As much about time travel as good vs evil

Rating: Null/10 (14 November 2004)

So, I've seen this movie three times now, the first two were the original version, and this last time, the director's cut. Having already "figured it out" (as much as one can) after the first two viewings, I spent more time on this third viewing trying to catch the subtleties and symbolic references. What I think I learned is that Richard Kelly is going for something far greater than a sci-fi time travel flick. Initially, I didn't care very much for the first 30 minutes of the film - I felt it was unusually and unnecessarily rough with foul language and discussions of Smurfs having sex for a few cheap, misogynistic laughs. My view has changed - Donnie lives in a dark, evil world. This 30 minutes tries to drive this point home. The Chinese girl who is always getting harassed, in some ways, I now feel is a central figure in the movie. It's no coincidence that she always wears ear muffs. It's no coincidence that she plays an angel in the school talent show. This is the same "angel" that students are hoping gets "molested", a line one of the characters sneers in her direction at the bus stop. And it is especially no coincidence that she has Donnie's name written on her notebook when Donnie confronts her and tells her "someday, everything's going to be alright." He then puts on the ear muffs. She's the Clarence, and Donnie's the Jimmy Stewart. I think one of the previous posts is dead-on with the "Last Temptation of Christ" and "Evil Dead" signpost that was left for us. This movie is up there with some of the best Hitchcock ever produced - every scene matters, right from the start, even if you think it doesn't. Every line is important. Every scene change and dissolve is planned, and is meant to tell us something. If you've seen this movie once or twice, and think you have got a feel for the plot and what is happening, try looking for the good-vs-evil relationships. I definitely have gained a deeper respect for a movie that I already felt was one of the best I have ever seen.
By the way, I think the original version was a tad better - the director's cut takes a bit of the fun out by explaining things, although there's still plenty to talk about. It just seems a bit less mysterious this time around.