{"id":24635,"date":"2017-03-10T06:03:38","date_gmt":"2017-03-10T11:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=24635"},"modified":"2017-03-10T04:45:43","modified_gmt":"2017-03-10T09:45:43","slug":"donnie-darko-meat-suits-and-multiverses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/10\/donnie-darko-meat-suits-and-multiverses\/","title":{"rendered":"Donnie Darko: Meat Suits and Multiverses"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Richard Kelly’s \u201cDonnie Darko\u201d has<\/span> managed<\/span> to become<\/span> somewhat<\/span> mythical<\/span> among movie<\/span> buffs<\/span>, despite being<\/span> so<\/span> widely<\/span> celebrated<\/span>. It’s a movie<\/span> with a fairly<\/span> simplistic tale<\/span> about time<\/span> travel<\/span> and paradoxes, but also<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> interpreted<\/span> by many people<\/span> and injected<\/span> with ideas<\/span> that fit<\/span> the general<\/span> frame<\/span> work<\/span> of what \u201cDonnie Darko\u201d is<\/span>. Some people<\/span> call<\/span> it a Christ allegory<\/span>, some people<\/span> call<\/span> it a time<\/span> travel<\/span> movie<\/span>, and Kelly himself has<\/span> called<\/span> the movie<\/span> \u201cCatcher<\/span> in the Rye\u201d if it were<\/span> written<\/span> by Phillip K. Dick. There is<\/span> a surefire hint<\/span> of author<\/span> Phillip K. Dick in the way<\/span> that our main<\/span> character<\/span> Donnie Darko is<\/span> stuck in this hazy world<\/span> of suburban conformity<\/span> and alarming<\/span> aggression<\/span>. It seeps<\/span> in to the desperation<\/span> to be<\/span> accepted<\/span> and act<\/span> accordingly<\/span> by just<\/span> about everyone.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Darko is<\/span> never<\/span> quite<\/span> asleep, nor awake<\/span>. Richard Kelly makes<\/span> the town<\/span> Darko inhabits<\/span> feel<\/span> like this dreary<\/span> world<\/span> stock<\/span> piled<\/span> with hideous<\/span> people<\/span>, all of whom spit<\/span> out anyone remotely self-aware<\/span> or willing<\/span> to break<\/span> down any kind<\/span> of walls<\/span>. The way<\/span> I’ve always<\/span> seen<\/span> is<\/span> that \u201cDonnie Darko\u201d is<\/span> about multiverses, a comic<\/span> book<\/span> movie<\/span> with various<\/span> universes<\/span> but no superhero in general<\/span>. Donnie is<\/span> one of the only<\/span> people<\/span> living<\/span> in two realities<\/span> where fate is<\/span> pushing<\/span> him to move<\/span> back<\/span> and forth as a force<\/span> and live<\/span> out two actions<\/span> that can affect<\/span> his environment<\/span>. Reality<\/span> A and Reality B is<\/span> what Donnie is<\/span> living<\/span> when we see<\/span> him.<\/p>\n

One reality<\/span> sees Donnie living<\/span> through the plane<\/span> crash<\/span>, which allows<\/span> him to meet<\/span> his girlfriend<\/span> Gretchen, and somehow disrupt the lives<\/span> of some. His mom<\/span> manages to stand<\/span> up for herself, Jim Cunningham has<\/span> his house<\/span> go<\/span> up<\/span> in flames<\/span> thanks to Donnie while being<\/span> revealed<\/span> as a vicious<\/span> pedophile<\/span>. Kitty<\/span> Farmer is<\/span> also<\/span> taken<\/span> down as someone<\/span> who was<\/span> believing<\/span> in a false idol<\/span>; however<\/span> the confrontation<\/span> in the field<\/span> results<\/span> in Gretchen dying<\/span> by being<\/span> run<\/span> over by the car<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Had Donnie not<\/span> survived<\/span> the plane<\/span> crash<\/span>, the Darkos would have<\/span> never<\/span> met<\/span> Gretchen, and she might just<\/span> survive<\/span> to live<\/span> her life<\/span>. However<\/span> Jim will likely<\/span> be<\/span> revealed<\/span> as a pedophile<\/span> further<\/span> down the line<\/span> than Donnie decides<\/span> on, while Kitty is<\/span> almost<\/span> never<\/span> going<\/span> to be<\/span> taken<\/span> down as alpha female of the community, judging<\/span> and deciding<\/span> for everyone.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It’s really<\/span> up to Donnie to decide<\/span> whether he wants<\/span> to die<\/span> and allow<\/span> Gretchen to live<\/span> through Halloween and perhaps<\/span> in to a better<\/span> life<\/span> without him, or if he wants<\/span> to stay<\/span> alive<\/span> and be<\/span> one of the elements<\/span> that caused<\/span> her death<\/span>. It’s interesting to note<\/span> that, though Gretchen never<\/span> actually<\/span> meets<\/span> to Darkos or knows<\/span> who Donnie is<\/span> at the end<\/span> of the movie<\/span>, there is<\/span> a semblance<\/span> of both universe<\/span> having<\/span> some how drifted<\/span> in to one another. When Gretchen waves<\/span> at Rose Darko, they have<\/span> some hint<\/span> of knowledge<\/span> of one another, perhaps<\/span> a trace<\/span> of Donnie staying<\/span> behind in some form<\/span>. At least Rose does<\/span>, even<\/span> though it’s never<\/span> indicated<\/span> that she has<\/span> the powers<\/span> Donnie does<\/span>.<\/p>\n

When we meet<\/span> Jim Cunningham, as played<\/span> by Swayze, he becomes<\/span> the virtual<\/span> pied<\/span> piper<\/span> or uniformity<\/span> and conformity<\/span> who also<\/span> simultaneously becomes<\/span> Donnie Darko’s adversary until the very<\/span> end<\/span>. Through the very<\/span> end<\/span>, the idea<\/span> of the Fear and Love lifeline seems<\/span> abstract<\/span> and absolutely<\/span> simplistic about life<\/span>‘s bigger choices<\/span>, but they do<\/span> matter in the grand<\/span> scheme<\/span> of Donnie’s own<\/span> life<\/span>. He fears<\/span> being<\/span> alone<\/span> and is<\/span> terrified<\/span> of dying<\/span> alone<\/span>, and chooses love<\/span> with Gretchen, The only<\/span> way<\/span> he can save<\/span> her is<\/span> by choosing loneliness<\/span> and confronting<\/span> his fear<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The way<\/span> most people<\/span> in his town<\/span> are<\/span> capable<\/span> of not<\/span> being<\/span> alone<\/span> by accepting conformity<\/span> which grants<\/span> them love<\/span> by folks<\/span> that appreciate their lack<\/span> of identity<\/span>. Although that’s not<\/span> gospel as the two most unique<\/span> characters<\/span> in the narrative, Karen Pomeroy and Dr. Kenneth Monnitoff are<\/span> alone<\/span>, but they are<\/span> at least together<\/span> in the final<\/span> scenes<\/span>. \u201cFear\u201d and \u201cLove<\/span>\u201d seem<\/span> like ridiculous<\/span> extremes<\/span> to build<\/span> decisions<\/span> on, but for Donnie it means<\/span> just<\/span> about everything as his decisions<\/span> are<\/span> ultimately<\/span> based<\/span> on Fear of, and Love for.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Everything in between is<\/span> blank<\/span> and can be<\/span> altered<\/span> by his own<\/span> sense<\/span> of awareness<\/span> of time<\/span> and paradox. Self-sacrifice<\/span> is<\/span> what Donnie is<\/span> all about from the moment<\/span> we see<\/span> him, and his jumping<\/span> between two realities<\/span> and two fates<\/span> never<\/span> makes<\/span> him whole<\/span>. While Frank the Bunny is<\/span> arguably a figment of Donnie’s imagination<\/span>, he’s also<\/span> quite<\/span> real<\/span> in that he exists<\/span> in one reality<\/span>. Donnie is<\/span> quite<\/span> real<\/span> in that he’s alive<\/span> and conscious<\/span>, but he’s also<\/span> dead<\/span> in one reality<\/span> after being<\/span> hit<\/span> by the stray plane<\/span> part<\/span>.<\/p>\n

So Frank and Donnie are<\/span> one and the same<\/span>, and never<\/span> quite<\/span> conscious<\/span>, solid<\/span> beings<\/span> or mere ideas that are<\/span> flesh and bone<\/span> until the very<\/span> end<\/span>. So should Donnie not<\/span> carry<\/span> out the final<\/span> act<\/span> of violence<\/span> which kills<\/span> Frank, would it alter<\/span> the very<\/span> fabric of time<\/span>? Would Donnie cease to exist<\/span> or would Frank the Bunny simply<\/span> stop<\/span> appearing<\/span> to Donnie allowing Frank the man<\/span> to somewhat move<\/span> forward<\/span> in his own<\/span> timeline?<\/p>\n

It’s also<\/span> never<\/span> truly<\/span> indicated<\/span> if Frank could have<\/span> seen<\/span> visions<\/span> of his fate<\/span>, even<\/span> though everything in the climax<\/span> seems<\/span> to come<\/span> together like a puzzle<\/span>. Donnie can decide<\/span> his fate<\/span> and his future<\/span>, but regardless<\/span> he can’t escape<\/span> the principles<\/span> of life<\/span>, which is<\/span> human cruelty<\/span>, the unfairness<\/span> of life<\/span>, and that some people<\/span> ultimately<\/span> have<\/span> to die<\/span>. It’s all about balance<\/span> and perhaps<\/span> ascension<\/span> to a higher<\/span> state<\/span> of being<\/span> beyond the world<\/span> of a droning<\/span>, monotonous<\/span> suburbia<\/span>, and people<\/span> hopelessly<\/span> victim to their fears<\/span>, and desires to be<\/span> loved<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The 4K restoration<\/strong> of <\/em>Donnie Darko<\/em> will premiere at the Vista in Los Angeles on March 30th<\/strong>, and officially open in Los Angeles at the Cinefamily<\/strong> and in New York<\/strong> at Metrograph on March 31st<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n