Donnie Darko

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Just one question:


Why, oh why, does Donnie takes this gun out of the room, and later bring him to kill Frank, who just stupidly made an accident ?? How unmoralistic ??? Is that your american Jesus ? What`s the fuss about going to the cellar door at the end when the point of timeclash impact happened in his room ?? Even Back To The Future wouldn`t have made such unnecessary stretches ?? Ok, let`s say he had to give a letter (some sort of "hey, I was there" note that perhaps the lady still can catch later in Primary Universe or whatever), I`ll accept that.

But Frank getting killed ? The divine bunny appeared before the clash anyway so they don`t seem to be directly related cos as far s we know, they may be a dead-bunnied
Frank in the Tangent Universe but there is also a "real" Frank that goes out with the sister.

What happened at the end of Blair Witch you said ??

>>By Vade Retro Godana   (Thursday, 20 Feb 2003 13:22)



Wow that's one question? I'd hate to see what happens if you get confused watching a movie...I think you got off track with this movie.

>>By Alora   (Friday, 21 Feb 2003 04:25)



HEY GUYS!!!.... i got in a car accident..and not my insurance company is gonna screw me cuz its my fualt...and i need a new car....aint that a bitch!?!?....

Anyways...yeah....u all know my opinion The Dues Ex Machina works on TOO many levels...it doesn't ahve just one meaning..stop trying to put ure finger on it....

Vade Retro Godana....read our posts...u aare confused.... laters guys....

Im going to try to get some sleep...still shaken from the accident.... hope u guys at least ahve good sleep.....I know i won't....

>>By Kelvin   (Friday, 21 Feb 2003 07:14)



That sucks, Kelvin. I know how those are. Hope everything turns out okay.

Vade, I think that Bunny-Frank was a manifestation of God, and then everything that happened did for a reason, so that Donnie could realize his duty.

>>By Then   (Friday, 21 Feb 2003 11:56)



if anyones in doubt read the entry from Jamuraan its is the synopsis of the century , no shit. may be not the
type of guy who want at a " lets all answer in two syllable sentences contest" but seriously folks this guy has got flava .

>>By iceberg51   (Friday, 21 Feb 2003 17:15)



actually my sexist comment about jamuraan is totally retracted . i have no idea who jamuraan is so cant be so egotistical an think its guy . sorry

>>By iceberg51   (Friday, 21 Feb 2003 17:18)



Yup, he kills Frank because he was destined to do so. Frank visited him early on as a manipulated dead, so he had to die in the tangent universe to get there. Donnie put two and two together after the water thingy out of his chest lead him up to his father's gun.

Kelvin. Damn sorry about the car accident. Take it easy, sleep it off if you can and deal with the paper work when you have calmed down and centered yourself. Let us know how things work out, okay, man?

>>By Bishop   (Saturday, 22 Feb 2003 10:00)



Yeah, Kelvin, take it easy man :-)

>>By Andrew C   (Sunday, 23 Feb 2003 15:45)



I watchd the film lat night and was confused, i will tell you why
1st of all I thought that it was a simple case of time travelling.
Then I thought that it was a what-if film, a kind of sliding doors type film.
But I couldnt think that it was that simle.
Was it really a case of a few dimensions and pre-destined life?
I havent read all but some peoples comments.
Bearing in mind I have only watched the film once I have a few ideas.
People dont understand why the bunny or frank is Donnies guide thru the film (he is a guide). I suggest perhaps that these guides always represent something important, in this case this guide is only found out in the end as being donnies girlfriends killer. To of found out at the start who the bunny was would of meant nothing to Donnie as he didnt know the girl by then. In the 28 days he got to know and perhaps love this girl. The bunnys annonimity was important for donnie to continue his path. the bunny was the part of the whole (see into the future) unexplained thing in Donnies visions.
I think that the film never went beyond the 2nd of october. Most of the film was in another dimension (im not going into all that). At the end of the film all the important or apropriate characters know that something has happened. Kind of like in the matrix, a feeling of De-ja vu when things are changed in the world.
It all smells of religous-jesus suggestion but since its not explained fully (in the film) nobody could really know how simple or complex the film actually is.

>>By Drummer   (Sunday, 23 Feb 2003 19:27)



Heres another theory.
Donnie didnt die in the real world, only in the alternative one.
If he has of died in the real world it would of had to of been a plane from the future.
Kind of tied in with deja-vu or the feeling that you have been somewhere or met somebody b4.
Taking all these dimension theorys into account, that would mean that dieing from an unnadentafied engine would never of been explained. Plausable but too easy to pass off. That would be all too appropriate an ending for a film that appears on the outset to be confusing. If thats the case then the film isnt difficult to inderstand and in my opinion is not as good for this.
An engine from another dimension is not a satisfactory outcome. I could accept that dimensions could be linked psychologically but not affected by physical artefacts from differant!!
Dieing in the tangent or alternative dimension would of been quite as weird, particularly as its supposed to be an alternative universe. We never see what really happens after the engine goes throught the room. That is, perhaps it was an engine off a real jet that was in the alternative universe and the people at the end, know what has happened in the tangent universe(Donnie having to sacrifice for the greater good) and the primary universe (nothing has changed,but if donnie doesnt die all universes will end). In the end perhaps donnie smilling with the letter in his hand is the primary donnie that doesnt die and the one that gets the engine death is the tangent one and the one that sees the death of his girlfriend was the alternative one, or the alternative, what-if life.
Perhaps donnies referance to being a real hero is that he is a comic hero in that dimension (if the film does come from the altenativ dimension)
Im sure this theory is riddled with holes but I amnt really able to say what I mean.
The film leaves many questions and many theories to be discussed
The things coming out of peoples chests suggest that fate is not changable, even to the recievers. Despite donnie knowing that these lead to the future steps of humanity (his dad going to the fridge to open a beer, following the one from his chest) he still followed the path he was destined to do. He still got the gun and shot your man.
Why did he shoot frank if he was going to sacrifice himself? It didnt make a differance at the end whether or not frank was alive or dead.
Simplifying the movie, I think that it is more like a what-if film. If donnie doest exist for the 28 days of the film then the whole thing is errelevant. Nothing that happened in his life or anybody elses would of happened the way they did. Therefore was the film him looking into the future or an alternative life, again a what if?
Or is it a simple, he sacrifices his life in one dimension to save others in a differant one??
Again to me the bunny guy is just a symbol of the start of all these weird things, (the sister being dropped off by frank and the engline hits) to the end where he shoots frank and starts to understand whats going on.

>>By drummer   (Sunday, 23 Feb 2003 19:56)



This is for anybody that doesnt know what Deus Ex Machina means:
Stage device in Greek and Roman drama in which a god appeared in the sky by means of a crane (Greek, mechane) to resolve the plot of a play. Plays by Sophocles and particularly Euripides sometimes require the device. The term now denotes something that appears suddenly and unexpectedly and provides an artificial solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty.   (Sunday, 23 Feb 2003 20:09)



wow, whoever left that last post, thank you for not being retarded. its like a breath of fresh air.

>>By McKenzie   (Sunday, 23 Feb 2003 23:15)



I left the last three posts.
I dont know the inns and outs of dimensions but tried to somehow use them to explain what I was trying to say, not really as well as I wanted.
I only posted the meaning of Deus Ex Machina from a search engine on yahoo to save anybody else the bother of having to look it up!!!

>>By drummer   (Monday, 24 Feb 2003 00:36)



Isn't the first part of what drummer said, what you said, and isn't the second part that he said, what I said?

Thanks for the full information, drummer.

>>By Then   (Monday, 24 Feb 2003 11:58)



I humbly dissagree drummer.

I think the thingys coming out of peoples chests represent changebility. Donnie simply CHOOSES to follow his "streamer", thus, IMHO, suggesting that there's a balance between fate and choice.

The eternal argument of fatalism vs. free-will :-)

>>By Andrew C   (Monday, 24 Feb 2003 22:50)



Kelvin...take care and let us know soon how ya are--I was T-boned by a deisel pickup about 2 years ago and still remember that feeling--totalled my 4-runner (even bent the roll bar) and the worst part was I was on my way to Oz-fest and had to miss it (Godsmack played that year too)---hope you didn't get hurt, keep your case open cause those back injurys can show up a year after.
PS---maybe the chest thingys:) are leading in a direction but maybe also they are just showing the path the person was going to head in----projecting forward and back in time at the same time.
PPS----if anyone wants to discuss other movies as well as this one, I am at JBSLAINE@MSN.com

>>By inanna   (Tuesday, 25 Feb 2003 00:14)



Ok when I first saw the movie I had absolutely no idea what was going on until I came in here and read all your oppinions. Now everything is much clearer so thanks a lot guys.
I havnt seen the deleted scenes and for some reason the site wont let me input the password to get past level 1, but just like everyone else I have multiple theories bouncing around my head. One of the more far fetched ones could be that what if the reviewers captions were right? when they say Frank is a demonic bunny, maybe he wasnt sent from God but from something evil and was sent to end the world, thus by saving Donny and causing the two universes to collapse on each other in 28 days he is doing that, only Donnie does not want the world to end and chooses to alter his destiny and save it.
I admit this is pretty far fectched since it begs the question why would Frank even help him along his journey, the damage was already done.
In response to other points...

I believe he is laughing at the end because he realises he can save the world through the short life realised by his tangent universe self, as well as all of his loved ones. He can change his destiny so that they all live, his mum and daughter and gretchkin and because of the tangent life he just lived he is content in sacrificing himself cause in way he doesnt die alone.

Yeah I was going to ask about the guy in the red suit, thanks for that.

I also didnt hear the car at the end either so I dont know what so say about that.

I think the website is an added bonus for those who didnt and cant get enough of the movie, its not for dumbasses and its very well done (even if it wont let me access with the level 1 password, (which I know))

And as an aside to McKenzie, your brother is not retarded, those star wars books are just as important as the movies, again like the website, they are an added bonus for those who could not get enough of the movies, like the website, theyre an extension of the plot.

>>By Fez   (Tuesday, 25 Feb 2003 03:35)



Fez, I wouldn't worry about McKenzie.. I think he's one of those elitist guys that thinks everyone is retarded.

>>By Then   (Tuesday, 25 Feb 2003 12:35)



Fez, does Diz mean anything to you? I could be reaching here but I just want to check...

>>By Alora   (Wednesday, 26 Feb 2003 04:09)



Then, thanks I got your back too

Alora, I dunno depends if youre trying to insult me or not...
Otherwise no.

>>By Fez   (Wednesday, 26 Feb 2003 12:22)



I think that the film was lame. If you listen to the commentary on the DVD, it sounds like the guys are high and are making it up as they go along. "Let's throw a bunch a stange stuff in a movie and have everyone talk about it and think that we are F#$%ing gifted story-tellers"

>>By Dent, A. Dent   (Wednesday, 26 Feb 2003 21:25)



Yeah Dent, your right. I bet that's really what they wanted to do, I bet the whole film fell in place by accident.

Do you know anything about filmaking and how difficult it is? By the way, do you think the film is lame, or just the commentary?

>>By Andrew C   (Thursday, 27 Feb 2003 00:41)



My take on the movie was basically the same as everyone elses. It definately was an intreging film . Tangent universes, 4 dimension, yotta yotta yotta. But I seem to see a different side to this film that no one else does. Think back to where Grechine was talking about replacing all the bad in your life with pictures of good things. Well, if you ask me, thats exactly what happened. Frank saved him for a reason. To fill Donnies empty life and fill it with some meaning. Which was her role. As you see at the end, she never met him because of his death. But at the end, he was much happier than when the film started.
Respond back with what you think.

>>By joey   (Thursday, 27 Feb 2003 04:50)



Joey, I totally agree with you. It's almost as if Gretchen never had anything to do with it.

>>By Then   (Thursday, 27 Feb 2003 12:08)



Just a thought that occurred to me right now - and I could be way off the mark but I thought it was worth mentioning for discussion -
What if Donnie Darko wasn't the first person chosen to correct the dimensional paradox - what if the first person chosen was grandma death? She had been destined to die but she chose to live instead of sacrifice herself and thus she tells Donnie that we all die alone because she has not followed the path of her destiny? So then someone else had to be chosen to correct it and that person was Donnie. Am I mistaken in my memory (I have so far only watched the film once) that a drawing of the rabbit was in her book?
Now that I have written that I am thinking that it is probably nonsense, but I'll post it anyway seeing as how I've read and enjoyed all the posts here and I feel I should contribute something that has not been suggested already!
It is indeed a great flick, as is mulholland drive.

>>By Shnaek   (Thursday, 27 Feb 2003 13:32)



I've watched the movie over again, and there is definately no rabbit in The Philosophy of Time Travel. but you could be right. The only person who knows the true answer, I guess, is Richard Kelly. Well thats all. See you all later.

>>By Joey   (Thursday, 27 Feb 2003 15:05)



Wow, Grandma Death could have been a failed Receiver. I never thought of that one...now THERES an interesting thought....hmmm....I'll have to think that one out and get back to you guys.

We have to remember, too, that the Grandma Death were seeing in the movie is the Tangent Universe Grandma death, and she's effected by Donnie as well.

One more damn thing to think about, thanks Shnaek... :)

>>By Bishop   (Saturday, 1 Mar 2003 10:08)



Grandma Death has been waiting a very long time for Donnie's letter.

>>By Andrew C   (Saturday, 1 Mar 2003 15:57)



Well I just saw this site, and watched the movie 3 times in 2 days? Its certainly very intriguing. It's certainly more than just a movie, to some, it has hints of anarchy and helps open up your 'sky' as well. The ones who know what I mean knows..

But ?'s yes.
I haven't stuck to just one way that everyone thinks is theirs.
But , Frank the bunny could've been god himself too.God not like jesus or someone, but just supernatural powers of the cosmos. He could've been the one traveling back in time to tell Donnie, and not just Donnie's imagination as some say. Frank was real when Donnie saw him. Dr. Thurman knew that as well and knows he's not crazy. But of course it totally seems like the movie is not based on Frank but Donnie. Technically, Frank's death would be the only real sin and crime committed by Donnie by Frank on purpose; Rose and Gretchen's death is totally accidental. But if it was just saving Donnie from having a lifetime regret of having killed Frank so immorally, that could totally be the movie.
(I know it seems like i'm missing the other half of the movie, but i know and just want to bringup some other interpretations:)

And as for the Plane... I don't think Donnie actually PHYSICALLY used his 'powers' to bring back/down the engine. The Engine wouldv'e fell no matter what. THe thing is the Engine will fall mysteriously on Oct. 2nd and Donnie has no control of bring it here nor there.I see some believe Donnie 'brought' the engine with telekinesis...I would slightly disagree. Donnie has though, the power to decide to receive the engine with his body or leave.
The thing is, as described in the movie, someone/thing needs to have a metal spacecraft, and that was the plane engine, yet donnie was never any such spacecraft. It was just the ENGINE, that i guess fell through a WORMHOLE (i haven't seen much mention of that) and with a lot of speed, and thus created the breach in the universe of time and space. The movie said wormholes are rare and hardly random, and usually acts of god.
A weird thing is (unless i forgot something), the MYStery of the jet Engine coming from nowhere still DID HAPPEN after Donnie let it kill him. Thus that mystery still happening in the real world. IT would seem as though he saved the people only and changed the lived of many, but the 'mystery and the disordered time and space in the real world still happened nonetheless! ??

And then.. we know that Planes are scheduled to fly months ahead, and if because Donnie's Mother + sis didn't get on that flight, the plane would've still took off and had its engine fall down on Donnie. So if the Engine fell down mysteriously 28 days earlier, when that plane were to fly that day, WHERE is the engine there?? would it just suddenly disappear off the plane on that day like before it had even took off?? or something. Since Donnie or god or wormholes made the engine go back in time. or the future?

But I think i'm having some trouble with time sequence. like Oct2, the first day that everything started when he woke up,went to school and etc. And Oct 2 the day he Died. but whatever it is, THe plane is suppose to be flying overhead on like oct 28/30? in reality world. But in reality world the plane engine still fell on Oct2. So is it just that they still live in a F#$*&ed up world in the end?
~ help i'm confused lol (fumey@go.com)

>>By an act of God   (Sunday, 2 Mar 2003 01:40)



First off, i would like to say that Frank scared the hell out of me. I haven't been frightned by a film in like 8 years, and after seeing that bunny I was decididly freaked. I almost screamed when one of the guys I watched DD with snuck up behind me as I was walking back to my dorm.
Secondly I'd like to point out something people seem to miss in this film, self included. Donnie IS crazy. Before he entered a tangent universe, if he ever really did such a thing, he was still a diagnosed schizo who had torched a house. The ending gives us the impression that not everything donnie had seen was a product of insanity, but how do we know that nothing he had seen was caused by his lunatic grasp on reality? As soon as i watched this movie I got on the web-sight, and was instantly crestfallen. The coppy of the book there simply explained too much, it took the challenge out of the movie. I can't discount the book, as it was obviously created by the writer/director, and is just as much a part of this movie as what was put on film. I can, however, discount its simple explanation of the universe Donnie lives in. Perhaps he was experiencing something like that wich he had read in The Philosphy of Time Travel and then his maddness projected other similarities from that work to the world.
Also, i got the impression from the web-sight of a distinct conspiracy theory vibe. The suspiscousness of the federal air boys, or whatever they're called, the mysterouse death of the physics teacher, adding all that stuff about how twisted-cult boy's twisted cult lived on, creepy lines like "you didn't really think he was sleep golfing, did you?" all just sorta gave that impression to me. Thoughts?
And one last thing, the music of the band Badly Drawn Boy is a perfect compliment to this film. I am currently listening to a play-list with both on it and can't honestly tell half the time from wich source the playing song is derived.

>>By bobbo   (Sunday, 2 Mar 2003 07:33)



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