Media analysis of Fight club

1. Fight Club Analysis
Director- David Fincher

2. Objective
• In this slide share I am going to explore
the different elements used within the
media and by directors to create the film
of Fight Club. The film is directed by
David Finch and just quick shout out to
his incredible cinematography shots
within this film, it’s by far one of my
favourite for shots within the genre of
this movie.

3. Lighting
“bitch tits bob”
In the film of Fight club, you guessed it, the lighting is an inky
unlit type of lighting that allows not much of scene of be revelled,
Making scenes are generally at night. There’s always a slightly blue/green tinge to it which
portrays sadness as these colours are often associated with it, this links with the whole
storyline of the film and the mood displaced in that scene. Streetlights are seen in the
majority of scenes, this backs up the idea of most of the film done at night, where
things aren’t seen in brought day
light, which is often associated
with criminal activity. The
lighting is used in very specific
ways to highlight points, for
example, in the background
image on this slide there is a spotlight
type lighting that highlights their
foreheads and noses, I though this
shows how they may be blinded by the light above
them (aka happiness) as they're all in a depressing
situation, alternatively I felt like it made their faces similar,
diminishing their identities and empathising the tired dark eyes
and making the sweat beads/spots more grainy and clear in certain
shots which show their emotion. The only scene that has brighter lighting
is in the office, It has bright white lighting, I felt like this showed how
blindingly boring work is, it also gives a feeling for it to the audience too as its
unpleasant too view the scene as it goes from a dark scene to the bright white of an office.

4. Mise-En-Scene
The mise-en-scene of the film is understandably very important to understand the plot.
Props and setting
There aren’t a very wide range of props in this film, it generally comes down to what the characters
are and their clothing are, for example, a prop is a briefcase, this just portrays that it’s a work
environment, the props are used as evidence within a setting to reinsure that’s what's going on
within the scene as it’s often confusing.
Tyler is the one with the briefcase, I felt this contradicted his personality as he isn’t the business type
of character, although this may just show his power/money obsessed side. Another prop type thing
are the taxis within most scenes, this fits hand in hand with the sounds created in the scenes are
confirms the idea of it being set in the city.
Costume
The main character has very poorly maintained clothing, despite the fact he’s in a work outfit/suit,
he’s often seen with dirt or blood stained clothing and a scruffy, which as you go through the film
becomes neater and cleaner, I feel like this reflects his state of mind as he gets better as it goes on.
Marla ( the female character) is dressed in mostly dark colours and glasses, this to me as part of the
audience portrays that she doesn’t care for her appearance in the slightest and views emotional state
higher than how she looks, she has makeup down her face and messy hair, which in a way shows she
likes the attention that comes with being sad or distressed, alternatively she may just not care to the
extent of not being bothered to shower. Tyler is dressed in very flamboyant clothing, something
you’d get out of a charity shop in the 90’s, it’s surprisingly fancy and confident clothing which
furthers the idea of the main character wanting to be Tyler (as we find out later in the film that Tyler
is a figment of his imagination).

5. Setting
The setting, the first part of the film, the setting is in a city, in an apartment
and office, all neat and designed from Ikea furniture. The main body part of the
film later on, is centred around the house in the photo on this slide, it’s a dirty,
worn down, abandoned building no one would ever attempt to live in , this
again reflects the main characters state of mind throughout the film as he
moves to a place that fits him better mentally.

6. Sound
The sound is one of my favourite aspects to the film from my personal perspective, the sound is clean and
crisp and you can hear what is going on at most parts of the film. I’ve observed there are sound affects used
frequently with things such as clicks to switch scenes, the sounds are often loud when things have been put
down to make sure the audience has taken notice to the object.
The whole film is narrated by the main character in a monotone voice.
The echo affect is used continuously to make things feel surreal and give it a dream like feel, this foreshadows
later on in the film when we find out that things were in fact a dream like part of his imagination.
The most effective part of the sound is when
Paired with this shot of Helen Boham-carter, as there is a whispering sort of sound that is an audio version of
viewing the smoke, also combined with a low “boom” sort of sound and slow motion is absolutely perfection
and it gives me chills.
There is a continuous sound of cars and traffic In the background
inferring that it is set in a city ,the sounds tend of get louder and
quieter between each scene but it does sound bridge a lot between
them. The music used all of it generally has a high pitch screeching
Sort of sound, especially talking about the last scene, where the movie
In a way fades into the credits.
The scenes most importantly have very over exaggerated punching
Sounds that happen whenever a fight is present, things such as
Glass smashing and guns are also extra loud to make sure the
Audience is aware of these violent things happening.

7. Characterisation and Language
There are generally three characters in the film and they all fit into
Stereotypes. For example, Tyler fits into the strong man stereotype, doesn’t
mind getting his hands dirty or getting into a fight.
Alternatively the narrators character has a bit of a twist in character as it
progresses through the film, at the beginning he is seen as a man set in
his ordinary boring job, with a suit and an apartment, as the film moves
on, he becomes gradually more violent, of course this is when it’s still
unknown that Tyler is in his imagination, This shows in a way that Tyler is
the man he wants to be. And gradually that’s who he becomes.
Marla’s character is a lose wanderer sort of woman, with a sexual ‘slutty’
side since she sleeps with Tyler and flirts around, she contrasts with the
idea that a sexually driven woman is powerful like they usually are as her
character is seen to be emotionally damaged.
The voice used as the narrator is monotone and sad, this affects the
audience greatly and sets the scene well. They don’t have any outstanding
accents and all stick to the ‘typical’ American on.

8. Camera angles
The camera angles used vary depending on which shot, they’re all based generally on
making the audience feel as if they're involved within the film, for example in the
background image of the picture on this slide there is a low angle shot looking up making
the audience feel vulnerable as if they‘re the one being kidnapped. The narrator
occasionally breaks the forth wall by talking to the camera directly, this makes the audience
realise that the actors know their being filmed, this is an odd concept that is only used to
make the audience feel as if their ‘in on it’.
There are a few long and establishing shots used in the film, especially to establish the
scene or after a fight to show the aftermath of what has just happened. It is also used at
one point to express how small they are and how stupid it is that they are fighting in the
grant scheme of things, of course this is just my interpretation.
There’s close ups to seemingly irrelevant things such as coffee, these just further the idea
of how boring the workplace is , or in scenes later on in the film that the object shown has
an Impact on the future, so in a way foreshadowing. The Ikea scene has superimpose on
the top which is used to express how these items are all from a catalogue and the price of
them, which portrays how materialistic his life is and how he strives for it to all be perfect
as if from a story.
Also a crazy thing in this film is the sudden flashing so images, creating a subliminal imaging
sort of thing, most shockingly including pornographic images.

9. Themes and GenreThemes
The themes in this film are quite simple and
correspond with the genre of psychological
thriller/drama/mystery. The themes are,
physical violence, Depression, Illness, self
improvement and the strive for a ‘standard’
good life.
The moral of the story is that fight club is the
idea that many peoples original life goals get
distracted by irrelevant fears, which means
they settle for something less than their goal,
put simply, things don’t turn out how they're
expected too. Anti-materialism is a part of the
message of the film, it delves into the idea
that we shouldn’t become and buy into what
we’re told in the media, For example within
the film, when the narrator buys all those
things from Ikea.
Another reoccurring theme is the search for
his true inner self and working out who he
wants to be, Tyler is the evidence of this as he
is purely a goal and a figment of the narrator
himself.

10. Representation and audience
The audience of fight club is 18+ and mostly men as it’s
violence related, I’ve ask a few people I know if they’ve seen
the film and the majority were men and people who liked films
within the genre. The people who has been represented in the
film is people who are “rough” and mentally unwell, as both
the narrator and Marla are not quite mentally sound. Along
with the help centre organisations, everyone there isn’t happy
or has some kind of illness. You can see this representation by
the use of clothing, the violence, blood and things happening
within the scene that isn’t something you would expect to see
in normal day life. Big business companies have also been
represented within the film as being mean and mind numbing,
along with men being seen as violent. In the fighting sessions
not a single one is a woman.