustling poison that destroys peoples life's so you can buy shit you don't need to impress assholes you don't like. Hey, check out Saturn's rings. Good Times. Like your stuff. I'm a fan.

Favorite movie of all time. You either love it or hate it.

This channel just became my new fave channel. I have been binge watching your videos and I am still in awe.

Needs more The Pixies

Me and my dad caught on to a lot of the things that were hidden in this movie. The way the narrator’s name wasn’t mentioned. The way he imagined what occurred. Very great movie, very mind-twisting

Tyler Durden's line "I am free in all the ways you are not" was the most thought-provoking line to me.

I'm a simple man. I see good content, I press subscribe.

Yeah,... well,... that's just, like, your opinion, man.

The analysis in all of your videos is so great. I feel they really hit to the point of...well, what all the movie meant. Not just this video, but all of yours. I really appreciate what you do!

Fight club has to be one of the best ideas ever. It changes people, gives us a dark side. No, it uncovers your dark side. It is a masterpiece.

I'm too slow to understand this

"We are a generation of men raised by women"... THAT is your movie.

The first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club. The Second rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club. So you are breaking the rules.

when i first saw it, i took away, that you should not fear death, embrace life, take back your individuality from an empty consumerism society

Fight club changed my life. I saw the movie and was obsessed then got the book. chuck palahniuk is an incredible writer and I highly suggest his other books especially Choke if you love fight club.

it's one of the most genius movies ever and definitely ahead of it's time... problem is many people won't understand it and thus not enjoy it

I really like the part when he beats himself in the Office where he says "It felt like the first time that Tyler beat me"

To me the whole Tyler idea of being free, not following certain stereotypes, the clothing fashion, what media serves you etc was lost when all this became too organized. They were all wearing black, they all had the short haircut look and they all acted in a military way, following orders and living in some sort of a bootcamp. In the end the Tyler image he had created became what he was initially fighting against to so when he finally realized it he couldn't except it. An inner battle with his self got started which was the pick of the movie with both characters fighting each other on which side will prevail.

I kinda find this movie a little bit dumb cause you can't really side with someone. All characters have major issues with their vision of how the world is like. Like the bad Tyler is just a terrorist. He doesnt kill people but makes their lifes harder just so they work harder to reach again the level they once were but they will always be lower and more tired. At least the good Tyler can see that his other persona is crazy and has no logic. And he managed to win the fight but at what cost tho. The damage has already been done to the world. There is just no good in this movie, its nothing you can realise or something you can like. But people may hate on me cause they think this is a masterpiece. Well at least I am not a puppet to the movie. The ones that think being like the bad Tyler is either smart or cool they are just dumb puppets.

I see this as the desire to have recognition. "Everyone wants to be known as much ad they want to be remembered" -Bhuwan Shah

i was a 16 year old girl when i first watched fight club i don't know what got into me but i: 1. immediately read the book and saved all quotes i liked 2. felt something like my previous gamer rages but this time it was someone else in me that was getting angry and i was just watching her (i separated my feelings from myself. this would immensely benefit me later on) 3. dug my nails into my right palm as hard as i could to see how much it hurt 4. asked my crush out through a message and got rejected lol 5. slept like a log for the first time in many months knowing i had done something different that day, that it wasn't the same grind. lessons learnt: 1. you and your feelings are not one and you're not a slave to them 2. keep trying, learning, doing new things to avoid getting into the rut of 'lack of newness' and 'everyday is exactly the same' 3. it doesn't hurt to be courageous as long as you don't hurt others or yourself edit: PS:- why you should read the book: a quote from the last page of the book i saved: Why did I cause so much pain? Didn’t I realise that each of us is a sacred, unique snowflake of special unique specialness? Can’t I see how we’re all manifestations of love? I look at God behind his desk, taking notes on a pad, but God’s got this all wrong. We are not special. We are not crap or trash, either. We just are. We just are, and what happens just happens. I let go. Lost in oblivion. Dark and silent and complete. Losing hope is freedom

I think this film shows how much society follows and listens like dogs and how we need to seperate ourselves from mindless buying and corporations and make our stand on where we want to be.

the closing credits are about to start, a flash-frame-shot of a pen*s appears on the screen. "Nobody knows they saw, they did"

I watched this in the cinema in tbe 90s. watched it again tonight for the first time since. I just realised Tyler was based from marla

Fight Club just gets more relevant as the years go by

is this cr1tical?

"To this date it still does" *article from 2010* kek

interesting to note, in the sequel comic of the book, everyone in project mayhem knows that Tyler is just an alternate personality of Sebastian (the narrator), they just dont care because theyve deified him to a point that they find it trivial. its like the only reason they keep Sebastian around is because of tyler, that could be why theyre so keen to withold info from the narrator in this film.

I like your vocal delivery. It's refreshing to hear in a sea of you tubers who are hyper-energetic, with constant jump cuts, tailored to a low attention span audience. Keep it up :)

Just started watching your channel and so far keep up the good work your insights on the meanings of various films that I've enjoyed changes my perspectives on these various movies and causes fun discussions with other friends and etc. I hope you gain more subscribers!

The scene that defines this whole movie is the liquor store scene with the guy that wanted to be a vet

Fight club taught me not to be consumed by consumerism. So I rarely spent any money in my 20s. Now in my 30s, I bought my first house - with cash. No debt. Haven't worked a 9-5 job in 7 years.

Leon:The professional?

Very Good Analysis. A similar vein the movie demonstrates is the anatomy of a stress related episodic break from reality, an identity crisis due to the job possessed by the character, which Edward Norton narrated for. Even as a cast line up, he is credited as only being the narrator. His character does not have a name in the movie for the same reason the character of Tyler Dyrden is invented by his subconscious. His psyche literally splits into two personalities due to the guilt he carries from the inhumanity he has to repeatedly commit for a living. All the while, making a good living at a job which he has a particular talent for. His entire picture of society is from the perspective of what he is doing to society. He cannot face the backstabbing he gives to people he's never met any longer so he becomes cynical of his lot in life and everyone else's. His job is to investigate grizzly car accidents for insurance companies and to use cold strategies based on his statistical analysis in order to find legal strategies which pay out the very minimum to the brutally injured or families of victims who've died. That is the nexus of his psychotic episode and the entire plot. From there the plot creates a scenario which displays not only just how easy it can be to indoctrinate entire groups of people to the point of cultism, but, also, how it is can be a refined process with predictable results. The first thing he does is indoctrinate himself..... which is, also, how Tyler Dyrden comes about.... The character of the narrator needs Tyler Dyrden because he (narrator) can't bare the guilt of not only how he'd been anonymously, legally swindling people for the lucrative profits for the cold and soulless company he'd working for, but, also, because he had already resigned to execute things he'd been secretly (and maybe even subconsciously) planning. The hitch in the plot is that he is not only the only person with his identity crisis but everyone around him, that he meets in public, has the very same one also.... The commonality is explained as being guys who'd grown up in a civilized society with certain promises of prosperity while constantly being tugged at by primal instincts, however, their self esteem had died from a thousand sleights by not being able to act upon them. That's what brings about the philosophical rationalizations such as "being the children of a decaying empire" and "men who were raised by women".... Tyler Dyrden is the personality which guides them (even Narrator) through to the conclusion that society and civilization have been in a state of incremental decay to the point that the elements society is comprised of, which were at earlier times were not only deemed harmless fun but necessary and beneficial to a successful life, have saturated everything around them to the point that civilization is terminally polluted by them. Tyler Dyrden further explains how it is that those are also the very things suppressing their innate natural urges .... The movie is a classic description of how and why cults always see themselves as clarions who must wake their society up before it's too late by nihilistic sabotage. Those exposed to this process become addicted to being able to act on their long suppressed primal urges which is why Fight Club spreads and becomes so popular, even though, the first two rules state that no members can talk of it outside its meetings. The thrill is all about the rush of being part of a taboo enterprise that has become an open secret. Literally, the character, Narrator, in the throws of an extreme psychotic episode has his consciousness hijacked by a subconscious representation of his primal instincts and urges which then proceeds to start a cult which wreaks enormous havoc on society by causing billions of dollars in property damage. In the end, he begins to come to his senses and has to come to the brink of suicide in order to regain control over his subconscious primal side by putting a gun in his mouth. The depiction in which Narrator pulls the trigger but lives while Tyler Dyrden dies is yet the final hallucination that is symbolic that he has made a choice to be a human being and not an uncivilized predatory animal. Narrator's indoctrination was so complete that he nearly permanently dehumanizes himself.

I watched it for the first time yesterday and it is quite an interesting movie! I was not expecting the ending at all.

Destroy consumerism...

I watched fight club at a very strange time in my life

I feel like 2019 joker was half inspired by this

What I get from this movie is a simple quote: "It doesn't fucking matter"

I'd like to see you do Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Really good analysis. The parallel between corporations and the fight club is also seen in Tyler's appearance. He's got nice clothes, is attractive and, even though he's not supposed to care about appearances, as they're all the same, Tyler literally gets bigger throughput the film. Brad Pitt gained more mass as the production went on

The ending song is Medulla Oblongata at the end of the track, it's from the official soundtrack.

no man, turning themselves to nothing was not the point. the point was to self destruct yourself and then self improve, which is the true enlightenment. "self-improvement is masturbation, self-destruction, however" as Tyler (Brad Pitt) said it when going on a bus with the narrator. the whole point Is to let go of an idea of living because everything that you stand by can be taken away at any time by God. so you must consider the possibility that God doesn't love you. ( which is false in Islam because it is said that God loves you 70 times the love of a mother). "You must let go of everything then you are truly free to do anything"

The message I get is that in the modern society we have built, men do not have purpose on their own. And these men that lack purpose will want to tear society down so that they can reconnect with it. The narrator was on this path but ends up finding his purpose in Marla.

I’ve never seen something like this before. First watched today.

A good analysis. Imo, the most important part of this film is how it begins and ends; Tyler Durden getting shot in the head. The audience falls in love with him, because, well, it's brad pitt at the top of his game. Men want to be him, women want to be with him. But the whole message of the film is that tyler has to go, we cannot live like third person characters through an image, and we can't chase the image another person projects. Only then can the Narrator and Marla truly relate, symbolised by them holding eachother's hand at the end.

It means be free, as simple as that. You give freedom your own definition.

sheesh the comments are riddled with a lot of edgelords who think theyre the joker

what was the name of the soundtrack that starts playing at 3:38?

I wanna see your take on meaning of Enemy. I think that would be interesting, also Shutter Island would be cool.

Fight Club is a satire. A lot like "A Modest Proposal", where Jonathan Swift says "Hey, the poor are starving. I guess we should eat our children?" sarcastically, Palahniuk uses "Fight Club" to say "Hey, we live in a consumerist culture that is obsessed with stuff. So I guess we should just burn everything down?" I thought this video was on point.

I've watched this movie more than 52 times . I thought i caught every little detail. I love this!!

You got it all wrong. This movie can't be understood by just watching the movie. It can only be understood by learning the philosophy behind it.

Could you please do 'Birdman: Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance', my favourite film in the world but I have so many theories about the ending and I can't figure out what it is... Thanks...

the presence of the yin yang table showing two sides of one whole. two completely different sides, achieving a balance.

This movie has a similar message and essence as the film "The Double". A man who sees the ideal, what he should be, and goes out and becomes it.

The quotes from this movie are timeless

Men have lost their sense of survival in the hunter-gatherer sense. We need to get it back.

How does one become an agent of chaos? Because the only sensible way live is without rules

When you discuss the main character's flaws - his angst, his anxiety, his apathy, disillusionment - you seem to put the onus all on him and not at all on society. These are traits are arguably symptoms of chronic insomnia. You don't seem to give any credence to the idea that his illness is an existential reaction to his place in society and that perhaps in a sense, he is a victim of it. While there are dangers to radical collectivism - the overwhelming allure of Fight Club in the world of the film, speaks to the overwhelming malaise and sense of discontent of men in society. The film is so intelligent, because it balances these overriding conflicts, between the individual and the collective, the primitive and the modern, the masculine and the feminine, consumerism vs self-reliance, reality vs. fiction; and while Fight Club offers a flawed alternative there is no denying its success in the film. It is presented as an unstoppable force, that easily and efficiently alters society (eliminating private debt) giving credence to Dunden's belief that men are underperforming their potential in a stagnant, neutered society. In the argument for individualism, Durden's protestation that Robert Paulson is an individual is adapted by the hive mind in an arguably cult-like way that in death one regains their individuality. So it seems to remain an unattainable prize for the followers of Durden, but serves as a warning that despite the power of male cooperation (which seems to be nearly limitless) the individual can be the price.

It’s funny the movie has more meaning today than it did when it was made, a very clever movie!

Remembering the first time I watched this movie - it all got escalated with this dialogue - "the things you own end up owning you" ..... it's now a mantra to chant every time mind gets carried away... the pill to break free from materialism enslaving our soul...

A lot can be learned from this, for instance, I will not wear underwear with another guys name written on the waistband, in fact, I wear nothing with large logos, I would not be seen dead in Nike Trainers or anything else Nike or any other big brand. Also, I make my own Soap, Electricity and Hotwater.

I am personally an Atheist, and my father wasn't around much.. so the quote of father's and God hit me hard... in my mind, if God was there, why would he leave? Sorry for those of you who have religion, I totally respect that and don't want to bash on you. This is just how i feel.

Sticking feathers up your butt does NOT make you a chicken!

Dude this movie has so many interpretations and messages. There’s not one definitive answer. It can apply to a lot of different scenarios, depending on where you are in life.

I seriously just thought it was about a fight club, just goes to show that everyone who watched the movie follows the 1st and 2nd rule....

Just found your channel and watched all the videos, please keep making them!!!

Wow this interpretation was great! It really changes how I feel towards Tyler Durden and his ideologies. I use to think highly of him and his beliefs and way of living but now I see it's no more than self destruction propelled by a spiteful apathy towards a life they choose to not appreciate or see the value in. They're like John Benders from the Breakfast Club but with more of a focus on "solving" their suffering which of course will never be solved because they will always find something that opposes them. It's good to destroy yourself when the cusp of transformation hits you, but destruction for the sake of emotional comfort and justification? No bueno. Thank you for this, this really helped me in a real way. :)