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"Schizo," from Kazakhstan. This is the real "fight club" deal.

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This film won quite a few awards, including two at Cannes. For those that succumbed to Brad Pitt/Edward Norton/Gus Van Sant's "Fight Club...." be prepared for what real fighting looks like: no happy smiling warriors after multiple bare-knuckles' punches to the face here.
In a remote, desolate town an adolescent male-- nicknamed "Schizo" by his peers--- is taken to the local doctor by his concerned mother. Indeed, he is diagnosed as being "sick" and told he must see a "specialist."
Meanwhile, he is being exploited by a local hood, sent out to find participants for a "no-holds-barred, last-man-standing" fight organization. When word of the brutality of the events makes his job tougher, he recruits an uncle--- formerly renowned for his drunken assaults on police--- which ends up putting several lives at risk, including his own.
The performance of the young man indeed deserves the awards he garnered.
This film succeeds both as a dramatic work and as a ruthless expos� of a society which has come apart and in which human life is all but hopeless.

Follow Ups:

OK... thirteen unrelated responses, and counting... - Victor Khomenko 16:36:11 04/30/06 (1)
Shiza is an obscure film, but it is also one that is easy to find, and the kind of a film one would keep thinking about afterwards... this is supposed to be a praise in today's world.
I still recall some of its images, especially the one of the delapidated structure in the middle of a surreal landscape... if you remember something about a film you saw several months ago it means something, truly does, with so many films in between.
Anyway, here is what I wrote on it back then:
- http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=films&n=39970&highlight=shiza&session= (Open in New Window)
- They're not related to the original movie but they're all related to the original post. - sjb 17:36:27 04/30/06 (0)
  If tin hadn't gone public with his mis-perceptions about Fight Club the thread would've stayed on track :-)
  Schizo does look interesting... I added it to my Netflix Queue
  
  "Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance. " T.S. Eliot
Ok, it was directed by David Fincher. One good film - tinear 16:00:26 04/30/06 (0)
in his past (The Game), one formulaic average one (Panic Room), and one excellent one (Se7en).
Fight Club? Dumb. Not just the movie, mind you, but the story itself.
Of five responses, only one relates to the original post - Victor Khomenko 17:29:07 04/28/06 (2)
Should we talk of high gas prices, perhaps?
- Re: Oh, I thought he refered to 'fight club...' in the original post - Jeff Starrs 21:38:22 04/28/06 (0)
  silly me.
- Of six responses...D'OH! Of seven responses... nt - dave c 19:07:21 04/28/06 (0)
  bleep
Re: C'mon... - Jeff Starrs 11:28:05 04/28/06 (9)
..at least get the director's name right.
Otherwise it just looks silly.
- Also if one is watching Fight Club to see a realistic depiction of fighting, or holds the lack thereof against it, - sjb 11:40:38 04/28/06 (8)
  then they've missed the point entirely.
  
  "Where are we going? And what am I doing in this hand basket?"
  - Really? So what part of the film do you argue we - tinear 15:55:47 04/30/06 (3)
    should take seriously?
    Obviously, you're wrong. The fights are the critical part of the film, meaning to shock the audience into accepting the metaphor.
    The gritty photography, the blood-splattered faces, the manly cuts... all are meant to be "realistic." Well, they are... about as realistic as the drivel served up by Scorscese's "Raging Bull."
    In reality, no man can absorb the kinds of solid blows to the head or jaw these lesser films show and remain conscious, or alive.
    I lived in Portland which is home to the author who is a well-known, local, gay body-builder. My point merely was that if you wish to see a true depiction of that world, see "Schizo."
    If one wishes to settle for romanticized, choreographed play-fighting, see "Fight Club."
    Capiche?
    - I guess you went for "missed the point entirely." :-) - sjb 17:33:08 04/30/06 (2)
      You're comparing apples and oranges here.
      Nothing in that movie was being presented as realistic... especially not the fighting.
      Now I'm not advocating their praise of the movie but here are a couple of quotes (from reviewers who understood the movie) that might help...
      "A wickedly funny assault on the soul-destroying nature of 20th-century consumerism"
      "Fight Club is a heady, brutal, raucously funny riot that sucks you into its right-brain fantasy."
      
      But if you wan't to hold onto your idea that anyone would hold it up as a realistic view of bare knuckled fighting then rock on.
      
      "Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance. " T.S. Eliot
      - Those fight scenes belong in a cartoon. It's not meant to be one - tinear 06:13:08 05/01/06 (1)
        
        In Reply to: I guess you went for "missed the point entirely." :-) posted by sjb on April 30, 2006 at 17:33:08:
        
        so it fails. If the crucial element rings false the rest collapses.
        
        Re: Those fight scenes belong in a cartoon. It's not meant to be one - Jeff Starrs 03:46:49 05/02/06 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Those fight scenes belong in a cartoon. It's not meant to be one posted by tinear on May 1, 2006 at 06:13:08:
        
        Hi,
        You'll probably need to read the book in order to understand the film better, in that case.
        I think sjb understands without having read the book, but it may help, globally, IMHO.
  - No kidding. nt - clarkjohnsen 11:36:10 04/29/06 (0)
    a
  - Re: Worth checking out the book... - Jeff Starrs 12:06:26 04/28/06 (2)
    ...from which the film was made.
    An excellent, dark & funny writer.
    - Excerpt (Open in New Window)
    - That is a *killer* first line. Now I'll have to read the thing. - clarkjohnsen 11:41:14 04/29/06 (1)
      I've admired Chuck Palahniuk's shorter stuff and his writing criticism for years.
      clark
      - Yeah, I'm gonna have to read it too. In fact I need a good book so I'll probably pick it up today. nt - sjb 12:00:38 04/30/06 (0)
        
        In Reply to: That is a *killer* first line. Now I'll have to read the thing. posted by clarkjohnsen on April 29, 2006 at 11:41:14:
        
        .
        
        "Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance. " T.S. Eliot
DAVID FINCHER directed fight club - rhu 11:21:58 04/28/06 (0)
no message
Admit it - you simply loved Zinka - Victor Khomenko 06:00:21 04/28/06 (0)
But thanks for reminding me - incidentally, a few days ago I was thinking of that film and trying to recall its title, that was escaping me! I could not even find my own post on it!
aka Shiza. Good film.

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