Donnie Darko Movie

The meaning of the movie Donnie Darko revolves around the book “The Philosophy of Time Travel” by Robert Sparrow Donnie receives from his teacher. The book explains that time is often stable and becomes corrupted occasionally for unknown reasons. The movie covers the story of a disturbed teenage boy who survives a near-death experience. It is about the successful quest by Donnie to end the temporal paradox cycle or the “time-loop” he is caught in. The tangent universe is spontaneously created in Middlesex and threatens the existence of the normal life we know when it collapses in 28 days. When the engine jet drops, the Primary Universe is gone, and the Tangent Universe is created. Donnie is tasked to erase the tangent universe before it destroys the world. This loop continues until the engine is sent back to PU by Donnie so as not to fall into the Tangent Universe, ending the repeating time loop. This is how the superhero, a 16-year-old with emotional problems, Donnie, a history of arson as well as bedroom eyes, saves the world.

Director’s use of camera angles and shots: Throughout the movie, the camera is held sideways and at odd angles. The camera angles give the unrest feeling and illusion of time travel. Power is represented by low and high camera angles. There are high-angle shots of Donnie’s dad talking to the older sister since they are the one who poses a challenge to Donnie in the house compared to shots angles of his mother and little sister, signifying they are not as powerful as the dad and older sister. As the movie progresses, much of the editing is done to reinforce the uneasy atmosphere leading to chaos. The director implies camera movements such as camera rotation and juxtaposition of scenes through a fast-cut series. This is used deliberately to create associations in viewers’ minds. It also places clues beyond the grasp of the first-time viewer on what is taking place in this cryptic film.

Min En Scene: Darkness plays a crucial role in various scenes in Donnie Darko. The Thriller genre is reminiscent of this cinematography. The audience’s thoughts and experiences are focused on the main protagonist by over-the-shoulder and close-up shots. The inclusion of computer-generated elements and degradation in weather symbolizes significant events and hints at significant themes in the movie. For example, the GGI of the flooded school.

Lighting: One of the most significant and obvious film techniques used in the entire movie. For instance, excessive shadowing of Donnie’s face even when light is around him. The apparent lack of light signifies deeper struggles between individuals and society. This can be seen through the tragic heroes Gatsby and Donnie.

Conclusion: Donnie Darko is generally a baffling film. The characters and viewers throughout the film have an eerie sense of looming doom. This is a result of how psychological the film is and the artistic style employed by the director. Negative emotions have been induced in the viewers by the use of dark colors. Despite this, I still believe the movie is not much about how the world is ending and how Donnie is saving it; rather, it is more about the Insurance Trap preventing him from dying alone. This could be the reason why the Philosophy of Time Travel leaves pieces missing. Whether the world in which Donnie is stuck is a loop or not is one of the largest pieces missing.