An example of this is in one of the beginning shots which use’s the CGI animation and his narration to inform the viewer about the explosives and ‘project mayhem’ which are yet to be explained. The narration in ‘Fight Club’ is vital in pushing the film further on in terms of plot, because without it the audience would not have the required knowledge to fully comprehend what is happening.
Throughout the film, CGI is heavily depended on to show things in a particular way, for example showing the explosives by going from a shot of Pitt and Norton through the buildings is another enhancement to add style, which has allowed ‘Fight Club’ to be known as a greatly recognised film. Lighting and colour are also an important issue to analyse when trying to evaluate the meaning of a shot. A good example of the use of colour is in the sixth shot that was analysed in the breakdown with the CGI animation.
Throughout the animation the filter effect changes, giving the shot a different coloured tint. This is noticeable when the shot changes from being outside where the shot has a dark blue/ grey tint to inside when the colour changes to a lighter yellow/ orange tint. Colour is useful to give more meaning to a shot, in this example the lighter yellow/ orange tint represents safety whereas all the shots inside with the explosives and in the room the two characters are, represent a danger which again can lead the audience to wander why the room where the two characters are is dangerous.
Throughout the film, the only two filters used are the blue/ grey filter and the yellow/ orange filter; this is useful for viewers watching to help sustain a meaning throughout the film, not confusing them. ‘Elements of style work more ‘unconsciously’, meaning is hidden and the interpretation deciphers and translates. ‘ (Gibbs & Pye, 2005; 216) It is up to the viewer to figure out the meanings behind what is happening on the screen, it is also up to them whether or not they want to. ‘Fight Club’ has a lot of meanings behind each aspect of what is shown on the screen to help enhance the film as a whole.
The interpretations that can be taken away simply need to be viewed with an analytical eye to see how very dark the film can be at the same time attempting to address the issues raised with a lighter feel. I believe that the 10 shots that were analysed in the shot breakdown together are there to introduce the film by showing viewers part of the end of the story so that they will need to find out how it begins and ends using simple mise-en-scene alongside computer animation to impress.
Bibliography Gibbs. J & Pye. D (2005), Style and Meaning, Manchester, Manchester University press Dudley. A (1984) Concepts in film theory, Oxford, Oxford University press Fight Club, (1999), USA Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our University Degree Fine Art, Design Studies, Art History, Crafts section.
