Donnie Darko AOS (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Icecat
- Start date
leiara
Member
Hit me up with some. i watched it the other day with my best friend. shes obsessed with it. pretty cool movie...
addict
'Specal' Member
oh, could you help me with it. i love it but am having a bit of trouble relating it to some stuff...
you rock!!!
you rock!!!
lol no worries guys!! I love it to pieces, thus picking it to pieces. Also if you watch it several times you pick up more and more things. Oh and just to clarify, this is for imaginative journey.
This is gunna be a long one, ready?
Donnie Darko
Story
Donnie Darko is a teenage boy living in the late 80’s and described by his therapist as one who “slips deeper and deeper into unreality”. One night an aeroplane engine falls into his house but there is no recorded plane it came from. He has been diagnosed with Borderline Paranoid Schizophrenia and experiences audiovisual hallucinations of a 7 foot rabbit named Frank who one night tells him the world (or tangent universe) is going to end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. Although it is hard to keep track of, Donnie has to save the world from permanently becoming this tangent more tragic universe.
Context
At this time, in the late 1980’s, people began to stop appreciating cultural beautiful things, were spending a lot of money and becoming very selfish, and was very commercialised. A good example of this in the film is when Cherita, the Chinese misunderstood girl is doing a beautiful interpretive dance to classical music at a talent contest but is easily overshadowed by a group of glitzy, glittery girls called “sparkle motion” who perform a choreographed dance to “Notorious” by Duran Duran.
Also at this time in the USA was the presidential election between Bush and Dukakis. In one of the opening scenes we see Donnie’s upper middle class Republican parents argue with his sister as she’s going to vote for Dukakis which informs us of this political time.
Imaginative journey
The audience and characters are taken on an imaginative journey in this film. Donnie Darko, the protagonist of this film is on an imaginative journey as he is Borderline Paranoid Schizophrenic and sees/imagines this giant rabbit, Frank. Frank informs him of this tangent universe which has taken place at the stroke of midnight, 2nd October, 1988. Frank tells Donnie to destruct things in order to open the portal for this tangent universe. An ironic message in a short story he studies in class tells us that ‘destruction is a form of creation’ which aids the audiences understanding of why Donnie is being told to do these things like flood his school and commit arson offences, so everything corresponds to open the portal at the right time. It also deals with the concept of time travel, as Frank tells Donnie he is from the future and has come back to help him end this tragic alternate universe. Other characters, also that face fear and lead these more tragic lives in this universe help him through this journey to end it.
The audiences’ imagination and intellect is stimulated in this film. It is a complex feature, which deals with themes of the ambiguous philosophy of time travel, mental illness, teenage issues, spirituality or theme of a higher being, the meaning of life, fear and love and being alone. As the audience, we realise these themes, especially that of Frank who is a 7 foot man in a rabbit suit. A rabbit symbolises fertility and life and its cycle which reflects the continuity of life in the film and ironically is represented tall and frightening which reflects Donnie’s view of the world and life. Also is the number 7 which is said to be ‘God’s number which is evidence of the theme of a god, or higher being. Also, when you subtract the numbers Frank gives Donnie to when the world will end the remainder is 7 and this number occurs three times in the film. Donnie Darko is the unlikely super-hero, when his girlfriend Gretchen says “What kind of a name is Donnie Darko, it sounds like some kind of super hero” to which Donnie replies “what makes you think I’m not?” which is the first indication of his role in the story. In particular, he is similar to that of Jesus as he is unsure of his destiny and also dies to save others. The audience gets this idea when he sees a double movie night featuring “Evil Dead” and “the last temptation of Christ”.
Language Features
The language form of this text is dialog and features mostly colloquial language. The way this movie is structured is over a period of 24 days (until the end of the tangent universe) and each day is stated in a shot, telling us the date and how many days until the universe collapses. It also features 1980’s discourse. There is not really a change of register in this story, all the characters speak to each other in the same colloquial language, although Donnie’s register changes slightly with his mother in the beginning and is quite arrogant as he tells her to get out of his room and then calls her a bitch. When Donnie is talking to his therapist Dr Thurman, he uses quite emotive language, especially when under hypnosis. He speaks of how he doesn’t want to be alone and is almost reduced to tears as Dr Thurman watches with empathy.
Film Scene/example
This scene shows Dr Thurman explaining Donnie’s behaviour and illness to his parents as they clutch each other in fear and anxiety. We also get shown shots of Donnie communicating with Frank through the mirror. We can see the darkness and fear, the change in his mental state through the lighting used. It points upwards to his face, creating shadows, making him look dark, disturbing and frightful. Back-lighting is also used for the same effects.
hope it was useful!!!
This is gunna be a long one, ready?
Donnie Darko
Story
Donnie Darko is a teenage boy living in the late 80’s and described by his therapist as one who “slips deeper and deeper into unreality”. One night an aeroplane engine falls into his house but there is no recorded plane it came from. He has been diagnosed with Borderline Paranoid Schizophrenia and experiences audiovisual hallucinations of a 7 foot rabbit named Frank who one night tells him the world (or tangent universe) is going to end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. Although it is hard to keep track of, Donnie has to save the world from permanently becoming this tangent more tragic universe.
Context
At this time, in the late 1980’s, people began to stop appreciating cultural beautiful things, were spending a lot of money and becoming very selfish, and was very commercialised. A good example of this in the film is when Cherita, the Chinese misunderstood girl is doing a beautiful interpretive dance to classical music at a talent contest but is easily overshadowed by a group of glitzy, glittery girls called “sparkle motion” who perform a choreographed dance to “Notorious” by Duran Duran.
Also at this time in the USA was the presidential election between Bush and Dukakis. In one of the opening scenes we see Donnie’s upper middle class Republican parents argue with his sister as she’s going to vote for Dukakis which informs us of this political time.
Imaginative journey
The audience and characters are taken on an imaginative journey in this film. Donnie Darko, the protagonist of this film is on an imaginative journey as he is Borderline Paranoid Schizophrenic and sees/imagines this giant rabbit, Frank. Frank informs him of this tangent universe which has taken place at the stroke of midnight, 2nd October, 1988. Frank tells Donnie to destruct things in order to open the portal for this tangent universe. An ironic message in a short story he studies in class tells us that ‘destruction is a form of creation’ which aids the audiences understanding of why Donnie is being told to do these things like flood his school and commit arson offences, so everything corresponds to open the portal at the right time. It also deals with the concept of time travel, as Frank tells Donnie he is from the future and has come back to help him end this tragic alternate universe. Other characters, also that face fear and lead these more tragic lives in this universe help him through this journey to end it.
The audiences’ imagination and intellect is stimulated in this film. It is a complex feature, which deals with themes of the ambiguous philosophy of time travel, mental illness, teenage issues, spirituality or theme of a higher being, the meaning of life, fear and love and being alone. As the audience, we realise these themes, especially that of Frank who is a 7 foot man in a rabbit suit. A rabbit symbolises fertility and life and its cycle which reflects the continuity of life in the film and ironically is represented tall and frightening which reflects Donnie’s view of the world and life. Also is the number 7 which is said to be ‘God’s number which is evidence of the theme of a god, or higher being. Also, when you subtract the numbers Frank gives Donnie to when the world will end the remainder is 7 and this number occurs three times in the film. Donnie Darko is the unlikely super-hero, when his girlfriend Gretchen says “What kind of a name is Donnie Darko, it sounds like some kind of super hero” to which Donnie replies “what makes you think I’m not?” which is the first indication of his role in the story. In particular, he is similar to that of Jesus as he is unsure of his destiny and also dies to save others. The audience gets this idea when he sees a double movie night featuring “Evil Dead” and “the last temptation of Christ”.
Language Features
The language form of this text is dialog and features mostly colloquial language. The way this movie is structured is over a period of 24 days (until the end of the tangent universe) and each day is stated in a shot, telling us the date and how many days until the universe collapses. It also features 1980’s discourse. There is not really a change of register in this story, all the characters speak to each other in the same colloquial language, although Donnie’s register changes slightly with his mother in the beginning and is quite arrogant as he tells her to get out of his room and then calls her a bitch. When Donnie is talking to his therapist Dr Thurman, he uses quite emotive language, especially when under hypnosis. He speaks of how he doesn’t want to be alone and is almost reduced to tears as Dr Thurman watches with empathy.
Film Scene/example
This scene shows Dr Thurman explaining Donnie’s behaviour and illness to his parents as they clutch each other in fear and anxiety. We also get shown shots of Donnie communicating with Frank through the mirror. We can see the darkness and fear, the change in his mental state through the lighting used. It points upwards to his face, creating shadows, making him look dark, disturbing and frightful. Back-lighting is also used for the same effects.
hope it was useful!!!
cricketscorer
New Member
Hey,
This is only a small thing. First, your stuff on Donnie Darko is really great. I'm doing it too, and it's good because my teacher is a real fan. We're doing Bragg's "On Giant Shoulders" and he reckons the three ways to connect it are:
i) Donnie and Sparrow as "genius" figures like Bragg's scientists. Eg. Sparrow walking across road to collect mail, oblivious to cars connects with Poincare crossing the river by walking through it because he didn't know there was a bridge.
ii) Presenting complex science in a simple way. Eg. Bragg explains the theory of relativity really simply, and Darko shows the liquid spears to represent complex science.
iii) Where journeys begin and end. Eg. Bragg always asks if this or that scientist hadn't existed, would we have got this far in science, and this connects with the Darko-esque "Can we change the future" and "predetermined destiny." As well, my teacher reckons the last line of Bragg ("whose purpose is to meet its maker") connects to Darko ("I have to survive, because otherwise I won't know what's going on").
Hope that helps. If anyone wants to talk about Darko, please e-mail me at thecricketscorer@hotmail.com
PS. Darko connects, I think, best to Frost and "Journey to the Interior"
PPS. I wouldn't trust those quotes, they're a bit dodgy, but you get the idea
This is only a small thing. First, your stuff on Donnie Darko is really great. I'm doing it too, and it's good because my teacher is a real fan. We're doing Bragg's "On Giant Shoulders" and he reckons the three ways to connect it are:
i) Donnie and Sparrow as "genius" figures like Bragg's scientists. Eg. Sparrow walking across road to collect mail, oblivious to cars connects with Poincare crossing the river by walking through it because he didn't know there was a bridge.
ii) Presenting complex science in a simple way. Eg. Bragg explains the theory of relativity really simply, and Darko shows the liquid spears to represent complex science.
iii) Where journeys begin and end. Eg. Bragg always asks if this or that scientist hadn't existed, would we have got this far in science, and this connects with the Darko-esque "Can we change the future" and "predetermined destiny." As well, my teacher reckons the last line of Bragg ("whose purpose is to meet its maker") connects to Darko ("I have to survive, because otherwise I won't know what's going on").
Hope that helps. If anyone wants to talk about Darko, please e-mail me at thecricketscorer@hotmail.com
PS. Darko connects, I think, best to Frost and "Journey to the Interior"
PPS. I wouldn't trust those quotes, they're a bit dodgy, but you get the idea
cricketscorer
New Member
De Rien
Hey,
I'm happy to give all my Donnie stuff, because I'm lucky to have a teacher that likes it, and given that the rest of the Journeys texts are crap, it's hard to connect something good like "Donnie Darko" to the rest of them.
Hope it helped!
Hey,
I'm happy to give all my Donnie stuff, because I'm lucky to have a teacher that likes it, and given that the rest of the Journeys texts are crap, it's hard to connect something good like "Donnie Darko" to the rest of them.
Hope it helped!
persephone
Active Member
my friend did donnie darko got like 14/15 for the assessment task because she loved it somuch.... and because i suggested the movie to her....it really is good isn't it? Makes you think....
CK
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2004
- Messages
- 1
- Gender
- Undisclosed
- HSC
- N/A
wow, didnt realise so many people were using donnie darko as their text? i think its great. such a good movie.
heh took me a few times to understand the plot though. collapsing universes? manipulated dead? manipulated living? heh.
if anyone is having trouble understanding the story, there is a site that has everything. very useful.
http://www.stainlesssteelrat.net/ddfaq.htm
heh took me a few times to understand the plot though. collapsing universes? manipulated dead? manipulated living? heh.
if anyone is having trouble understanding the story, there is a site that has everything. very useful.
http://www.stainlesssteelrat.net/ddfaq.htm
ameh
dirty trick
I saw it today just for fun and it was a bit weird but I liked it anyway share ur notes people!
timrie6
Member
- Joined
- Feb 29, 2004
- Messages
- 702
- Gender
- Undisclosed
- HSC
- N/A
go to www.donniedarko.com
awesome site
awesome site
Girra_girl
New Member
Thanks for the info...DD is a strange, scary but riveting. I really needed a text for AOS...so thank you!
ameh
dirty trick
yay thanks for that!
sarahlouiseir
Member
mmmm i wonder if they relate to colerige?
i hope so
thanx 4 the notes!!!
i hope so
thanx 4 the notes!!!
ameh
dirty trick
*m using donnie darko for imaginary journeys, and I have no fucking idea! the hsc qn goes, its the journey not the destination that matters, so donnie is on a journey - of knowledge? donnie knows his arrival point "every living creature on this earth dies alone, says grandma death""
on second thoughts, i might not do this text.
on second thoughts, i might not do this text.
Hey guys don't get too stressed about journeys yet. Ie I did mine this yr. The hardest thing that I found was trying to get what the teacher actually wanted. I might have been a bit thick but hey I figured it out 3 days before the exam!!! Yeah! Here is what helped. Guys remember: 'JOURNEYS HAVE A INITIAL STATE, THEN A PROCESS, THEN A RESULT' Never forget. That is what will drag everything down. You MUST have EACH described in ANY assessment! ie letter about journey to a friend about coming to Aust. ie identify your friends state now. Are they ignorant of life over here? Stuff like that. Then describe the processes to get here, their learning experiences, maybe meeting new culture etc. Then identify what they'd be like at the end. ... ie 'you'll understand more about us and yourself if you do come.'
Get the idea? Oh. To make texts soooo much easier make this little summary. You'll be surprised what help it does and it prob. only takes a few hrs. saves days of work and marks! in point form. the different stages ie start, process, result. Then join these into sentences. Add relevant quotes in the middle. Each text should have three to four techniques EXPLAINED. ie. ALWAYS 1. say the technique 2. quote with it in it. Briefly ppl! Rarely more than one sentence! 3. What does the techniques DO ie 'emphasises the situation of the persona' is a good one. ones like that.
Don't forget to relate back to the question ppl! Difference between band 5 &6.
Hope that helps some ppl....
Get the idea? Oh. To make texts soooo much easier make this little summary. You'll be surprised what help it does and it prob. only takes a few hrs. saves days of work and marks! in point form. the different stages ie start, process, result. Then join these into sentences. Add relevant quotes in the middle. Each text should have three to four techniques EXPLAINED. ie. ALWAYS 1. say the technique 2. quote with it in it. Briefly ppl! Rarely more than one sentence! 3. What does the techniques DO ie 'emphasises the situation of the persona' is a good one. ones like that.
Don't forget to relate back to the question ppl! Difference between band 5 &6.
Hope that helps some ppl....