Donnie Darko

Mary Beadle

DONNIE DARKO 1|Page

Mary Beadle

DONNIE DARKO Donnie Darko is a picture house film which is considered to be a psychological thriller film where Donnie is portrayed to be the dark hero in this film filled with irony. Donnie believes his fate was pre-decided for him and he must die to let time continue. He believes that death is when we are finally at peace. “I can only hope that the answers will come to me in my sleep. I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to.”

OPENING The opening is a pan of a beautiful an scenery of a bright morning sky and dark mountain’s silhouettes below it, the bumps in-between the dark mountains and the bright sky looks like a tear across the scene which could represent a divide which would later emerge in the film. The camera continues to track down a road towards what firsts appears to be a dead animal in the road, but as the narrative moves along we see that it is a man, more precisely, Donnie Darko. He may have been deceived as an animal on purpose, which may reveal its purpose later in the film. when we see that it is a man, the camera pans on the mountains scenery which makes the audience feel comfortable until Donnie breaks the “third rule” and stand center scene before turning back to the third rule moments later, this is also done on purpose to show that he is the dominant character.

I MADE A FRIEND… FRANK Dark to light flashes used in this scene make it look like someone is blinking and watching the scene in the house. Another flash occurs and the scene has changed and a camera starts panning up on the clock which strikes 12 o’clock. Another flash and the camera is on Donnie and a nondiajectic voice over says “I’ve been watching you”. This emphasizes the “blinks” in-between scene changes to look like Frank is watching. When Donnie is outside frank is central screen which, showing his dominance and how, unnatural, this character is as he is imaginary. When Donnie sees this character he also goes into center screen to show that he is not in a regular state of mind. To further the illusion of a dream the camera is in high density making Donnie in high focus and his surroundings unable to make out. Frank is stood further away to intrigue the audience to whom and what frank is. Whenever frank is about to or has appeared, non-diajectic music plays to create tension which starts off airy to create the feeling of uncertainty, then more layers build on this music and increase, which is like a heart beating very fast, as the rhythm increases the camera shakes faster making it hard to focus. When the morning breaks Donnie is presented on golf pitch, when two men wake him by talking to Donnie, but not directly to him showing that they are better than him making it a 2|Page

Mary Beadle joke. The two men are shown in a point of view shot which is also a low angle shot, this insinuates that the men are in positions of power. Jim Cunningham is the second man to be shown, he is placed on the scene in front of the sun making him appear to have a halo around his head and his initials JC are also not a coincidence as they are the same as Jesus Christ. Jim Cunningham is referred to religiously throughout the film making him seem like an idol to many people.

SCHOOL WALK THROUGH The school walk through scene is continuous and all one shot. This scene starts off with the camera on its side and upbeat music playing. I think the camera is on its side to show at this school is different to other schools and abnormal. As Donnie jumps off the bus the shot speeds up to move the narrative on and to show a play on time which is the basics on the film. The continuous shot changes from character to character briefly introducing each of the main characters and uses semiotics and mise en scene to give the audience a better idea on each of the characters, for example, the “bully” of the school’s costume is scruffy and baggy, he also was taking drugs in the hall way with his locker open which contained a sicker on the side saying “Satan”. This brings the audience’s attention back to religion along with one of the teachers holding a book on religion.

OCTOBER 2 1988 (WAKE UP) There is an image in scene four when Donnie Darko is dreaming, this image is a play on the famous picture of an office, the famous picture represents the attach that people have on the day to day activities but open daydream of being elsewhere, the water represents the want to be free of work but the exaggerated objects in the water show the attachments we have to them.

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Mary Beadle

WHY ARE YOU WEARING THAT STUPID SUIT? This scene consists of Donnie Darko taking Gretchen to the cinema which she falls asleep in. After she has fallen asleep the beets from the film they are watching increase, and the airy music on top of it appears then gets gradually louder, this music is non-diajetic. Then a medium shot shows Donnie looking at Frank some spacious opera music plays. Shortly later one of the most memorable quotes was said which is “Why do you wear that stupid bunny suit?” which is replied by frank “Why do you where that stupid man suit?” when Frank takes off his mask it reveals a bleeding eye, when Donnie asks “what happened to your eye” Frank replies “I’m sorry” this is in reference to events that happen later on in the film as frank is from the future it makes sense to him and the audience later on. Reverse shots are never shown with frank and Donnie as frank is imaginary and if you were to show them like that it would make him more human, this is also because when reverse shots are used it creates distance between the characters and frank and Donnie are close as frank is the closest friend Donnie has. In the same chapter Donnie goes to burn down Jim Cunningham’s house as Frank told him too. Donnie feels he has to obey him as he wants to be part of his master plan. The scene cuts from the talent show, showing beautiful music and a young girl dancing but this music is then continued on the clips of Donnie where we contrast with what Donnie is doing. When the fire starts a classical piano plays over the dance music from the talent show and fades out to just the piano signifying the move from one dominant clip to another.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT The last scene is the climax to the film. The scene is dark and quite when two boys attack Donnie and Gretchen. Donnie says “A deus ex machine”, this is an Italian phrase which often is used as an unexpected ending and literally translates to “god from the machine" It is a plot device in which a person or thing appears "out of the blue" to help a character to overcome a seemingly insolvable difficulty. Alternatively a person or object may have a property not revealed before. Just after he said this Gretchen gets ran over and Frank appears in reality for the first time. As Donnie kneels by her side the camera shows a point of view shot on frank from a low angle gradually looking up, the camera lenses is out of focus as Donnie is unsure of what has happened, the lighting is shone on Franks mask, which is now off. While Donnie is in shock he mistakes the difference in imaginary and reality and kills frank with the light

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Mary Beadle shining unflattering on Donnie’s face showing the darker side to Donnie, leading us back to the “dark hero” which Donnie is. Donnie then takes Gretchen’s body to the mountain where we first saw him which may make the audience compare to what they first thought of him to what he has become. Now the view isn’t as beautiful to the audience as before as the world is coming to an end. Donnie is shown sat on the car and looking messy, tired and yet relieved as he watches the sky open up. The choice in music and the lack of tension created by Donnie as he now looks certain about his every move which is shown by the medium camera shots and the longer clips used. After Donnie gets in the car, all main clips from the movie rewind in fast time to give a feel on a play on time. A voice over plays over the clips that are rewinding, the clip is the letter which Donnie wrote to “grandma death” “Dear Roberta Sparrow, I have reached the end of your book and... there are so many things that I need to ask you. Sometimes I'm afraid of what you might tell me. Sometimes I'm afraid that you'll tell me that this is not a work of fiction. I can only hope that the answers will come to me in my sleep. I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to.” As this quote finishes we return to before the plane engine landed in Donnie’s room and find him laughing as he is looking forward to death as he can finally be at rest.

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