MERGED-->Donnie Darko
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Niamh_Saoirse
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
I really liked it, specially the soundtrack! ( Echo and the Bunnymen 
)
)
mad1
ONE love, blood, life
I know Deep....
Im watching neither ever.
ever...........
Im watching neither ever.
ever...........
Basstrap
ONE love, blood, life
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- Jul 6, 2000
- Messages
- 10,726
MAN!!!!
I watched this movie 3 times in the past week..I'm obsessed with figuring everything out
I watched the directors commentary and scoured the website (very cool!)
lets discuss!
SPOILERS!!!
Here's what I understand:
when he wakes up on October 2, 1988, they are then in the tangent universe (hence Donnie is able to hear frank). As proof of this the jet engine falls mysteriously from nowhere and cannot be traced to any plane. This jet engine is waht is called an "artifact"
Tangent universes, since they deviate from the presupposed path of time, are VERY unstable and usually only have a life of a few weeks
Donnie is the 'living receiver' - has been chosen to erase the tangent universe and get everyone back into the 'primary universe' before the world collapses on itself (he can do this by getting the artifact back into the primary universe)
there are the 'manipulated', 'the manipulated living', and the 'manipulated dead'
manipulated - people who are afraid of donnie and who are trying to get him to make the wrong decisions: i.e. Jim Cunningham urges him to change his path
Manipulated living - people who unwittingly help Donnie in his quest. These are Monnitoff, Thurman, family, etc... remember when Drew Barrymore put Cellar Door on the chalkboard? very important for Donnie.
Manipulated Dead - those who die IN the tangent universe and who help donnie to make the right choices as well. These are Frank and Gretchen.
often the manipulated dead will provide an ensurance trap to make certain Donnie goes through with the plan. I.e. Frank kills Gretchen, now Donnie has nothing to live for in the tangent uiniverse. Her death was insurance
So...all the choices he makes in the tangent universe are helping to recreate the rift in space-time that caused this whole thing to happen. Now Donnie has less than an hour before the universe collapses on itself.
at the end the plane, which has taken off at the perfect time, hits the rift and the engine comes off. The engine manages to make it through the wormhole while the plane is left behind.
As the jet engine travels back in time the tangent universe is erased, until that engine is all that is left of the world where Donnie loved Gretchen.
on the website there is an interesting document which says they matched the jet engine that killed Donnie to a plane in Honalulu which is FULLY operation...it had all its engines! a mystery for them, but we know that SAME plane DID take off in the tangent universe and had an accident
Notice how everyone was waking up in a sweat at the end?
they were having memories of the FUTURE...which is now erased. Notice Frank rub his eye as he remembers that he was shot in the eye!
NOW
What I don't know is:
Did Donnie have to die at the end in order for time to proceed as normal? But time was already back to normal!....perhaps Donnie could have escaped. Maybe he though it was all a dream.
I don't understand really HOW he created that rift in time. I know it was by his choices and whatnot...I dunno.
go to the website..it's very cool!
I watched this movie 3 times in the past week..I'm obsessed with figuring everything out
I watched the directors commentary and scoured the website (very cool!)
lets discuss!
SPOILERS!!!
Here's what I understand:
when he wakes up on October 2, 1988, they are then in the tangent universe (hence Donnie is able to hear frank). As proof of this the jet engine falls mysteriously from nowhere and cannot be traced to any plane. This jet engine is waht is called an "artifact"
Tangent universes, since they deviate from the presupposed path of time, are VERY unstable and usually only have a life of a few weeks
Donnie is the 'living receiver' - has been chosen to erase the tangent universe and get everyone back into the 'primary universe' before the world collapses on itself (he can do this by getting the artifact back into the primary universe)
there are the 'manipulated', 'the manipulated living', and the 'manipulated dead'
manipulated - people who are afraid of donnie and who are trying to get him to make the wrong decisions: i.e. Jim Cunningham urges him to change his path
Manipulated living - people who unwittingly help Donnie in his quest. These are Monnitoff, Thurman, family, etc... remember when Drew Barrymore put Cellar Door on the chalkboard? very important for Donnie.
Manipulated Dead - those who die IN the tangent universe and who help donnie to make the right choices as well. These are Frank and Gretchen.
often the manipulated dead will provide an ensurance trap to make certain Donnie goes through with the plan. I.e. Frank kills Gretchen, now Donnie has nothing to live for in the tangent uiniverse. Her death was insurance
So...all the choices he makes in the tangent universe are helping to recreate the rift in space-time that caused this whole thing to happen. Now Donnie has less than an hour before the universe collapses on itself.
at the end the plane, which has taken off at the perfect time, hits the rift and the engine comes off. The engine manages to make it through the wormhole while the plane is left behind.
As the jet engine travels back in time the tangent universe is erased, until that engine is all that is left of the world where Donnie loved Gretchen.
on the website there is an interesting document which says they matched the jet engine that killed Donnie to a plane in Honalulu which is FULLY operation...it had all its engines! a mystery for them, but we know that SAME plane DID take off in the tangent universe and had an accident
Notice how everyone was waking up in a sweat at the end?
they were having memories of the FUTURE...which is now erased. Notice Frank rub his eye as he remembers that he was shot in the eye!
NOW
What I don't know is:
Did Donnie have to die at the end in order for time to proceed as normal? But time was already back to normal!....perhaps Donnie could have escaped. Maybe he though it was all a dream.
I don't understand really HOW he created that rift in time. I know it was by his choices and whatnot...I dunno.
go to the website..it's very cool!
Last edited:
Anthony
Refugee
A fantastic movie, really.
I think...
Ant.
I think...
Ant.
Anthony
Refugee
I have the same problem too, basstrap; why didn't Donnie just NOT do what Frank told him to do - surely that would have stopped everything else from happening?
Any takers?
Ant.
Any takers?
Ant.
OP
OP
meegannie
Blue Crack Addict
Sam and I picked it up at the library yesterday and I'm just getting ready to watch it for the fifth time!
And the UK version has more extra stuff, I think!!!
Basstrap
ONE love, blood, life
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2000
- Messages
- 10,726
give any interpretations you might have!
I had a big speel in another thread here
I had a big speel in another thread here
Squishy Peanut
Acrobat
I saw this movie at a sleepover so I figured I was gonna have to concentrate pretty hard to get it all, but even though everyone else had shut up I still ended up having to watch the ending again the next morning. There'sjust so many ideas to take in! It's a good film, I like these philosophical movies There's still a little I'm not so sure about in the movie but I'm sure it'll click eventually. But yes, everyone should see this movie if only to expand their mind a bit
There's still a little I'm not so sure about in the movie but I'm sure it'll click eventually. But yes, everyone should see this movie if only to expand their mind a bit 
theSoulfulMofo
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
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i was wondering when the 3 threads were going to be merged.
brettig
New Yorker
I love this film, but I think its been overanalysed. When I saw it I thought 'wow, well done...but its not so complex as everyone says.' I guess that is the price of being a cult classic.
Anthony
Refugee
Well, its not that its overanalysed, brettig, its just that this is such a well-made film I would like to love a whole lot more, if it weren't for this apparently huge gaping hole in the story!
Or maybe I don't understand it....
Ant.
Or maybe I don't understand it....
Ant.
zonelistener
ONE love, blood, life
What is feces?
Anthony
Refugee
They made me do it!!!
Ant.
Ant.
deep
Blue Crack Addict
zonelistener said:
they're baby fishes
zonelistener
ONE love, blood, life
"baby rats"
"...Aww cute."
"...Aww cute."
zonelistener
ONE love, blood, life
LMAO!
Quick question...I was just thinking about this waiting for the zoey darko to download....
If you haven't seen the movie...do not read:
Why were the two "school Bullies" at the "Dead" Lady's house at the end? What were they going to do to her? I don't get that part.
Cellar Door
Quick question...I was just thinking about this waiting for the zoey darko to download....
If you haven't seen the movie...do not read:
Why were the two "school Bullies" at the "Dead" Lady's house at the end? What were they going to do to her? I don't get that part.
Cellar Door
HeadsOnSticks
New Yorker
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2003
- Messages
- 3,088
Yes, it rocks so damn hard.
this is one of my top ten all time favourite movies.
and here is an explanation of the events in the film if you wish to know about specific stuff in the film. It was originally posted by aenematron at the Yankee Racers message board. You can find it here.
I've made the text blue, so you may have to highlight it to read it all. Just an extra element of saftey so those who haven't seen DD yet won't have it spoilt for them.
I didn't write it, btw. Just providing it for those who might like further explanation.
***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***
---------------------------------------------------------------------"This is a re-post of something I wrote over at Flick Clack (which is being overhauled both thematically and visually) about my take on the events of Donnie Darko.
(Originally posted on 3/20/02 5:56:48 pm)
OK, I'm going to try to explain the events of the film in chronological order, if that's at all possible. I just watched the film again with the director's commentary, so I have a bit more insight. The following passage is a combination of the writer/director's words and my own interpretation.
10/2/88 12:00 AM
Frank-Bunny wakes up Donnie and leads him out of his room. This one action sets the events of the film into motion, and the fact that he leaves his room is what causes the plane's engine to travel back in time and crash through his bedroom.* There are forces at work here, and whether they are god, aliens, spirits of the universe or denizens of the fourth dimension is unexplained and ultimately inconsequential. The main point is this: the forces have decided to manipulate one Donald Darko by creating a path for him to follow and save the world.**
Everything Donnie does leads to another, from the sleep-golfing incident which sets everything off to the flooding of the school which helps him meet Gretchen. Then, he burns down Cunningham's house, which leads to his mother having to chaparone Sparkle Motion's trip, which leads to the party, which leads to his shooting Frank outside Grandma Death's house.
Within that sequence, Donnie gets the book Grandma Death wrote, which inspires him to write the letter that she is looking for throughout the entire movie. It's this letter which causes Frank to swerve around her and kill Gretchen. When Donnie shoots Frank, creating the image of the mutilated Frank-Bunny that has haunted him, he knows it is time to return to the cliff where he awoke in the beginning. He then, through powers given to him by these unknown forces (the same powers which allowed him to drive an axe into the head of a bronze statue, among other impossible things), creates the wormhole which causes the engine to fall through the house. When he finds himself there, the director states there are two valid interpretations of his laughter: either he believes everything was a dream, or he is enlightened to the forces which drove him.
Either way, it is my belief that he didn't have to die. When Frank honks his horn outside the house, moments before the engine crushes Donnie, he is trying to alert Donnie to the fact that he doesn't have to be there, warning him that the engine is on its way. It's a bit confusing, but apparently the "Tangent Universe" that was created the moment Donnie was woken up on October 2nd left residual memories in the minds of everyone that was touched by the events. Frank knows what is going to happen, and when he gets home, he sits, in wonder, touching his right eye with the fleeting feeling that he has avoided a gruesome fate.
On the Donnie Darko website, which itself is a password-encoded puzzle, there are numerous newspaper clippings and FAA reports revealing that the engine is indeed a caorbon copy of a jet engine from a plane that, in the "Tangent Universe", would have carried Sparke Motion to Star Search. The FAA studies it to no end, because it is the one paradox created by the tangent universe. Also, one reads that a number of people's lives are actually affected by the residual memories of the "Tangent Universe". Cunningham kills himself, cursed with the fear of being caught, and Noah Wyle's character is killed in a hit-and-run accident which may just be the universal force cleaning up anything that might reveal its plans and designs (since he had that book The Philosophy of Time Travel).
I suppose it could have been necessary for Donnie to die, if only for the fact that he had firsthand knowledge of the events. Maybe. Does any of this make sense? It's times like this I wish this board had blown up big, so I could see more than one or two opinions. But I treasure those I am able to see. Maybe a scary bunny will help me promote the board.
*Donnie, later on, insists that Frank-Bunny saved his life, but in fact if he had lain there in his room, asleep, the engine wouldn't have detached and the world would have literally ended on October 30th. The reason for this is unclear, and perhaps we can address that later on.
** Everything that happens in the film, between 10/2/88 and 10/30/88, occurs in what the filmmaker called a "tangent universe", which at the end is retraced and erased, leaving only the jet engine behind.
---Addendum---
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention (or so I think, I ain't reading over that monster again) that Frank-Bunny is not Frank. Frank-Bunny is a vision created to clue Donnie to the path he is meant to take. It's the vision that makes the most sense because he has little to no interaction with Frank until he shoots him, which creates a carbon copy of the Frank-Bunny. It is at this point he knows to go to the cliffside and "do his thing" whatever it was."
and here is an explanation of the events in the film if you wish to know about specific stuff in the film. It was originally posted by aenematron at the Yankee Racers message board. You can find it here.
I've made the text blue, so you may have to highlight it to read it all. Just an extra element of saftey so those who haven't seen DD yet won't have it spoilt for them.
I didn't write it, btw. Just providing it for those who might like further explanation.
***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***SPOILERS GALORE!***
---------------------------------------------------------------------"This is a re-post of something I wrote over at Flick Clack (which is being overhauled both thematically and visually) about my take on the events of Donnie Darko.
(Originally posted on 3/20/02 5:56:48 pm)
OK, I'm going to try to explain the events of the film in chronological order, if that's at all possible. I just watched the film again with the director's commentary, so I have a bit more insight. The following passage is a combination of the writer/director's words and my own interpretation.
10/2/88 12:00 AM
Frank-Bunny wakes up Donnie and leads him out of his room. This one action sets the events of the film into motion, and the fact that he leaves his room is what causes the plane's engine to travel back in time and crash through his bedroom.* There are forces at work here, and whether they are god, aliens, spirits of the universe or denizens of the fourth dimension is unexplained and ultimately inconsequential. The main point is this: the forces have decided to manipulate one Donald Darko by creating a path for him to follow and save the world.**
Everything Donnie does leads to another, from the sleep-golfing incident which sets everything off to the flooding of the school which helps him meet Gretchen. Then, he burns down Cunningham's house, which leads to his mother having to chaparone Sparkle Motion's trip, which leads to the party, which leads to his shooting Frank outside Grandma Death's house.
Within that sequence, Donnie gets the book Grandma Death wrote, which inspires him to write the letter that she is looking for throughout the entire movie. It's this letter which causes Frank to swerve around her and kill Gretchen. When Donnie shoots Frank, creating the image of the mutilated Frank-Bunny that has haunted him, he knows it is time to return to the cliff where he awoke in the beginning. He then, through powers given to him by these unknown forces (the same powers which allowed him to drive an axe into the head of a bronze statue, among other impossible things), creates the wormhole which causes the engine to fall through the house. When he finds himself there, the director states there are two valid interpretations of his laughter: either he believes everything was a dream, or he is enlightened to the forces which drove him.
Either way, it is my belief that he didn't have to die. When Frank honks his horn outside the house, moments before the engine crushes Donnie, he is trying to alert Donnie to the fact that he doesn't have to be there, warning him that the engine is on its way. It's a bit confusing, but apparently the "Tangent Universe" that was created the moment Donnie was woken up on October 2nd left residual memories in the minds of everyone that was touched by the events. Frank knows what is going to happen, and when he gets home, he sits, in wonder, touching his right eye with the fleeting feeling that he has avoided a gruesome fate.
On the Donnie Darko website, which itself is a password-encoded puzzle, there are numerous newspaper clippings and FAA reports revealing that the engine is indeed a caorbon copy of a jet engine from a plane that, in the "Tangent Universe", would have carried Sparke Motion to Star Search. The FAA studies it to no end, because it is the one paradox created by the tangent universe. Also, one reads that a number of people's lives are actually affected by the residual memories of the "Tangent Universe". Cunningham kills himself, cursed with the fear of being caught, and Noah Wyle's character is killed in a hit-and-run accident which may just be the universal force cleaning up anything that might reveal its plans and designs (since he had that book The Philosophy of Time Travel).
I suppose it could have been necessary for Donnie to die, if only for the fact that he had firsthand knowledge of the events. Maybe. Does any of this make sense? It's times like this I wish this board had blown up big, so I could see more than one or two opinions. But I treasure those I am able to see. Maybe a scary bunny will help me promote the board.
*Donnie, later on, insists that Frank-Bunny saved his life, but in fact if he had lain there in his room, asleep, the engine wouldn't have detached and the world would have literally ended on October 30th. The reason for this is unclear, and perhaps we can address that later on.
** Everything that happens in the film, between 10/2/88 and 10/30/88, occurs in what the filmmaker called a "tangent universe", which at the end is retraced and erased, leaving only the jet engine behind.
---Addendum---
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention (or so I think, I ain't reading over that monster again) that Frank-Bunny is not Frank. Frank-Bunny is a vision created to clue Donnie to the path he is meant to take. It's the vision that makes the most sense because he has little to no interaction with Frank until he shoots him, which creates a carbon copy of the Frank-Bunny. It is at this point he knows to go to the cliffside and "do his thing" whatever it was."
zonelistener said:
I believe that they were going to rob her. The second time we see the Darkos have a conversation over dinner, Donnie's dad talks about Grandma Death and how she was known for her gemstone collection and that when he was younger, kids from the neighbourhood used to break into her house and try to steal the gemstones.
Hope that helps.
zonelistener
ONE love, blood, life
Good call!
I didn't catch that foreshadow. Awesome!
I didn't catch that foreshadow. Awesome!
Screaming Flower
ONE love, blood, life
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- Aug 29, 2001
- Messages
- 11,961
ok i FINALLY saw this movie...
it was incredible and i absolutely loved it. interferencers have such good taste.
thanks to you interpreters out there - i enjoyed reading your thoughts.
i want to see it again now please.
and i definitely want the soundtrack.
it was incredible and i absolutely loved it. interferencers have such good taste.
thanks to you interpreters out there - i enjoyed reading your thoughts.
i want to see it again now please.
and i definitely want the soundtrack.
I recently rented this movie because of seeing this thread...I had to check it out. I'm glad I did!!!
IWasBored
Blue Crack Supplier
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2002
- Messages
- 36,783
i still need to see this.
cass
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
phew....I hired the video yesterday to watch this week ( partly because someone here said the song "Mad World" I heard on the radio recently is from the movie) I had a vague feeling the early reviews I had read here were not positive......I see now that they are.
I'm looking forward to this
I swear my eyes are going to go square soon...I've been catching up on movies...watched Banger Sisters( mum loved it..) Catch Me If You Can,A Beautiful Mind( hub hadn't seen it) the week past. This week Donny Darko, I Spy( my son has been asking to see that for weeks) and Moulin Rouge.
( I bought a Lord of the Rings 2003 calendar fron VideoEzy, it has vouchers on the bottom of it.. FREEBIES
I have to wait till December till it's Legolas month..)
If there are sections of Donny Darko I "just don't get"..I'll be back
signed
ole square eyes
I the movies
I'm looking forward to this
I swear my eyes are going to go square soon...I've been catching up on movies...watched Banger Sisters( mum loved it
..) Catch Me If You Can,A Beautiful Mind( hub hadn't seen it) the week past. This week Donny Darko, I Spy( my son has been asking to see that for weeks) and Moulin Rouge.( I bought a Lord of the Rings 2003 calendar fron VideoEzy, it has vouchers on the bottom of it.. FREEBIES
I have to wait till December till it's Legolas month..)If there are sections of Donny Darko I "just don't get"..I'll be back
signed
ole square eyes
I
the movies
Basstrap
ONE love, blood, life
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2000
- Messages
- 10,726
that interpretation is "holey"...but then again..I don't think the direct even understands it all
if frank-bunny is just a vision...made by the powers that be to guide Donnie...why did they have him wake donnie up in the first place...apparently causing the tangent universe?
it makes no sense.
I think the tangent universe would have formed whether he woke or not...but they chose him to save the world...tat's why they woke him up
if frank-bunny is just a vision...made by the powers that be to guide Donnie...why did they have him wake donnie up in the first place...apparently causing the tangent universe?
it makes no sense.
I think the tangent universe would have formed whether he woke or not...but they chose him to save the world...tat's why they woke him up
LarryMullen's POPAngel
Blue Crack Distributor
I just saw it FINALLY tonight, and WOW.
I had to find this thread (which I hadn't read since I last posted in it) and read all your thoughts and interpretations on it. I think I am going to a) rent it or b) right out buy it this weekend.
Regardless, I know that the soundtrack is going home with me this weekend at some point.
I had to find this thread (which I hadn't read since I last posted in it) and read all your thoughts and interpretations on it. I think I am going to a) rent it or b) right out buy it this weekend.
Regardless, I know that the soundtrack is going home with me this weekend at some point.
DiGi
New Yorker
i saw it last night as well. good stuff. I need to watch it again and i agree that the soundtrack was awesome.
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