The Social Constraints Bestowed Upon Society through a Consumerist Culture

The Social Constraints Bestowed Upon Society through a Consumerist Culture
The film Fight Club (1999), directed by David Fincher, is based off of the novel of the same name written by Chuck Palahniuk. This action packed drama delves into the life of an insomniac caught up in the cyclical mainstream lifestyle many have grown accustomed to. The narrator of this story, Jack, played by Edward Norton, is a pencil pushing desk jockey completely consumed by the frivolous materials he possess, working only to meet this incessant demand of unnecessary things. It is only when the main character meets Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt, is he enlightened to the point of realization that his life offered little to no meaning. Tyler manifests these ideas to Jack through various conversations which shed light on the simplistic way of life he lives and the numerous flaws which exist in their society. They then establish a fight club as a way to break away from societal norm which in turn develops into a terrorist-esque organization set on spreading Tyler’s philosophy of life through violent acts. It is only through a myriad of twists and turns during the film that it finally becomes clear; Tyler is only a figment of the Jack’s imagination, a projection of his inner masculinity. Throughout the entirety of the film, there are many references to the downfalls of living in a consumerist and capitalist society. In our modern world, self-identification of oneself through a consumerist culture has become extremely common. This quintessential flaw in our nation is personified by Fincher’s Fight Club, conveying the apparent atrophy America faces through adherence to this way of life. It is unambiguous that the film attempts to spread the message that co...

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...ology and provides a remedy to this fruitless way of life.
It is evident the amount of work director David Fincher put into the creation of this masterpiece of a film, from the cast who seemed to almost be born for their roles to a brilliantly written screenplay and very fitting music. From the very beginning, the film is one which is easy to become completely enthralled in, exposing the numerous fallacies of modern day society. It is clear that the fundamental point of the film is to illustrate that consumerism is running rampant in our own society. Thus, this pernicious way of life has transformed masculinity into a brand and turned self-worth into a commodity which people believe can be strengthened through the acquisition of goods. Though much of this movie discusses the detriments of society, the film offers tangible ways to combat these incessant problems.