Fight club Thriller analysis.

The title and credit sequence conforms to general conventions of a thriller as the fast paced adrenalin pumping dance music overwhelms the audience as the font of the credit sequence blurs away into the distance, this creates disorientation for the audience and portrays thrill and action to the audience, this gives them a greater understanding of the genre and narrative before the actual film starts.

The loud dance music also creates excitement, this stimulates the audiences mood which allows  them to be engaged in the film leaving them in excitement, it also creates uncertainty as the audience only have an ideology of the genre as they await the opening scene, the music also connotes adrenalin, this is common in thrillers and conforms to the conventions of a thriller movie. 

The music and credit sequence reinforces the generic adrenalin image on screen, the non-diagetic music features an echoing heart rate beep, this creates thrill and tension which is commonly portrayed in thriller films. 

Fight Club is a 1999 American film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher and stars Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton plays the unnamed protagonist, an "everyman" who is discontented with his white-collar job. He forms a "fight club" with soap maker Tyler Durden, played by Pitt, and becomes embroiled in a relationship with him and a dissolute woman, Marla Singer, played by Bonham Carter.- wikipedia (footnote)

Edward Norton is the unnamed protagonist, his insomnia creates uncertainty and disorientation as he narrates, however his role from being the “hero” at the start of the film changes as all is revealed, this creates thrill however is role end up subverting Propp’s character theory.

Tyler Durden’s role is also confusing as he starts off being a role model as he reinforces Norton’s ideology of being against corporations and fulfilling life by not “working in a job you hate, to buy s**t you don’t need” his full ideology is portrayed creating a disorientating twist for the audience, this subverts conventions of a thriller which leaves narrative unpredictable and thrilling for the audience.

Marla’s role also subverts conventions as she isn’t a “damsel in distress”, her character reinforces Norton's insomnia, her role is also uncertain as Edward describes her as the antagonist in the opening scene, however as the film continues, the audiences view on her ideology changes, this subverts conventions but also creates uncertainty and thrill leaving the audience wanting more.

David Fincher uses many camera shots for different purposes,  the scene begins with a close up, this subverts what is expected as the opening scene is normally presented through an establishing shot followed by a long shot, this helps drive narrative and set the scene, it also helps portray the genre however the close up expresses Norton’s emotion and ideology, this gives the audience a better understanding of the main character, it may also create uncertainty as the audience are engaged from the start and this would conform to the conventions of a thriller.

David Fincher also uses extreme close-ups and establishing shots later on in the film, this gives the audience a greater understanding of the narrative and setting.

Fincher also uses sideways panning shots and shot reverse shots in the fight scenes, this also creates disorientation and engages the audience, it also reinforces the narrative and motives of the characters of fighting, it also engages the audience and the point of view shots envolve the audience in letting them see through the point of view of the characters.

The narrative conforms and subverts the conventions of a thriller. The film starts and ends in the same scene, this is similar to a classic crime drama thriller Double Indemnity, this conforms to the conventions of a thriller in a sense that it creates disorientation, Barthes Enigma code is used as the audience find out a little bit at the start of the film than find out the whole plot only at the very end.

The narrative can also subvert the conventions of a thriller as there is no equilibrium, disequilibrium, journey then disequilibrium. The film follows a confused narrative, this creates tension, uncertainty and disorientation and this conforms to the conventions of a thriller.