Editor Recommends: Donnie Darko

CANDID Magazine Issue 5

Editor Recommends: Donnie Darko Words Samuel Sims There has been an abundance of films over the last several decades that have taken great delight in bringing the apocalypse to our attention. Some are full-blown action packed affairs like Roland Emmerich’s 2009 disaster flick, 2012 which saw John Cusack and family running around screaming whilst the Earth literally caved in on itself. Some obsess over the phenomenon of life on other planets, aliens arriving and claiming our planet for their own as in War of the Worlds, an 1898 H.G Wells novel, brought to the big screen by Steven Spielberg in 2005. Or how about the undead, walking around aimlessly feasting on human flesh in so many films I barely know where to begin? More to my own personal taste are far less showy, subtle and subsequently more beautiful films that prove CGI doesn’t need to come into the equation when creating a thought-provoking film on this particular subject. Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia (2011) used metaphorical meaning to try and translate the catastrophe of such an event whilst leaving viewers completely in the dark until about three quarters of the way in, giving it much more of an impact than a tsunami hitting half of the world. Similarly, Take Shelter (also released in 2011) takes an issue like mental instability and places huge emphasis on this as a metaphor, leaving the end of the world as a back-story until the closing titles when the severity of the situation hits both the characters and viewers. One of my all time favourite films is 2001’s Donnie Darko, starring siblings Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze. The story takes place in 1988 and

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begins as disturbed teenager, Donnie (played by the excellent Jake Gyllenhaal) who belongs to a relatively nuclear American family is awakened one night and led outside by a mysterious and nightmare inducing rabbit costume, calling itself ‘Frank’. He tells Donnie that the world will end in exactly 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. Donnie then later finds himself waking up on a golf course, before returning home and discovering a plane’s jet engine has crashed into his vacant bedroom. His sister Elizabeth (Maggie Gyllenhaal) informs him that there are no leads as to where it came from. From then on, Donnie continues to get visits from Frank who drives him to do such things as flood his school, date new student Gretchen Ross (Jena Malone) and reveal the very distasteful private life of motivational speaker, Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze). All of these events form a crucial pattern that will ultimately put Frank’s devastating plan into action. There are a number of crucial and very interesting characters in this film, all of which have a major part to play in how Donnie’s story pans out. He is sent to speak to psychotherapist, Dr Thurman on more than one occasion,

CANDID Magazine Issue 5 somebody he has no trouble revealing all that is happening with Frank to, albeit whilst under hypnosis. She ultimately informs his parents that Donnie may well be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia which they, quite predictably don’t deal well with. Two teachers at his school, Dr. Monnitoff (Noah Wyle) and Karen Pomeroy (Drew Barrymore) oppose and mock the regimented teaching style of gym teacher Kitty Farmer, a woman who doesn’t appreciate creativity or anything that falls outside society’s conventions. In their own way they help Donnie and his journey into the dangerous games that Frank sets out for him, conversely also giving him clues as to how to escape this rapid decline into lunacy. Donnie’s girlfriend, Gretchen perhaps has the most significant part to play in Frank’s games as another damaged individual and the relationship both she and our protagonist share is poetically beautiful yet still strictly what one would expect from a couple of teenagers. The performances are all superb and particularly from Jake Gyllenhaal as he creates the damaged yet endearing Donnie. It really is hard to imagine anyone else in the role. Drew Barrymore is, in my opinion in one of her greatest parts as the sarcastic and passionate English teacher, working wonderfully alongside Noah Wyle. Mary McDonnell and Holmes Osborne as Donnie’s parents strike a perfect balance between humour, exasperation and grave sadness.

& the Bunnymen’s Killing Moon in the opening sequence – it’s a cracker. Donnie Darko is one of those films that has so many twists and turns it is difficult not to give too much away – which I evidently haven’t. Watching it feels like a journey in itself and is without a doubt a startling experience. It didn’t do very well at the Box Office but has boasted great DVD sales due to its enormous cult following and has even produced a sequel, though I would never judge something on its popularity, not until I have judged for myself anyway. Take it or leave it, Donnie Darko really is a magnificent piece of cinema and worth a watch (at least twice).

Donnie Darko also has perhaps one of the best soundtracks to accompany a film (in my opinion). The very best of the 1980’s is here, from Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, Joy Division to Echo & the Bunnymen in emotionally charged scenes that send shivers down one’s spine. The music isn’t happy-go-lucky or particularly positive; rather it keeps with the film’s overall haunting tone, making it all the more powerful. Look out for Echo

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