<div style='font: 14pt "Sans Serif"; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 15% 0% 15%; '>OK, I know Kupek and a few others saw Donnie Darko. It's one of those movies that I know I liked, but I didn't get it. Unfortunately, I don't think the plot that made it to the final film quite holds together. Anyone care to share their theories on just WTF happened?</div>
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OK, I know Kupek and a few others saw Donnie Darko. It's one of those movies that I know I liked, but I didn't get it. Unfortunately, I don't think the plot that made it to the final film quite holds together. Anyone care to share their
- Your favorite band sucks, and you have terrible taste in movies.
<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>Donnie Darko is the hero. It's that simple, I think. When you realize that's what it's supposed to be, the rest makes more sense - you understand more why the story went where it did.
Donnie Darko, in the film, makes a reference to being a hero - when he's talking to Gretchen, and she says "That sounds like a superhero name," and he says "How do you know I'm not?" Right there, he's telling the audience he's the hero. In the directors' commentary for the deleted scenes, the director straight out calls him the hero. He's a tragic hero. Everything else in the movie is the vehicle for him to be a tragic hero.
Donnie realizes - after Gretchen dies, and after he kills Frank - that he's the hero. He knows then that in order to make things right, he has to die. In their final talk, his English teacher tells him "The kids have to save themselves these days, because the grown ups don't know how," or something like that. When he asks what he should tell the other kids, she says "Tell them everything will be alright." Well, after Donnie shoots Frank, he tells the other kid to run off and tell their parents that everything will be okay. That's the point where he's figured it all out - he thought he had it figured all out before coming to Grandma Death's house (he said he has to go help Frank), but now he <i>really</i> has it all figured out. He knows he's the hero.
Now, everything else, like why the time travel happened in the first place, I don't think is explainable. I don't think the writer/director (same person) has any clue how it all started. I don't think he ever solved that part. That's just the vehicle for Donnie to be the hero. It's the suspension of disbeleif part you have to have to enjoy this excellent movie.
Well, maybe he caused the time problem. Because maybe he's causing the time rift, and with him dead, no one else dies - Gretchen lives, and his mother and sister live. He definitely dies to seal up the time rift, but I don't know if he causes it.</div>
Donnie Darko, in the film, makes a reference to being a hero - when he's talking to Gretchen, and she says "That sounds like a superhero name," and he says "How do you know I'm not?" Right there, he's telling the audience he's the hero. In the directors' commentary for the deleted scenes, the director straight out calls him the hero. He's a tragic hero. Everything else in the movie is the vehicle for him to be a tragic hero.
Donnie realizes - after Gretchen dies, and after he kills Frank - that he's the hero. He knows then that in order to make things right, he has to die. In their final talk, his English teacher tells him "The kids have to save themselves these days, because the grown ups don't know how," or something like that. When he asks what he should tell the other kids, she says "Tell them everything will be alright." Well, after Donnie shoots Frank, he tells the other kid to run off and tell their parents that everything will be okay. That's the point where he's figured it all out - he thought he had it figured all out before coming to Grandma Death's house (he said he has to go help Frank), but now he <i>really</i> has it all figured out. He knows he's the hero.
Now, everything else, like why the time travel happened in the first place, I don't think is explainable. I don't think the writer/director (same person) has any clue how it all started. I don't think he ever solved that part. That's just the vehicle for Donnie to be the hero. It's the suspension of disbeleif part you have to have to enjoy this excellent movie.
Well, maybe he caused the time problem. Because maybe he's causing the time rift, and with him dead, no one else dies - Gretchen lives, and his mother and sister live. He definitely dies to seal up the time rift, but I don't know if he causes it.</div>
<div style='font: 14pt "Sans Serif"; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 15% 0% 15%; '>They never did explain what caused the "Tangent Universe" to open in the first place or how Donnie was chosen to be a Receiver or exactly who controls the Manipulated Dead (like Frank ). They brought up the possibility that God was the one behind all of it(remember the conversation with the science teacher).
However, I gathered that Donnie has the ability to open wormholes or timegates or what have you. He is super strong (hence the axe in the metal school mascot). He can see people's destinies (the tubes coming out of everyone's chest). He's also extremely intelligent. He may have other abilities too, I'm not sure.
Also, I think Grandma death was a Receiver and had the same powers...though I'm not quite sure what her part in everything was other than providing the book that goes into a bit of explanation of everything.
I understand that we are supposed to "get" that Donnie has to die in order for everything to be right (guess the Tangent or main universe would blow up otherwise). But, I still don't get *why* he has to die. Is his mere precense causing the temporal breakdown? They never really say...
I tried going on the website...but talk about wierd. You should check it out at donniedarko.com.</div>
However, I gathered that Donnie has the ability to open wormholes or timegates or what have you. He is super strong (hence the axe in the metal school mascot). He can see people's destinies (the tubes coming out of everyone's chest). He's also extremely intelligent. He may have other abilities too, I'm not sure.
Also, I think Grandma death was a Receiver and had the same powers...though I'm not quite sure what her part in everything was other than providing the book that goes into a bit of explanation of everything.
I understand that we are supposed to "get" that Donnie has to die in order for everything to be right (guess the Tangent or main universe would blow up otherwise). But, I still don't get *why* he has to die. Is his mere precense causing the temporal breakdown? They never really say...
I tried going on the website...but talk about wierd. You should check it out at donniedarko.com.</div>
<div style='font: 14pt "Sans Serif"; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 15% 0% 15%; '>Unfortunately, the resolution on my TV is way too low to read it. I picked out bits and pieces, but the writing was not nearly big enough to be read from a tv monitor.</div>
<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Philosophy of Time Travel; Roberta Sparrow
Chapter Six: The Living Receiver;
This Living Receiver is often blessed with 4th dimensional powers. These can include great strength, telekenesis, mind control and the ability to conjure fire and water.
The Manipulated Dead;
The Manipulated Dead are more powerful than the living Receiver...
Hmmmnn, there was a lovely document I would have loved to cut and paste from the side Donniedarko.com but it wouldn't let me! Go through the site, it's definately worth it if you can work out the sometimes strange puzzles. I liked the e-mail one especially.</div>
Chapter Six: The Living Receiver;
This Living Receiver is often blessed with 4th dimensional powers. These can include great strength, telekenesis, mind control and the ability to conjure fire and water.
The Manipulated Dead;
The Manipulated Dead are more powerful than the living Receiver...
Hmmmnn, there was a lovely document I would have loved to cut and paste from the side Donniedarko.com but it wouldn't let me! Go through the site, it's definately worth it if you can work out the sometimes strange puzzles. I liked the e-mail one especially.</div>
<div style='font: 14pt "Sans Serif"; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 15% 0% 15%; '>Yeah it's fictional...but very cool. Normally I don't like movies where they have to cheat (ie, put critical things like that book only on the DVD)to make the plot fit together, but DD is the exception.</div>
<div style='font: 14pt "Sans Serif"; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 15% 0% 15%; '>all the Manipulated Dead and receiver stuff...couldn't read the whole book though. But the DVD doesn't explain everything like who is controling the Manipulated Dead and Living (God is implied in the movie), why Donnie has to die, and why the rift shows up in the first place..</div>
<div style='font: 14pt "Sans Serif"; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 15% 0% 15%; '>They show a page from the book (with the wormhole destiny thingies), but they say nothing about Manipulated Dead or Living, nor do they say anything about the 4th Dimension or Tangent Universe or the powers of the Receiver or who's controlling everything, etc...They leave a ton out...</div>