2. Opening Sequence- credits
• The film starts off with classical, non diegetic music which is abruptly interrupted by the sound of a broken record which then turns into a percussion
based track. The contrast highlights how the narrative of the film goes again the norms of society, as the classical music is civilized and normal, whereas
the loud music is more aggressive and violent which reflects the themes of the movie. Additionally the classical music could also signify the lack of
female nature in the film as it is a very masculine, themes film.
• We are shown the inside the narrator’s mind through a series of close ups of the nerve impulses transferred through the brain, highlighting the full
alertness and awareness of the narrator. This foreshadows the distressing scene we are about to witness once the shots make its way outside the
narrators head. We move through Jack’s mind following nerve impulses and emerging out of his mind to find him, battered and bruised, with a gun in his
mouth. The fast camera movements contrast the now, slow movements in this scene highlighting the narrators mind is very different to his actual,
physical, self. Additionally the tittle sequence conveys the theme of mental health as it shows that whatever the emotion/action the character does will
be directly linked to the internal messages his brain receives.
• As the director pans the camera outside the narrators head, we are given a clear extreme close up of sweat dripping from the narrators skin which
justifies the distressing scene I discussed above. The lighting is dark and airy connoting fear and uncertainty.
• We begin to see the clear silhouette of a gun, pointed directly at the narrator and the name ‘Tyler Durden’ spoken in a brittle, broken voice by the
narrator. This is ironic as later in the film we begin to understand that Tyler was the character holding the gun at the narrator. The psychological links
from the title sequence highlight that Tyler is a key influence in the narrators decision making throughout the film. They are connected.
• Mental health is an issue that is directly shown in the start of the movie. We are shown the narrators visit to his doctor through shot verse shots. The
doctor states that the patient cannot die from insomnia to which the narrator replies, through a mid shot, in a dead and sleep deprived tone. The
depressing beeping and cluttering of paper highlight the boring life inside the narrators head. This is reinforced when the narrator takes the doctors
advice of visiting the caner support groups for men.
3. Closing scene
The ending scene of fight club is pretty much starts of the the start of the movie. The narrator is once again cornered with a
gun in his mouth. Tyler's hand and gun is portrayed on the left of the screen whereas the narrators head is on the right
conveying the contrast between the two characters. Through a low angled shot we can clearly see the face of the person we
saw at the start, Tyler. As Tyler walks away, we see the narrator move his mouth the way you would when you have a bad taste
in your mouth. This is a close reference to the start of the film where the narrator states ”all I can think about is whether that
gun is clean”. This is done to emphasize to the audience how no time has gone forward since when we saw this exact same
scene at the very start of the movie. We also see Tyler move the narrator around in different shots, as if he were a puppet
highlighting Tyler's main role throughout the whole film, which is controlling the narrator. The sound of a bus coming to a stop
draws the narrators attention outside. From a long shot we see Marla being dragged out of the bus by Tyler's minions. We then
see the narrator in center frame, looking terrified and sick, to which he responds “Why is she here?” This connotes the
importance of Marla’s character in running the narrative as she has had strong relations between both Tyler and the Narrator.
We begin to here airy non diegetic music playing whilst the narrator admits to the audience, and himself, that he has imagined
Tyler and he is simply an illusion. The soundtrack being played resembles the confusion that narrator would have
uncomfortably felt throughout his company with Tyler. Additionally the soundtrack has only one, constant sound, which
highlights how the Narrator is breaking free from the control of Tyler. This is confirmed through a close up of the narrator
shooting himself with the gun, to which the soundtrack is replaced with a high pitch, constant whistle. This resembles the
sound you would hear in hospital when a patient is declared dead.
Towards the end of the movie a long shot of Marla and the Narrator standing, both, in center frame highlight how the narrator
is now on the same normal level as Marla. Through the up beat soundtrack, we see towers falling like fireworks behind them.
