So what do you think 'happened' in Donnie Darko?

[Moffo]

Watched the directors cut tonight at Moonlight Cinemas, just interested to hear theories on the movie.

Something which occured to me was that most of the characters in the movie have a contrasting character (e.g. the nazi mum/teacher vs Donnies mum, the nazi teacher vs the laid back one that gets sacked etc)

Anyways off track, whaddya think?

 

[Balmain_Boy]

Obviously there are intentionally different interpretations possible, not to mention the fact that there is a lot of social commentary going on. But my purely literal explanation is below

Which is that the jet falling from the sky created a corrupted tangent universe. Donnie Darko had to fix this. The explanation is in the philosphy of time which is on the internet. Basically anyone killed in the tangent universe can reach Donnie retrospectively, which is why he kept seeing Frank. Eventually Donnie was able to open up a worm hole to provide a valid reason for the jet landing in his house. This ended the corruption and the tangent universe.

That's how I understood it anyway.

 

[elyod138]

Yep Balmain_Boy hit the nail on the head, that's the main explanation but each individual is obviously encouraged to interpret different aspects of it in their own way.

 

[Dread]

Would it have been better or worse if they'd actually shown Donnie opening the wormhole?

 

[Samwise]

Personally I prefer the original cut, I prefer the soundtrack and think the directors cut gives too much away. Its one of those movies you can watch over and over, and you just pick up little bits each time as to whats going on, until eventually you can piece together an explanation.

If you go to www.donniedarko.com and work your way through that site, have a read of the history of time travel and it explains alot. Goes into the role everyone around Donnie plays, ie the living receiver, the manipulated living and the manipulated dead.

Great movie, one of my favourites

 

[HevyDevy]

I believe the basic premise is that he had to make a choice between surviving the jet engine falling on his house - which in turn lead to a series of events that culminated in his girlfriend being killed - or sacrificing himself and allowing her to live. He chose the latter.

 

[Misanthrope]

I need to see it again, when I first saw it I didn't really pay as much attention as I should have.

 

[sydraider]

I need to see it again, when I first saw it I didn't really pay as much attention as I should have.

Same here, might go hire it a lil later.

 

[Samwise]

I believe the basic premise is that he had to make a choice between surviving the jet engine falling on his house - which in turn lead to a series of events that culminated in his girlfriend being killed - or sacrificing himself and allowing her to live. He chose the latter.

Frank was one of the manipulated dead who was trying to destroy the world. This is what happens when the universe and a tangent universe collide. By sacrificing himself Donnie was able to stop this and the tangent universe collapsed on itself.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

I'm not so sure Donnie even knew he was going to die though. In that philosophy of time book it says that those involved will only remember the events of the tangent universe as horrible dreams. I reckon the reason he is laughing is because he's relieved that he's woken up and the events were just a nightmare.

 

[elyod138]

I saw the original on SBS a couple of months ago, loved it and decided to buy it. I could only find the directors cut version and imo it was a dissapointment. I agree with the soundtrack being better on the original aswell, that party scene just seems flat in the directors cut with the pantera song left out.

 

[Samwise]

what pantera song?

 

[Balmain_Boy]

I don't know what version I saw. What's a key difference in the movies so I can differentiate?

 

[shadow grinder]

what pantera song?

proud to be loud.

 

[elyod138]

It's not pantera's song, but it's their version.

 

[Samwise]

IMDB has it as being performed by The Dead Green Mummies.

 

[elyod138]

"Proud to Be Loud" Performed by The Dead Green Mummies -- this song is
actually performed by the band Pantera. (The Dead Green Mummies do not
exist.) Pantera has all but disowned their first four albums, this song is
track 5 on the fourth of those albums, "Power Metal." The band presumably
did not want to be credited with the song (as they don't consider any of
their pre-1990 material part of their discography) and made up the name The
Dead Green Mummies.

So it is their song, they just disowned it.

 

[HevyDevy]

Ahhh yes, back when they were a glam band. Those were the days.


Nothing beats Cowboys From Hell (well, a lot does but no other Pantera does)

 

[Samwise]

lol, ok. Seriously doesn't sound like Pantera.

 

[elyod138]

It definately is them i've got all their 'glam' albums including the one this song is on, they are pretty comical.