Psychological/Drama/Coming of Age/Cult Film

Donnie Darko

2001

Richard Kelly

Psychological/drama/coming of age/cult film

This film is an example of a director who has great intentions, but admittedly finds tremendous faults in his story-telling abilities.

Cast:

Jake Gyellenhaal

Maggie Gyellenhaal

Jena Malone

Patrick Swayze

Drew Barrymore

Michael Andrews

Terms:

a.  Tangent Universe-According to a fictional book The Philosophy of Time Travel, a tangent universe opens around October 2, setting a series of events into play.

1.  If these events are not corrected, the primary universe will collapse.

2.  People that die in the tangent universe become the manipulated dead.

1. Frank the Rabbit-the manipulated dead-understands what is happening. Speaks to Donnie through his dreams, setting off the tangent universe.

b.  Artifact-Jet engine (used for time travel)

c.  Living Receiver-Donnie is the living receiver since the jet engine falls in his room and sets off a series of events.

d.  Fourth Dimensional Construct-Water

1.  How Donnie sees the tangent universe-knows where certain situations are heading.

Interpretation:

a.  Donnie is given special powers due to becoming the Living Receiver

b.  He must reconstruct time in order to keep the primary universe in tact.

c.  He becomes “the sacrifice” by staying in bed on the night of Oct. 2.

d.  Frank the Rabbit is the manipulated dead creating that universe, yet informing Donnie that the world will end. Frank is both a catalyst and an enemy.

Coming of Age:

a.  Through Donnie’s time altering antics he reveals what many teenagers either think but are afraid to admit, and he also rebels against “the man”.

b.  He is emotionally disturbed and feels that he may be an inadequate person.

c.  He becomes what many young boys dream of: a superhero, but he has to sacrifice his life in order to save the world.

Allusions: Alice in Wonderland

Donnie falls asleep, and hears, then sees Frank, a 6-foot tall rabbit-costume wearing being. Alice's summer slumber brings a vision of a talking rabbit wearing human adornments. Frank tells Donnie to follow him, & leads Donnie to a golf course. Alice chases her rabbit, following him right down the rabbit hole. Character introduction and water/metal symbolism aside, the golf course/rabbit hole relation seems obvious. Like Alice's rabbit, Frank acts as Donnie's guide in the mad world of the "underground". (This aspect is suggested by Donnie's poem.) Alice's rabbit is a servant of the Queen / Frank is a being manipulated by the master force. Alice and Donnie are similar in their confusion and curiosity; both are desperate to figure out what is happening to them. Also... eat me/drink me similar to Donnie's pills, both characters are changing life forces -- Alice grows tall / shrinks, Donnie grows stronger & superhuman-like when he's sleepwalking. These physical changes give solution to the current dilemma the character is facing, but also cause feelings of isolation and fear. And... The mirror imagery of Donnie's bathroom communion place with Frank is similar to Through the Looking Glass.
Film Techniques:
a.  Slow motion shot- d. Break in story for explanation
b.  Cinematography e. strong color-surreal/sci-fi dimension
c.  Soundtrack