Donnie Darko...a very strange movie - Page 9

Jay E · 10-11-2002, 11:33 AM

Thanks Seth for your opinion on the matter. I too think that he had that kind of "waking up from a dream" feeling like the others in the film have, however, is concern throughout the film over whether we die alone makes me feel as if his death was a foregone conclusion at the end. Whether or not he accepts his death by not getting up is still a mystery to me. All I know is that the movie has stayed in my head for 4 days now. There aren't too many movies that do that to me anymore.

JohnRice · 10-11-2002, 05:36 PM

Now why doesn't he get back up once he fixes things?

I always felt he somehow had to die, as originally would have happened. In fact, the only time Donnie seems to be happy is when he knows he is going to die.

Bryant Trew · 10-11-2002, 09:43 PM

Quote:

It just feels to me like you're trying to kill the discussion. I am happy to entertain the notion that the film makes no sense but rather than throwing around easy to make statements, why not bring up specific points in the film so we can discuss them. Isn't that the point of this thread and board after all?

I did raise several points and asked several questions before, but I got lambasted for doing so. Since then I've purchased DD, because I've accepted that the director lost his way. ...and that it makes sense to accept DD for what it is (a damn good movie that came off the logistical tracks), rather than trying to make sense of it. Am I not allowed to share that point of view?

Bryant Trew · 10-11-2002, 09:45 PM

PS: I'm with John Rice in that I think that he had to die. The problem of course is that the engine appearing out of nowhere (alternate world) happened before that event, which essentially takes away the significance of his death in saving the world.

Cool movie though.

Todd Terwilliger · 10-12-2002, 12:11 AM

Bryant,

How many times do you have to share the SAME view? 3 times in the last 2 pages alone.

I'm glad you've "accepted that the director lost his way" but exactly how does repeating this over and over like a mantra add to anyone else's understanding. And what if the rest of us do not accept that assessment?

I am interested in hearing your points rather than these generalizations. Please point them out - I've been meaning to give DD another watch and it would give me things to look out for.

Seth Paxton · 10-12-2002, 02:14 AM

I'm torn on the "accepting death" aspect too. It's hard to tell if this is supposed to be an essential aspect (though I think Roberta Sparrow's book does say that). She also mentions other time/alternate universe jumps, but those also included people being killed by a metal object (the transportation device for setting things right).

She talks of a man killed by a gun he had yet to finish making (IIRC) and another guy killed on a battlefield that had yet to have the battle that he would have been killed in. Or something like that, it's been awhile since I looked at it (didn't I post her stuff a few pages back?).

So it does seem like it is a critical part of the idea conceived by the writer/director here.

But there is also that feeling that it's not a scientific reason that he has to die, but moreso a philosophical reason. This is that feeling that John just mentioned. It's more like an emotional demand from the narrative, rather than a logical reasoning one (meaning, based on the physical rules established these things must occur).

But then I go back to thinking about what Sparrow wrote...

Todd Terwilliger · 10-12-2002, 02:18 AM

At the end, does Donnie remember everything he did or do you think he also experiences the dream-like quality. It seems like, to me, one can interpret his final smile either way.

JohnRice · 10-12-2002, 02:30 AM

I have a strong interpretation of Donnie's death. I feel he had lived his entire life hopelessly looking for a purpose. He wasn't satisfied with just existing. In the end, he not only gained some companionship through Gretchen, but his life gained true meaning with his death. This also touches on something someone recently said in this thread. I keep going back to the fact that the only time he was truly happy is when he accepted his place as well as his death.

Bryant Trew · 10-12-2002, 07:46 PM

Todd,

My points/questions are listed somewhere in this thread. I can't bother to chase them down, because I need no validation of my point of view (plus, I don't have the time to search). Feel free to look for them yourself though. I would wager that it's somewhere near pages 4,5,6.

Bryant Trew · 10-12-2002, 08:04 PM

My personal intrepetation of DD is that you have a kid who is totally detached from, and therefore rejects the concepts of life laid before him. The traditional conventions of morality and predestiny amazed Donnie, and while most saw him as strange, all he was really looking for was "the truth".

This tear in time/space/reality/whatever occurs for some reason (freak of time or reality perhaps?), and someone needs to correct it (not sure why, having not read the DVD book - something I refuse to do btw). So while everyone else is content to go through life like lemmings, it is Donnie who is chosen to correct things (see Berrymoore and Wylie's comments). Donnie is chosen by the supreme being, because he is looking to understand how life works.

His ability to see the projections of a person's intents, the alternate visions, etc., are all signs of Donnie's growing ability to see the "meaning of life" and do something about it. Then in the end, when he tunnels at the party he really gets it, and seeks to set things straight. He runs to the old lady's house, and the climax leads to two profound statements. I think they were, "Deus EX Machina!" "Our Saviour is here." To me this was the point where he fully understood the supreme being's plan.

And being able to understand the plan, he was able to play a role in setting things right. There would be a notion of redemption, because all the lemmings sort of realised that they were doing something wrong AFTER Donnie fixed things.

So why did Donnie have to die, or why did he choose to die? The easy part - he had to die as a sacrifice for the redemption (hence the Christ parallels). The hard part - Perhaps he chose to die because he no longer feared death. He understood the master plan, the meaning of life, etc. He was content, and therefore had no reason to live any longer...