A Review of the Fiction and Psychological Thriller, Donnie Darko
"Donnie Darko" is a science fiction and psychological thriller written and directed by Richard Kelly. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, a brilliant but troubled high school student. This five-minute film clip reveals how Donnie is saved from death when a sleepwalking episode removes him from his bedroom, where a jet engine is about to crash into. Outside his house at night, Donnie is told by a demonic bunny, Frank, that the world will end in 28 days. Later Donnie wakes up on a golf course, as the sun shines brightly. These clips symbolize that the movie is an intentionally unsolvable puzzle. Cult fans miss the forest for the trees as they try to understand this movie, creating theories about its complex science fiction elements. In reality the theme is very simple. The film is an ode to adolescence, and acknowledges how impossible it is to understand the world at that time of life. The adolescent period is very subjective, fast-paced, emotional, confusing, dystopian, and is not something one is supposed to understand.
The film clip starts as Donnie gets up out of bed and is lured outside towards Frank, who eerily says "Wake up", "I've been watching you", and "Come closer". The cryptic words and dark imagery reveal that the look of the film is hypnotic. The background has this dreamlike softness, and the lighting is very dark, shadowy, and ominous, some of the lamps gently flashing on and off. The music is tense, slow, and echoes as Donnie walks down the stairs connoting mystery and sadness to Donnie, who is sleepwalking and looks lost. These eerie effects should bring out both easy and complex feelings in the viewer because the film is about adolescence, a time when you are brimming with difficult opinions and uncertainty. You never know where Donnie is going as he slowly walks down the stairs, following Frank's voice. Frank tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days, and Donnie smiles and says "Why?" This highlights Donnie as a disturbed character that is more curious than frightened, more intrigued than skeptical to follow into the darkness of the unknown, where most teenagers would flee. The essence of the movie revolves around the unknown and it's the realm of the unknown that drives the journey of adolescence.
Richard Kelly easily creates a disturbing atmosphere when the jet engine falls onto the house from the sky. Right before the crash, the camera pans to a TV displaying a white noise static screen and sound, a common horror film aesthetic creating the visual language of fear. Donnie's sister gets back from what we presume to be a date, due to the car honking and her heavy sighs and smile. Then the jet engine crashes and she slides against the door, immobilized with fear. She watches the chandelier shake and swing slowly, another horror film aesthetic. This scene represents adolescent confusion, as the sister is experiencing intense emotions and chaos in what would normally be the comfort of her home. The camera then pans to Donnie waking up on the golf course. The adults hovering over him do not take him seriously and make fun of him, highlighting the dystopian element of adolescence. It's common for adolescents to not feel in control of their lives, to feel subjected to adults who are in charge of them but do not understand them, especially for a guy as smart as Donnie. He likely feels alone and isolated, perhaps seeing his environment as hostile and loathsome. Donnie looks down at his arms and sees 28:06:42:12 written on his arm in unusual font, which is the time Frank said the world would end. Donnie is forced to think about death, if he chooses to accept it, and what that means for him at his age.
Order custom essay A Review of the Fiction and Psychological Thriller, Donnie Darko with free plagiarism report
450+ experts on 30 subjects
Starting from 3 hours delivery
"Donnie Darko" portrays an adolescent world where kids are faced with the pressures of society and decision-making. This is a time of turmoil for most teenagers where it feels like the weight of the world is on their shoulders. The film portrays this in an interesting and entertaining manner.
Cite this Page
A Review of the Fiction and Psychological Thriller, Donnie Darko. (2023, Feb 25). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/a-review-of-the-fiction-and-psychological-thriller-donnie-darko/
Run a free check or have your essay done for you
