The cult film Donnie Darko

When Donnie Darko first was released in 2001, few people visited the theatres, and the film was considered a flop.

In Norway the cinemas re-released it in 2004, three years after the premiere in the USA. Soon, Donnie Darko was considered a cult film. The mix of high school movie, drama, fantasy and sci-fi made melted one’s hearts. Even though 20^th century fox had tagged it as drama, it was like a pot of different genres melted into a new genre. People were discussing it trying to find out what really happened during the two hours the film lasted. Some claimed Donnie had mental problems, and that everything was just imagination.

A cult film is a film that in certain communities-cults- is regarded unique, incredible and a work of art. Endless discussions around it make it a religious phenomenon that has an extremely high status.

What I think is the reason for the many communities of fans is the mysteries of the film. People nowadays are watching boring and plain films like American Pie, The Princess Diaries and so on. These films are entertaining, but they do not challenge, fascinate or scare us in the way films like Donnie Darko does. The first time I watched it, I did not understand anything, and I was desperate to figure it out. I searched web-sites and read. Even though it kinda annoyed me that I couldn’t understand, it also excited me. Finally, I could watch a film without knowing what the next line was. It was a whole new experience, an experience that I have never felt before. Donnie Darko made me another person. A person that allowed herself wondering.

Themes

So, what is the real issue here? I would say there are quite a few.

Time travel

The philosophy of time travel is one big part of the film, and also of understanding the plot. Donnie did not travel in time himself but sent the artifact back in time so that time would stabilise itself and the tangent universe would vanish.

Sacrifice

Donnie Darko sacrificed himself in order to save his girlfriend, Gretchen. I think it’s part of his life to die, that it is pre-decided. During one of his chats with Prof. Monnitoff, Donnie mentions his theories about pre-decided life. I think knows that his mission in life is saving the world and the people living in it from mass destruction, and then to die. Somehow, I think Donnie Darko shows one that life is pretty much pre-decided, that all human beings are determined to one destiny, or series of events before they die.

Youth

Donnie Darko is a film about teenage-life, and teenage-conflicts. Donnie Darko is a teenager, who listens to music, reads books and opposes Jim Cunningham. He is arguing with parents, bugging his sister and loving Gretchen.

Emotional problems

Donnie Darko has emotional problems..Or is he simply just affected by the presence of the tangent universe and the problems tied to it? One does not know that for certain. Personally, I think Donnie is just preparing himself for the trouble in the future world, and therefore does and says odd things. Maybe that’s sort of an emotional problem?

The fact that his family and his friends are manipulated makes me sure that he does not have emotional problems. Its part of their task as manipulated to behave irregular behaviour and to try and destroy Donnie. If turning the whole relationship upside-down, it is the people surrounding Donnie that have emotional problems.. They do not know what they’re doing, or why they’re doing it. They just talk and do things. Donnie is the one with all the answers.

Trivia

Richard Kelly wanted to set Donnie Darko in 1988 because it was when he was a teenager. He also said that he does not have any skill as to current teenagers and how they live their lives.

Richard Kelly’s favourite novel is Watership down, the book Karen Pomeroy read in class after The destructors was banned.

Donnie Darko was shot in 28 days.

Noah Wyle’s character Prof. Monnitoff is in some scenes seen eating hard candy. This because Noah Wyle wanted him to be a diabetic.

Beth Grant, the actress who played Mrs. Farmer, was overheard while confessing Richard Kelly was the best director she ever had worked with. Add to this that Richard Kelly was a 26 year-old making his first film, that's quite a compliment.

References

Alice in wonderland

Obviously, the rabbit in Donnie Darko is closely attached to the rabbit in the famous tale Alice in wonderland.

Evil dead

Evil dead is the film Donnie and his girlfriend Gretchen watch during their first date.

Last temptation of Christ

Last temptation of Christ was the other film to be shown on the movie theatre when Donnie and Gretchen watched Evil dead. Pay close attention when you see them standing outside the building, under the fluorescent sign.

Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita (1962)

When Donnie and his sister, Elizabeth arrange a Halloween party, every one of them are dressed as well-known characters or phenomena. Donnie is dressed as a skeleton. As for Elizabeth, she is dressed exactly the way that Vivian Darkbloom (Marianne Stone) is in the film from 1962.

Peggy Sue got married (1986)

Donnie’s little sister and her performing group Sparkle Motion are dressed in Peggy Sue’s prom suit.

Married with children

Because of his crush on Christina Applegate, Donnie is talking about the TV-show during one of his appointments with Dr. Thurman.

Why a rabbit?

One of the big questions while working with this film is why the director of the film chose a rabbit to be Donnie’s counsellor. Why not a dog, a cat or even a unicorn?

According to the homepage of Donnie Darko, http://ruinedeye.com/cd/, a rabbit is a symbol of among others:

• Life
• Healing
• Gentleness

Chinese tradition says people born in the year of the rabbit are wise, intelligent and retrospective and that their thoughts are impossible to expose.

Different cultures, among them the Christian, use the rabbit in Easter-traditions, because the rabbit is a symbol of fertility and rebirth. As Easter is set in the early spring, when trees grow, crops are fertile and the grass is growing, the rabbit is a common sign of Easter and spring.

The rabbit is also a symbol of the moon, which disappears in the morning, and rise late in the evening, related to the immortality of nature.

Besides, many link Donnie Darko to Alice in wonderland; follow the rabbit. Donnie follows the voice of a rabbit, who tells him what to do; Alice follows a rabbit down a hole in the ground.

"A storm is coming,"

Frank says,

"A storm that will swallow the children."

And I will deliver them from the kingdom of pain.

I will deliver the children back to

their doorsteps.

(I'll) send the monsters back to the underground.

I'll send them back to a place where

no one else can see them.

Except for me.

Because I am Donnie Darko.

(Donnie’s contribution during poetry day.)

Ensurance trap

The manipulated will set an ensurance trap to push the living receiver into doing whatever they want him to do. While the manipulated dead are more powerful than the living receiver, they can force him into safely returning the artifact back to the primary universe. The ensurance trap makes the living receiver use his fourth dimensional powers (water, fire, metal and telekinesis) and to send the artifact back in time and into the primary universe before the black hole collapses.

When Frank kills Gretchen, and later gets killed as part of their ensurance trap, Donnie has no choice but sending the artifact back in time before it’s too late.

The mysteries of the primary universe, the tangent universe and deux ex machina

The primary universe

The primary universe is the real world, where both catastrophes and events are common. It is the universe like human beings know it. If a tangent universe occurs, it will threaten all existence in the primary universe.

The tangent universe

The tangent universe appears from time to time and threatens the existence of the primary universe. It’s very unstable, and will only sustain itself for a couple of few weeks. In the long run, it will collapse, forming a black hole inside the primary universe.

Whenever a tangent universe is created, time is corrupted. The only way to save the primary universe from apocalypse is to destroy the tangent universe before it forms the black hole and to bring the artifact back to the primary universe.

Deux ex machina

If you pay enough attention when watching Donnie Darko-director’s cut-you can hear the phrase Deux ex machina being mentioned several times. In director’s cut, Karen Pomeroy tells the students about it when watching Watership Down, and Donnie Darko uses it when trying to escape from one of the bullies at school. It’s Latin and means

Deux- God

Ex- from the

Machine- machine

Therefore, God from the machine.

There are three explanations linked to this phrase

1. In Greek and Roman drama, a god lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation.

2. An unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot.

3. A person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty.

Donnie tried seeking help or support from a higher power. That is the reason for him repeating deux ex machina.