Fight Club (1999) - 16 questions

Question: Why do all the members of Project Mayhem chant Bob's name after "Jack" says he has a name?

Answer: Because they interpret what he's saying as Bob being elevated to a place of honor. Since none of them have names and now Bob has one, he must be special.

Question: At the end of the movie, just before the casting comes up, there is a flash and they show something for fraction of a second. What is it ?

Answer: It's a picture of a penis. It reflects how Tyler used to slice in frames of "adult" material into children's movies, to give people a little shock without them really knowing what it was had happened.

Question: In the scene after everybody gets their "homework assignments", what are they doing in the video store?

Answer: They are using an electromagnet to erase VHS tapes.

Question: What exactly is the significance of the narrator calling all the addresses that are in the information folders from his house after Tyler leaves? Was he trying to warn them of an impending danger?

Answer: After he realized Tyler's true nature at the hotel, Tyler made many phone calls. Jack called the same phone numbers and realized that they corresponded to the buildings mentioned on the Project Mayhem folders. He had to confirm this, so he called a couple different buildings. He tried to tell the building operators that something was up, but they're already assisting Project Mayhem and could not be dissuaded. In desperation Jack went to the police...

Question: When the Ed Norton character is searching for Tyler Durden in the multiple cities, he runs into a man in a bar who has had facial surgery and tells Ed that he had been in that bar last week. I know that Tyler supposedly had facial surgery every three years, but who is the guy in the bar and what is the significance behind him?

Answer: First, the idea of Tyler having facial surgery every three years was just one of many (untrue) rumors - fight club hadn't even been around three years. And I assume you mean the bartender because he is the only one who says that Ed Norton was there last week - he was just talking about how "Tyler" had started up a fight club in his bar last week, spreading his army across the country - and he hadn't had facial surgery, it was just busted up from fighting.

Question: In the scene in the car just before the car crash, we see Tyler driving and the Narrator in the front passenger seat. Since we know that they are the same person, we know that the Narrator must be driving, with no-one in the passenger seat. However, during the conversation between the two of them, the crew members in the back seat seem to be reacting to the questions that the Narrator is asking Tyler by repeating "The first rule of...", and the Narrator keeps telling them to shut up, which they do. If the crew members only see the Narrator driving, with nobody in the passenger seat, how is it that they are taking part in a conversation that is not even happening, except for in the Narrator's mind?

Answer: The Narrator when talking to Tyler in the film is obviously talking to himself out loud, so the crew members would know that because he talks to himself that if they are asked a question they must answer. Also the conversations he has could not be in his mind as they would not answer his questions unless he said it out loud. The image of Tyler is in his mind, but the conversations are real. Like a schizophrenic talking to himself.

Question: Why does the narrator say, 'Tyler, listen closely, my eyes are open' just before he shoots himself?

Answer: Tyler says that he was created because there were issues in Jack's life that Jack could not resolve. Revealing that Jack was capable of everything Tyler did, Jack realized that he didn't need Tyler at all anymore. He assimilated Tyler's teachings and knew that he was strong enough to stand and figure his way through life on his own. Therefore, he symbolically eliminated the Tyler personality.

Question: When 'Jack' gets the call from the arson detective, in the background of the guy's office, on the notice board, is a sticker of a monkey's head. The sticker is the same colour as the subliminal images of Tyler (dominantly red) and half of the brain area of the skull is faded white. I was wondering if anyone knew if this was symbolic of Tyler taking over 'Jack' or was put there on purpose and what it serves as in those shots?

Answer: On the DVD commentary, the director implies that this is a symbol of the Space Monkeys, Tyler's army. It shows that the Space Monkeys are beginning to infiltrate even the police station, as seen later.

Question: When Jack is beating himself up in front his boss, what's going on? I get that he is reminded of his fight with Tyler because he's beating himself up, like when he 'fought' Tyler, but I don't understand why? Is Tyler controlling him in order to get the Flight coupons etc. so Fight Club can grow, or is Jack trying to frame his boss?

Answer: Your second guess is correct - the Narrator (his name is never stated in the film itself - although promotional material refers to him as "Jack", the closed captioning calls him "Rupert") is framing his boss so that he can leave work and still get paid, get the flight coupons and so on.

Question: What is the meaning of the penguin and Marla saying 'Sly' in the cave?

Answer: The penguin says "slide" and then slides on its belly. Marla repeats it later. I believe they are telling him to let go and be Tyler.

Question: Is there a scene where Meat Loaf's trousers fall down?

Answer: Yes. Immediately after the Space Monkeys assault the police commissioner at the banquet, as they walk out the back exit, his pants fall off and he pulls them back up quickly.

Question: What is the significance of the penguin as Ed Norton's "power animal"?

Answer: If you listen to the commentary the producer explains that the whole ice cave scene is himself reminiscing about some childrens' book series.

Question: In the very first scene in the movie, Brat Pitt says something like, "Any last words?", to which Ed answers, "I can't think of anything". At the end of the movie, you see that scene again, but this time Ed answers, "I still can't think of anything". Why is this? Weren't the scenes supposed to be exactly the same?

Answer: Brad Pitt responds "ah, flashback humor" when Ed Norton says that. It's just a joke.

Question: How does Tyler know where Marla lives to save her from killing herself, if both Tyler and Edward Norton have never been to her apartment?

Answer: She had to have told Tyler after he picked up the phone. After all, she wasn't surprised when he showed up.

Question: At the end of Fight Club, when Edward Norton shoots himself in the mouth, how does it kill Tyler Durden and not Edward?

Answer: Tyler was all in Edward's head, and Tyler was a separate part of Edward's mind. When Edward shot himself, only HE knew that the gun was not angled at his own brain. The Tyler part of his brain did NOT KNOW that the gun was angled at his cheek. Therefore, the Tyler part of his brain "knew" that it was dead, and subsequently died.

Question: Near the beginning of the film when Edward Norton and Meatloaf are hugging Edward's character says something along the lines of "things like this make me go a big rubbery one". What does he mean by this, exactly?

Answer: Ed means that people like Bob, and the rest of Remaining Men Together who share their deepest fears/pain with complete strangers make him cry (or just get really upset).