'Donnie Darko – Detailed Summary Essay\r'

'Donnie Darko is an intelligent, til now delirious and emotion partner-ill teenager, who’s idealistic fantasy of correcting the wrongs in society, concludingly appears possible in a ‘tan universe’ (an imaginative reality), where he is control by an complex quantity friend blustering, who appears as a malevolent giant bunny girl in Donnie’s day- clock hallucinations.\r\nIn the advance(prenominal) stages of the scoot, Frank literally lures Donnie from reality and introduces him to a suntan universe where Donnie observes what would’ve been, (yet ultimately is) his ingest death in reality, where he is grim by a plummeting airliner engine that crashes by means of the roof of his house directly in a higher place his bedroom where he sleeps. In the topaz reality though, he is merely a bystander, bemused and frightened by the chance of the aftermath, as he returns home the aurora subsequent to the disaster. He realizes that his long sleep-wal k guess the previous night, (Summ iodined by Frank) had ensured the avoidance of his death.\r\nThe peach is initially under the impression that Frank is a product of Donnie’s nauseous and inventive sub-conscious, as he is merely a vehicle to release Donnie’s inhibitions to express themselves done acts of desecration. In some ways, Frank seems to take advantage of Donnie’s psychic state by coercing him to actualize crime. Yet Donnie appears to advocate his own actions, indicating his livelinessions for social change, reformation, and also for companionship †he fears the setting of â€Å"dying alone,” in which case, Frank is an ally who can assist Donnie in manage with his stimulated struggles and hardships.\r\nThe circumstance that Donnie’s mental condition is deepr classified as ‘paranoid schizophrenia’ by Dr Thurman (Donnie’s psychiatrist), would appear as another executable theory or impression, for the s ecurity guard to follow. However, it proves not as strong. The reason being, is that the initial or aforementioned theory supports the film’s noteworthy theme that ‘destruction is a form of creation’ (an idea propagated by Donnie’s secondary literacy teacher, Mrs. Pomeroy), whereas the latter is a shallow, yet logical conclusion that isn’t glaringly in keeping with some(prenominal) underlying messages of the film it self.\r\nLater in the film, the tangent universe allows for the liney of Frank, as an authentic person, who is butchered by Donnie as he is directly responsible for a fatal car accident involving Donnie’s much- adored ‘tangent’ girlfriend, Gretchen. This enlightens us as to the reason for Frank’s gain with Donnie. †Frank has trigger offinged back through time, to in-turn; open a port-hole to Donnie’s incoming and enable Donnie to view aspects of his manner beforehand as a series of optical manifestations, (ie post airliner engine catastrophe).\r\nIn doing this, he informs Donnie that Armageddon give arrive in xxviii days, which conveniently serves as a artful motive to aid his primordial fair game: †To discourage Donnie in continuing his life in reality; in the bank that Frank’s life will be sp atomic number 18d.\r\nAt this point in the film, the recurring theme of time travel claims its stronghold, regardless of previous acknowledgements and inferences. For instance, in one particular scene Frank implies he is from the future, and in numerous others, Donnie is seen eagerly re essaying and discussing metaphysical revelations, pertaining to the philosophy of time travel. Evidently though, these scenes and others, such(prenominal)(prenominal) as the ‘Frank-influenced’ despoilment of Donnie’s schoolhouse and the arson of a corrupt perverts house, bedeck critical stages of Donnie’s inner excursion †that is, from a di sillusioned teenager, troubled by the folly of mainstream attitudinal beliefs, to an individual who transcends reality in order to subsist in an idealistically superordinate society, of his own invention.\r\nAfter twenty-seven days of endeavor through outrageous universal displays and clandestine defilement, the foretold event of Armageddon looms near. Donnie ambles through the final moments of his tangent existence (inner pilgrimage), as his character-defining tenacious dynamism begins to fade. As expected, he assumes his fatalistic mentality of â€Å"all living things feed a set path,” and that populace atomic number 18 merely vessels traveling along â€Å" paragon’s channel,” gradually nearing a pre-determined destination. At this stage, Donnie’s mindset suggests a search for spiritual console and religious meaning.\r\nWhilst denying an abruptly defeatist outlook, Donnie exerts a courageous outside by modestly welcoming his fate, in the hope that there will be â€Å"so much to look beforehand to.” He is of course referring to a ameliorate valet de chambreity that is devoid of inadequacy, corruption and suppression.\r\nIt is here, that the film takes an unexpected turn, whereby Donnie’s inner travel in the tangent universe is around thwarted due to the sub-conscious acknowledgement of an hearable phrase, originally voiced by his late girlfriend, Gretchen. It is part of her conjecture of emotional solace: â€Å"What if you could go back through time, and put back all those hours of pain and darkness with something remedy?”\r\nAt this point, Frank uses his god-like essence to beat up Donnie in reality, assuming that he’d been subjected to enough to be dissuaded, and, much to the peach’s astonishment, Donnie awakes in bed, hysterically express emotion in awe and disbelief of his ‘dream.’ Whilst conscious, he remembers the tangent fantasys of pain and anguish, inclu ding Gretchen’s death, and the murder of Frank, and decides that his future should be exempt from more(prenominal) emotional suffering.\r\nDonnie opts to conclude his inner travel heroically, by means of self-sacrifice †that is, to allow the plummeting airliner engine to destroy him, gum olibanum ensuring an protracted life for his beloved female tangent counterpart, Gretchen.\r\nThe film Donnie Darko is significant to the theme of ‘imaginary travel’ as it details a person’s sinister apothegmatic voyage into the future, and consequent development of emotional alteration.\r\nDirector Richard Kelly uses the character Donnie as a representation of idealistic thought internal in society. It is no undisclosed fact that society itself, is pervaded by thoughts and ideals that are in contrast with expected societal opinion. Kelly hints at the notion that we are engaged in the journey of life, yet our propulsion is moderate somewhat, by the undeniable n eed to correct to society’s bounds and restrictions †thus society would seem to preclude public from achieving their primary goal(s) or concluding their journeys. in any case intertwined with this wisdom, is the suggestion of the façade of man nature. Kelly suggests it is unnatural for veritable human inclination to be constrained, hence the rationale of life-long journeys that are embarked upon to discover a sense of self.\r\nDonnie’s self discovery is shown through his sacrifice for Gretchen. Whilst on his imaginary journey, Donnie identifies with her troubled emotions and sinister solid ground of family trauma. He discovers a person unco similar to himself, so his sacrifice in essence could be perceived as an effort of self-preservation as he was intent on ensuring continuity of his ‘spirit’ inwardly a physical entity other than himself. This is a viable interpretation, relevant to a ruminative ‘inner’ journey, as it is a primary motive for initial commitment to the journey itself.\r\nKelly realizes that Donnie’s journey is exceedingly implausible and unrealistic. Without detracting from the intended solemnity, it seems a feat such as Donnie’s could only be surmounted by a ‘philosophical super-hero’ with ethereal powers. Kelly deliberately captures the fervent yet slightly naïve central vision of Donnie’s ideological expectations in the films title, and in Donnie’s heroic bravado. Nonetheless, he encourages exasperation of thought and motivational urge on our set path in life, or inner journey.\r\nThe reason being is that humans are inclined to stray from reality, if then; there is an absence of true doing in their existence. By this, Kelly infers that an inner journey is necessary to undergo, as it induces self-gratification and contributes to the saving and perpetuation of ones psyche.\r\nDirector Richard Kelly uses the spiritualist of time travel t o symbolize the eternal human endeavor/journey in Donnie Darko. I use eternal, because we yearn for such an well-off method as time travel to reveal future outcomes and destinations, yet we are simultaneously disenchanted by its overt impracticalities.\r\nKelly expresses his interpretation of fatalism via ‘liquid beams,’ which consist of water and metal, and appear as a cylindric protrusion from a human’s chest. In the scene known as the ‘liquid spear waltz,’ (tangent universe), Donnie in his unreal state, sees these spears connected to the chests of his friends and family. He observes that the individual ceaselessly follows the path of the spear, to their immediate destination.\r\nFor example, Donnie’s spear leads him to the fridge on one occasion, whilst he was thirsting for a drink. He would’ve made that same trip even if the spear wasn’t there.\r\nFurthermore, the inclusion of undercoveral activity in the film, such as the liquid spear, adds to the surrealism of the tangent universe, reinforcing the ‘imaginary’ focus of Donnie’s journey. Kelly has envisioned the same dream-like atmosphere via other medium also.\r\nFor example, many of the tangent universe scenes are in slow-motion, and filmed from an aerial perspective. This informs the viewer of the simulation of the tangent universe, whilst creating a mystic atmosphere and mood.\r\nFinally, Kelly’s concept of fatalism whitethorn well be perceived as a mere scapegoat for human failure, yet such a perception would be grossly incorrect.\r\nHe emphasizes that; we shouldn’t knowingly inhibit ourselves because we travel on a set path in life. If anything, a pre-determined future should provide motivation, and encourage one take advantage of chance(a) opportunities and prospects.\r\nAfter all, we are oblivious as to when exactly, our journey of life shall ultimately cease.\r\n'