9. Fight Club
While there are plenty of scenes which might qualify for a brutal beat-down in this film, including half the actual fight scene and when Tyler Durden secures use of Lous basement the scene which Im talking about stands out because it just goes on and on and on and on and on. Of course, Im talking about when Edward Nortons narrator beats down Jared Letos acolyte. It just doesnt stop. As it begins, theyre fighting under the regular rules of Fight Club, two men to a fight, no shirt and shoes etc, but Nortons character is already mentally frayed and is looking to take it out on someone else and its unfortunate for Jared Leto that somebody had to be him. So when Norton has clearly won the fight hes got Leto pinned under his body and is kneeling on him he starts throwing puches, and Leto submits. Really, that should be the end of it. But it isnt the man just continues punching, with Letos hands firstly flapping up in surrender before succumbing to unconsciousness. Yet the punches continue to rain down, and you feel just as uncomfortable as Nortons watching audience, and it all hits home when he finally decides hes had enough and gets up, visibly spent. Its only then we get to see the fruits of his labours Jared Letos attractive, angelic face has become swollen and covered with blood, a shot somehow made more shocking exactly because its Jared Leto whos received such ridiculous punishment. The scene had an excellent effect on the viewer up until now, you might have been feeling that the violence presided over by the awesome Tyler Durden was somehow cool and liberating. Yet in one fell swoop, the film disabuses you of that notion by graphically showing you what happens in fighting, with minimal fuss and overlong camera shots. Truly grim.