Originally posted by wpqx
Fight Club to me is all about masculinity. Its a story about a generation of men raised by women who are trying to find their own male voice.
Palahniuk's book says a hell of a lot about the modern man. I really think his writing has captured a side of the male gender never better represented. I'll admit the message of the movie has gotten a little misinterpreted by groups of guys beating the shit out of each other in basements. The book and film is just as much about searching for your masculine voice as it is a tale of thinking for yourself and avoiding blind consumerism. The mindless "space monkeys" are simply cogs in the wheel. Palahniuk's book ends a lot more interestingly. We're left to believe that "Tyler" has woken up, realized who he is himself, and will put a stop to Project Mayhem and all its misguided mischief. In the book however his creation becomes something much greater and bigger than himself, and there is no way of stopping it.

Disdainful of films directed by music-video veterans like Fincher, I approached Se7en with low expectations and was instantly smitten. It's been a series of disappointments ever since. Fight Club perhaps the most frustrating because of high production values and obvious technical skills. I do like the bits about "blind consumerism" and "cogs in the wheel", but since I believe strongly that what males need is MORE female influence and less alpha-male crap (war heroism, Darwinism, etc), I find the testoterone-fueled content on the verge of being offensive (misogynism, etc). I don't think that the message of the film has gotten "misinterpreted by groups of guys", I think this is a direct consequence of choices made by the filmmakers. Perhaps the book is indeed partly about "how too much testosterone can be destructive", but the film seems worried that the target demographic won't be interested in that message. Ebert called it "macho porn".