The devil is in the details, and Fincher once again proved himself a master at using them in this cult gem
Years go by and many people continue to confuse Nelson Mandela with Morgan Freeman, and understand ‘Fight Club’ in the worst possible way. The almost cult that has formed around Tyler Durden by certain sectors of the population has distorted the message of the film to the point of worrying its director David Fincher, who has claimed not to know “how to help them” and who sees it as “impossible for people not to understand that Tyler is a negative influence.”
The devil in the details
For cases like these, the filmmakers most obsessed with detail—as is the case with good old David—and their technical and creative teams strive to sneak winks with a greater or lesser level of subtlety into your works to reinforce your speeches and readings with them. Of course, the case of the adaptation of Chuck Phalaniuk’s novel was not going to be an exception, and this detail proves it.
Throughout its two hours and 20 minutes, this gem of cinema from the late 90s contains quite a few Easter eggs, but only one is constantly repeated in a good number of shots and scenes: the repetitive appearance of Starbucks cups. Is it product placement? Are they part of the reality distorted by the Narrator’s mind? Nothing could be further from the truth, because they have a very clear intention.
Among the many themes that the film deals with, we can find a strong criticism of consumerism channeled through mentions of luxury brands or character descriptions such as that of the protagonist, who buys furniture to try to give meaning to his existence. The coffee company glasses scattered on the sets They are part of this anti-consumerist apology of the feature film.
In an interview with Empire, Fincher himself confirmed that its use, obviously, was deliberate and, incidentally, he stressed that he has nothing personal against the company.
“We had a great time with it. There are Starbucks cups everywhere, in every shot. I have nothing personal against Starbucks, I think they’re trying to do something good. They’re just too successful.”
Space monkeys drinking five euro coffees. The real Project Mayhem.
In Espinof:
