No. / 16 Inside the taming of Project Mayhem
David Fincher responds to China’s recut of FIGHT CLUB, the latest in a long trend of tampered-with films
The climax of Fight Club, in which the Narrator (Edward Norton) disposes of Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and the credit-card companies crumble. But not if you’re watching in China.
Fight Club additonal reporting: Nev Pierce. Alamy, Getty Images, Shutterstock
CHINESE FILM FANS rejoiced recently when David Fincher’s cult drama Fight Club appeared on their streaming giant Tencent Video. But, just before they got to the movie’s explosive final shot, which sees tower blocks crumble against the skyline as part of Tyler (Brad Pitt) and Project Mayhem’s bid to eliminate debt, the streamed film cut to a new title card, in English. “Through the clue provided by Tyler, the police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding,” it read. “After the trial, Tyler was sent to [a] lunatic asylum receiving psychological treatment. He was discharged from the hospital in 2012.”