Fight Club - Cinematography Analysis.

In my previous post on fight club, I wrote about what makes it such a masterpiece and why I think it's awesome. But in my enthusiasm, I neglected any actual analysis or comment on art direction.

So I thought I'd break down a screen shot from an early point in the film. Tyler and The Narrator have just had their first fight and the scene is central to the plot of the film, so again...potential spoilers ahead.

First off, let's look at the costumes and the colours. The narrator is a blank canvas. He's plainly dressed and beaten down, juxtaposed with Tyler. Tyler's clothing is flamboyant and full of personality. His red jacket symbolizes anger and danger.

Look at the composition. Notice how Tyler's ear, nose and gaze direction line up with The Narrators left arm along the sinister diagonal. Their eyes line up on the upper third and the bottle is framed centrally in the lower half.

I need to read up more on dynamic symmetry to gain a deeper understanding of how this works, but the design of the image is beautiful and gives us an insight into the mind of the director.

The inclusion of right angles strengthens the image.

Another interesting thing I noticed was the mirrored pose of the two characters. This is highly relevant to the plot and represents they are two sides of the same coin. 

The shot is framed as though we are sitting with them. The viewer feels included in the scene, as it revolves around Tyler who is positioned between us and The Narrator. Ultimately though, the scene is all about The Narrator who occupies a more central position in the frame.

The Narrator's importance is further reinforced through the greatest area of contrast. The eye is drawn to him first.

This single screen grab reveals so much about the film. It's a beautifully designed image that seems to tell a story all on its own. Art direction like this makes an awesome film!