The confusing ending to Fight Club has finally been explained 25 years on from its release.
If you've seen this cult-classic, you'll know how gripping and intriguing the concept is, but also how confusing the ending is.
Based on the 1996 novel of the same name, the movie stars Brad Pitt opposite Edward Norton as Tyler and the Narrator.
The 1999 film follows protagonist 'The Narrator', an insomniac who is disillusioned from his white-collar job and repetitive routine.
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He then meets Tyler Durden, a rebellious soap salesman who he soon starts an underground fight club with.
Eventually, the club transforms into something bigger as they scheme to take down the capitalistic world by committing acts of vandalism and crime.
The Narrator explores his fear of confrontation and lack of control throughout the film, then it is revealed that Tyler is actually a split personality of the Narrator.
At the climax of the film *SPOILER ALERT*, The Narrator shoots himself in the face to kill Tyler.
But what viewers never really understood is how The Narrator survives a shot to the head that only manages to kill his split personality.
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Well, here's your quarter of a century late explanation.
The audience is led to believe that he takes his own life, but if you look at the camera angle used, it all makes sense.
Shortly after the shot, The Narrator falls into a chair and if you stop it at the right frame, you can see a bullet hole in his cheek.
So he did harm himself, but he didn't put a bullet in his brain, keeping him alive.
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But how did Tyler die from a gunshot wound?
The Narrator struggles to defeat Tyler even after realising he's not real, which shows the power of his alter-ego over his actions and that he has to trick him into believing he has killed himself.
The very action of The Narrator pulling the trigger is a shift in power, killing Tyler and putting him back in control.
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Director David Fincher commented on the nature and motives of The Narrator, explaining: "He cannot find happiness in life, and so he embarks on an enlightenment journey in which he must kill his parents, god, and teacher.”
He has 'killed his parents off' at the start of the film, he then kills his God by doing things that he shouldn't with Tyler, and then he had to kill his teacher himself in Tyler to complete his journey.
Makes sense then, right?
Or maybe you're still lost, like this user who posted on X: "I’ve seen Fight Club ten million times. And the ending will never make sense to me lol."
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In which case, fair enough.
Featured Image Credit: 20th Century FoxTopics: TV and Film, Brad Pitt