Get ready to rumble
By Louis B. Hobson
Calgary Sun, October 10, 1999
HOLLYWOOD -- It's a real battle these days to interview Brad Pitt.
Ever since his breakup with Gwyneth Paltrow sent him reeling into the arms of Jennifer Aniston, Pitt has been a bit press-shy.
That's a huge disappointment because as far back as Thelma and Louise, Pitt has consistently been a great interview.
He's candid, charming and has a great sense of humour.
He always showed amazing skill at deflecting those questions about his private life he didn't want to answer.
He was never surly, just cagey.
At first, Pitt declined to help promote his new movie The Fight Club, but at the last moment sent word he would do interviews.
There were a few conditions.
He would only do joint interviews with his co-star Edward Norton and he would only talk about the movie and not about his private life.
Pitt's management asked reporters to sign a waiver promising to use the actor's quotes only to promote The Fight Club and not to build them into a personality profile at the exclusion of Norton.
The Fight Club is a dark morality tale laced with satire and carefully choreographed screen violence.
Pitt plays Tyler Durden, an enigmatic, charismatic entrepreneur who creates what he calls a fight club.
It's a secret, underground society where men can go to rediscover their masculinity and feelings by participating in bare knuckle fights.
The fights are meant to be cathartic.
The physical pain the participants endure are meant to ease the spiritual and emotional pain that sent them in search of such drastic self-help therapy.
Norton plays the film's narrator, an unnamed insurance investigator whose spiritual journey is orchestrated by Tyler Durden.
These two men begin fighting in the parking lot of a seedy bar.
The success of their encounters spur them on to create fight clubs across America.
When the two actors enter the interview suite, Pitt is all smiles. Norton is deadly serious.
When a journalist points out that Pitt has scratches on his knuckles, he runs with the joke.
"Ed and I just can't give up this fight thing. We had a little round this morning."
The joke hits its mark, serving to break the tension in the room. Norton is the only one who does not laugh.
He wants to talk about the themes of Chuck Palahniuk's novel as they unfold in David Fincher's film.
"The Fight Club is the first thing I've read that captures the energy I feel for my generation," says Norton.
"Movies like Reality Bites painted us as aimless, angst-ridden slackers without even attempting to capture the real despair and paralysis that have been created by the world of advertising."
Without giving Pitt a chance to comment, Norton goes off on a philosophical tirade about the hunter/gatherer male who began as a physical animal, but has since been tamed and subdued.
"We've been reduced to a generation of spectators. We've been emasculated."
Pitt warily adds: "Edward and I belong to the first generation raised on TV. We've been sold a lifestyle for as long as we can remember.
"We have no sense of direction. We've been told that if we have this brand of beer, this style of car and this kind of woman, we have achieved spiritual happiness."
Someone quickly reminds Pitt he is describing his life.
"That's what's hard about doing these kind of interviews. No one really wants to hear from me that I'm not happy.
"There is a definite freedom that comes with money. I wish everyone could have it. But money and fame are not a guarantee. Look how many people have achieved it and still choose to check out.
"The sad reality is that you're the same person with money as you are without. Some people can't deal with that when they wake up in the morning."
Pitt insists he doesn't look to drugs, booze or physical violence to get rid of his pent-up aggressions.
"I'm not into martial arts, which are really a form of fight clubs.
"I sing. I turn up my music so it's really loud and sing along.
"I also love traffic, as long as guns aren't involved. Traffic is a great way of getting out your frustrations.
"You can yell at someone, or you can play the nice guy and let someone in ahead of you.
"It makes you feel as if you are in charge and that's rare these days."
Norton shakes his head in disbelief, interjecting: "This is the first time I've heard anyone describe the Los Angeles freeways as a wellness centre."
Norton goes on to explain that "it's important to realize that The Fight Club is not espousing violence as an answer to anything.
"The fights in the movie are a metaphor. They are a physicalization of the fights against one's own impulses to get cocooned. This is why the guys hit each other with everything they have, but then get up and hug each other when the fight is called.
"They're thanking each for helping them to get in touch with their feelings and for helping strip down their fears."
Norton, who turned 30 this year, says another important aspect of The Fight Club is that "it touches on something interesting for Brad and my generation.
"We have been having our midlife crises in our 20s.
"We have, in essence, been figuring out the things our parents started addressing in their 40s and 50s.
"In our 20s, we already named the things that don't make us happy. More than any generation before us, we're always defining."
Sensing the conversation is getting a bit serious, Pitt, who is 34, interjects that he didn't have to figure things out in his 20s.
"I'm basically perfect. I'm Deepak Pitt. Just joking. Just joking.
"I remember when I turned 30, I realized I didn't have any more excuses for not figuring things out for myself. I couldn't be irresponsible anymore.
"I learned all that without having to use my fists, which really differentiates me from the characters in our movie."
The bell rang. The fight was over.
Norton and Pitt had survived their round with the journalists and left unscathed and intact.
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