The International Writers Magazine - Our Tenth Year:Film Talk

---

Donnie Darko Written and Directed by Richard Kelly. Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze and Jena Malone. • Michael Webb "Twenty-eight days, six hours, forty two minutes, twelve seconds… that is when the world will end." October 2nd 1988, a small town in America called Middlesex is about to experience the end of the world. Our protagonist Donnie Darko is a very clever but extremely troubled teenager. Terrifying visions of a bunny called Frank who claims that the world is coming to an end haunt Donnie. Are these the visions of a boy who has serious mental issues? Or a genuine threat of what is to come?

Donnie Darko is a compelling film with a lot of significant issues that we concern ourselves with today. I believe it captures the spirit of our times exceptionally well. The horrifying spectre Frank pays regular visits to Donnie, telling him to do certain things. At one point he is told to flood the school. The response to this is met with paranoid controversy.

Just like in our social order today other things are immediately blamed, on this occasion it was a book that was being taught in the school whereby the characters in the book flooded a house.

Instead of looking at the root of the problem of vandalizing, society immediately blames whatever is easiest to put at fault. We live in a very paranoid culture where supposedly every book, video or game is out to get us.

One of the characters in the film called Jim Cunningham is brought to the school to try and promote his self-help system. His theory is based on human’s "two greatest emotions", fear and love. The basic principle being that if you live on the path of fear you are doomed, and vice-versa for love.

Donnie challenges his philosophy and is immediately kicked out of the assembly hall. I personally believe this film is trying to show what a fragile society we live in. A society whereby anybody who questions an authority or somebody allegedly in the know is immediately disregarded as unstable or in this case, "on the path of fear."

Our protagonist is told by Frank to burn Cunningham’s house to the ground. On trying to put out the fire, the fire brigade stumble across a secret room in Cunningham’s house full of child pornography. He is immediately arrested.
A lot of people could learn from this segment of the film, it is clear to me that this film is trying to tell its audience not to so easily prescribe to nonsense. The populace are so desperate for immediate answers to their depression, anxiety or any other issues that they will willingly follow these gurus without question.

Because of Donnie’s mental issues he regularly sees a councillor, they talk about his encounters with an old lady affectionately nicknamed "Grandma Death", One day she whispers into his ear that "every living creature on earth dies alone." This raises several vital issues of the culture we live in. It seems to me that there is not the same camaraderie that was shared by our predecessors.

In having a councillor, Donnie Darko shows humanity’s misguidance in modern times. With less and less people prescribing to the idea of religion we are looking elsewhere for a sense of purpose and for answers to questions of mortality.

On admission to his counsellor by Donnie that he is seeing this giant rabbit, his counsellor diagnoses him with paranoia and schizophrenia. These daylight "hallucinations" that Donnie suffers from may be real or may not be. What is clear from this is that our culture is beginning to appreciate that these mental illnesses really do exist and they are having an effect on the youth of today.

Frank begins his interactions rather eerily with Donnie by stating that he has been watching him. Throughout the rest of the film it seems that Frank follows him everywhere.

This could be because Frank is a mental manifestation, but what is interesting about this interaction is the connection between Frank’s presence and our own society. It is fair to suggest that a lot of people feel like they are being watched constantly due to the "Big brother" setup we have. There is so much C.C.T.V. that it’s difficult not to be observed at least once every day.

This is a film that I believe everyone can benefit from seeing; with a lot of sub-plots that there is not time to discuss fully, Donnie Darko has a lot to offer people of our times. Every person who has ever felt like they don’t belong or conform to people with dysfunctional families and questions of purpose will find this film enjoyable to watch.

© Michael Webb January 2009
junglecan2002@hotmail.com

More Film Talk

Home

© Hackwriters 1999-2009 all rights reserved - all comments are the writers' own responsibility - no liability accepted by hackwriters.com or affiliates.