2. The stars of Fight Club
The one thing Fincher did get right was the stars – Many critics loved Pitt
and Norton (although some obviously hated them)
Another way you could answer the ‘critics’ question is to discuss the
actors performance.
The original cast was Norton, Crowe and Witherspoon
3. The stars of Fight Club – What do we
know about them?
• Brad Pitt
• Edward Norton
• Helene Bonham Carter
4. Two Key People
• Prof Christine Gledhill
• Stardom – Industry of
Desire
• Richard Dyer
• Stars
• Stars and Society
5. Christine Gledhill
• Fundamental in developing ‘Star Theory’
• Four Key points
– Stars as Capital Value
– Stars as Construct
– Stars as Deviant
– Star as Cultural Value
6. Stars as Capital Value
• ie they make money for the film companies
• Films with stars will make more money than
films without stars (even if it is the same ‘film’)
• How much are they worth, what can the make
for the Studio
• They add monetary value to the film and reduce
the risk of loss
• What are some of the ‘big names’ in
Hollywood?
7. Star as Construct
• They are very much involved in their own mythification.
How might they be involved?
• Christine Gledhill wrote that Stars ‘reach us through
their bodies’.
• We want to know the ‘real’ and ‘reel’. If we go to the
film we will learn who they really are.
– Real person
– Reel person
– Persona ie a combination of both
• How might we then consider that the average age of a
movie star is 36 for a man , but 27 for a woman?
8. Star as Deviant
• They live their lives to excess, outside the
normal rules of behaviour
• What examples can you think of…..
• We hear more about Hollywood stars breaking
the rules than the films they are in but this
adds to our interest (identification, wish
fulfilment)
9. Star as Cultural Value
• ‘Stars signify moral, social and ideological
values’
• ie they tell us what to think and how to behave,
what is right and wrong, even how we should
look and what our culture should be like
• Think about what do they represent
ideologically on screen via the roles they play
• What is their cultural legacy beyond film texts
10. Richard Dyer
• Richard Dyer, writing in 1998, contributed the
academic approach to understanding how
stars were and are constructed. The chapters
in his book are divided thus:
• Stars as Social phenomenon
• Stars as Constructed Images
• Stars as Signs
11. Stars as a Social Phenomenom
• how stars are understood as fulfilling a social
and cultural function phenomenon-
• Consider how we idealise them
• Consider Stallone’s roles in the Rambo films.
Was he winning the war in Hollywood which
the USA lost?
12. Stars as Image
• uses semiotics and cultural studies to ask
about the social meanings of stardom in
general and specific stars in particular and
how these meanings are produced or
constructed.
• Why do we have star and what do they say to
the audience and our social values
13. Stars as Signs
• Stars as signs is about the problems
associated with a star and a particular
representation of a character in a film and
how the two interact.
• E.g. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten
Cop or Clint Eastwood performing with an
orang utan orang-
15. Appeal of Hollywood stars
• Certain stars can be used as an indicator as to the type of film
about to be seen.
• Typecasting- Johnny Depp, stranger roles such as Willy
Wonka, the Mad Hatter etc.
• Sam Worthington- archetype hero, blockbuster film, good
against evil.
• Some stars are indicators of a film’s quality. Some stars such
as will appear in almost anything, whereas others will only
appear in the best
• Stars help to increase publicity for a film’s release by doing
interviews and press junkets; raise awareness and excitement
surrounding the film. Constantly in the media, promoting.
16. Hollywood Domination
• Most films are made by Hollywood as the main
distribution companies are Hollywood based such
as Universal Studios, Paramount, Warner Bros
and will feature American Stars
• As a result of this there is a wider choice of
American films with American stars rather than
British films, therefore, Hollywood films attract a
wider audience. There is less opportunity for
British films/stars to achieve recognition.
17. Research Task
1. Research into Pitt, Norton and Carters record before Fight Club
A. What roles did they traditional do?
B. What image did they present to the public
C. What target audience would they have appealed to – what star
appeal did they have?
D. How did their performance in Fight Club support or challenge their
Star Image?
E. Why do you think Fincher use these actors in this way?
2. Find articles on their performance in Fight Club and what the actors
themselves have to say
A. What did reviewers say about their performance?
B. How far do you agree or disagree with what they say?
C. What key points do the actors make about their performance
D. How does what you have found out affect your
reading/understanding of the film
