«Bravo Two Zero» (1999)

 WORLD WAR II MOVIE SET IN 1991

The Gulf War, aka The Desert Storm, was one of the last high points of the collective Western World. In 1990, all of the major Western powers formed a coalition, joined by certain Arab states, and drove Saddam Hussein back from Kuwait.

«Bravo Two Zero» deals with one of the episodes of this war – an eight-member SAS team was dropped into Iraqi territory to track Scud missile sites, so that Iraqis will not be able to attack Israel. They are elite soldiers, but the trouble soon starts kicking in – the radio is not working, the ammo is not unlimited and, the most important of all, the desert hides a lot of painful surprises for them.

During the beginning of the Gulf War, US President George H. W. Bush emphasized that this would not become another open-ended Vietnam-style war, and that troops would return home once the mission — liberating Kuwait — was completed. Additionally, the military were able to control the flow of information to the journalists, so the viewers were presented, mostly, with the state-approved positive images.

This gave the Gulf War the feel of a moral and justified war. That is why «Bravo Two Zero» has a clear World War II cinema spirit - the good guys are fighting in a just and moral war and they are seen as heroes by the general public. It is not like the Vietnam War film (i.e. «Platoon») where you feel the immorality or, at least, questionability of soldier’s actions.

Additionally, the film is not a high-budget American blockbuster, but it gives it the feel of authenticity. The soldiers are regular British blokes with funny accents; they cannot fire 200 rounds without reloading and, despite their superior training, they cannot hold off forever against Iraqi armor. Will they make it? Watch – and find out.

The film also captures the spirit of Special Operation Forces. Those guys are dropped deep behind enemy lines and from that minute they are basically fighting by themselves. Danger surrounds them everywhere and even if they are able to call in support, it will arrive not so fast and every extra minute takes away their chances of surviving this day.

So, in conclusion, let me say that given the current sorry state of the Western World, «Bravo Two Zero» is a refreshing look at the strong and resilient West of the past. Watch it – you will not be disappointed, of course, if you are not loony left! 

"Fight Club" (1999)

Where is my mind

I first watched «Fight Club» when I was 15 and I developed fixation on this film. I thought that Tyler Durden was unbelievably cool and his quote «Self-improvement is masturbation» became my motto. Nevertheless, a little part of my subconsciousness realized, that I will follow, one way or another, the Narrator’s path and there will be too little anarchy in my life.

After 12 years and five years of office work, I could judge this film more maturely. And I have decided to have a little David Fincher marathon. Experiencing huge pleasure after rewatching «Seven» and «The Game». When I have heard the opening titles music, I have tuned myself for pleasure. Have I felt it?

The Narrator always followed the guidelines. He graduated from college with some not-so-personally-desired degree; he took a not-so-favorite job. He doesn’t have his own tastes and preferences and he merely follows the IKEA trends. Lack of any personal joy leads to an insomnia.

Sometime he is able to battle insomnia by visiting support groups, but another faker Marla Singer ruins it all. They are able to «split up the world», but one of these flights the Narrator meets a weird soap salesman Tyler Durden. After acquaintance, the Narrator’s combo blows up and he moves to Tyler. Since that, he life takes a drastic U-turn…

Almost everybody, when he steps up to adult life, tells himself that he will live as he likes and he won’t work some detestable job, he won’t serve some boss, he won’t worry about bills and debts, he won’t take part in some collective stupid recreations and he won’t try to pretend to be a good member of society. The reality turns out quite different and the most of us will end up as the Narrator.

Permanent insatisfaction steps out and the people are trying to cope with it. The society offers million way of pseudo-happiness as booze, online games, massage parlors and interest clubs. Someone gets lucky and he will find his true happiness, but the most will find only temporary relief. And someone goes even further.

Tyler Durden is a quintessential dream of an average office worker or a Russian school kid, who grew up in the 1990s. He is not bound by societal norms, he always has his own opinion and doesn’t try to suppress it for the society’s sake. He loathes the modern society and commits himself to small acts of sabotage. That is why Tyler Durden is an ultimate fantasy buddy almost for everyone.

Everyone dreams sometimes to punch somebody. Everyone sometimes dreams to smash a face of colleague, who is reading us morals about work ethics, accuracy and discipline. But the modern society banned such forms of dispute resolutions. Nevertheless, the dream lives on and sometimes we some wonderful dream pictures.

Fight Club is a place, where you could feel like a «real man». Every Saturday you could give way to your aggression and fight someone. It doesn’t matter, if you won or not, you have found a way to put an end to all disputes. After taking a part in one Fight Club session, you could tolerate the reality more freely, but you develop almost a drug addiction to these meetings.

Fight Club becomes a totalitarian sect. Sects are one of the ways to fill up the internal void. Clever sect managers are playing on human weaknesses and offers an easy way to get a meaning in life and internal freedom. In reality, sects are mental prisons, but voluntary non-freedom is not so painful, as compulsory non-freedom.

Such «liberated» people are ready to do anything to please their leader. With such loyal army, Fight Club transforms into Project Mayhem and the latter’s activities are far beyond the weekend’s punching club. The Project’s acolytes are turned into zombies and nothing can close this Pandora’s Box. The only thing, which you could do is to remember David Bowie’s lyrics -  It's too late to be late again.

In 27 years, you discover these extra elements in «Fight Club» and you’re no longer consider it a story about cool guys, who are leaded by the coolest of them all – Tyler Durden. Also you understand, that you should find some authentic source of joy and not one of the numerous surrogates.

That is why, friends, doesn’t abandon your internal Tylers or they will overtake your usual profiles. Blogging helps me to control my internal Tyler. And if you envision yourself as a sect leader, doesn’t miss «Fight Club» - it is a perfect guide for any totalitarian leader.

From the art point of view, the film is also excellent. «Fight Club» is a schizoid film, which is unpredictable until the last second. I hope that David Fincher would wake his internal creator and would please us with some cool film on the level with his «creative trilogy» («Seven» - «The Game» - «The Fight Club»).