In the Company of Men is not a criticism of all things male. Far from it! It is a social commentary that takes a good hard look on what we in society like to call "relationships." It's about the way women really do set themselves up for disappointment when they always fall for the "bad boy." It's about the way men aren't really men unless they are hard-hearted, unemotional, and unreal. Let me explain.<br /><br />In the end, it's Chad who starts and ends the entire ordeal- it is he who drives the final stake into Christine's heart. And yet it is also Chad who makes his way upwards through the corporate ladder, Chad who charms his way into Christine's life, Chad who goes home to loving wife. Why? Because he is what society looks for in a man. And the only one to ever figure it out is Howard. The only one who really feels anything for Christine is Howard. The only one who ends up alone and broken (throwing up in a stairwell) is Howard. At the end of the movie, he screams at the top of his lungs, trying to get Christine's attention- but he is not heard. Neither are we.<br /><br />The truth is, any man who has the independence not to become a cold, unfeeling b*****d gets the short end of the stick from society. And in modern society, it takes a man of great will not follow Chad's example and come out on top. The moral of this story is simple: nice guys finish last.<br /><br />The entire movie is thus built upon a central metaphor. In essence, the modern corporation is a manifestation of LaBute's "Company of Men," it is an entity that calls for fundamental male-ness. The corporation is a modern day battlefield, and there's no room for politeness.