Biggest disappointment ever seen.

Rating: 2/10 (23 November 2002)

After reading and hearing so many good things about this movie, I
expected something slick and well written at least. What I saw was
a loose, sloppy, romanticised portrait of a sociopathic
schitzophrenic. The overall silliness of the first five minutes is an
indicator that this is not a movie to take too seriously, which is fine
if this were any kind of comedy-but it just isn't. It isn't campy, and it
isn't funny in any parts. The potential for this film was much higher
than it turned out, especially with all the great talent of so many of
the actors, and having such a unique idea for the main plot. Brad
Pitt was excellent, as were so many of the supporting actors.
Norton was not, but he had an impossible task doing something
the screenwriter and director wanted, but which was to be almost
not human at all. He was forced to be both very inhuman and
inhumane. If someone is really inhuman, it is difficult for the viewer
to empathize unless they have the same tendency of being
sociopathic. An inhumane sociopath is a fascinating film subject,
but not if they are robotic. Yes, I'm over 45, but I enjoy many kinds of youthful films, or can at
least see why they are liked. I enjoy a wide variety of artistic,
abstract, and strange films, as well as mainstream blockbusters. I
base my opinion on overall excellence, not on technical
achievement. Actually a movie this bad, but at the same time
innovative, would have benefitted from being made more low
budget, without all the expensive scenery, props and special
effects. Then it might have focused more on humans and have
better insight into the main character's condition and mind, instead
of being merely hinted at, glossed over, and romanticized. All the
good and bad things that can justifiably be said about this film, the
most truthful one that stands out the most is that it is just raw
stupidity. I realize it is a fantasy story. But that a wimp like Norton
could convince a horde of millions (all men-no women by the way,
since women in the whole world are apparatently only inanimate
sex objects) to convert to some sorry cult with no causes other
than anarchism and individual brutality, is beyond stupidity. This film does have good technical qualities and some great
acting; and it does have content. Some special effects movies
have no real content or human interaction. This does have some
good content, but it is heavily diluted with bad story writing and too
much emphasis on a selfish, unknowable character.