Here’s the deal: some movies do this thing where the protagonist isn’t always representative of the qualities you want to exemplify in yourself. Sometimes they are cautionary tales. That’s what “Fight Club” is. Edward Norton, the Narrator of “Fight Club,” is deeply dissatisfied. Tyler Durden’s (Brad Pitt) request to fight other men makes him feel like he is no longer alone. They are all men like the Narrator. Feeling neglected by their society, they turn to violence or terrorism.
The movie doesn’t promote this lifestyle but the themes are lost behind a glitzy cover. Tyler Durden’s image in 2023 is one that many men aspire towards. Tyler Durden is a buff guy that doesn’t depend on women other than for sex. Tyler is charismatic and attractive but a total hypocrite. The model looks just like him, but he complains about how gorgeous models are on magazine covers. Many men miss the satire.
This could partly be down to the medium. This is because movies are cinematic by nature, and the book may be a more powerful way to convey this. Although the message was clear, many viewers were only able to take away that violence is praised. And honestly, seeing how primarily men were the ones who needed to learn a lesson from “Fight Club,” it’s easy to write that messaging off as a failure.