Our BetterMost Community > Chez Tremblay
Donnie Darko - SPOILERS
delalluvia:
--- Quote ---My English teacher would have given me an “F” if my story ended “…… and it was all a dream”.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: ednbarby on June 26, 2007, 07:22:47 pm ---Yes, the "it was all just a dream" theory is my least-favorite, too. :)
--- End quote ---
It wouldn't be such a bad ending, actually it would be extremely haunting. Not that it's a dream, but instead, the fevered delusion of a young man who has gone off his medication and is finally, sadly, tragically, insane; laughing to himself in his bedroom over nothing, late at night...[shiver]
I rented "Jacob's Ladder" once and after it was over, me and my friend looked at each other and said, "Man, that was one spooky-ass movie." It was disturbing.
ednbarby:
That's a good call, Del, on both counts.
I'm liking that theory a bit more, now... As much as it creeps me out.
And yes, I found Jacob's Ladder disturbing, too.
I think the most disturbing such film I ever saw was one my English teacher showed us in the 8th grade. I forget what it was called, but it was based on a classic short story about a Civil War veteran who is about to be hanged for desertion, but who somehow slips the noose, gets away from the Executioner and his captors, and makes it back home to see his wife and baby. Then, just as he's about to embrace them, he is snapped out of his reverie by the trap door opening and actually being hanged by the noose.
*shiver*
It seems many stories like it have followed - "The Others" comes to mind, although in a different sort of way - you know, that mind playing tricks on you sort of thing.
But your version of DD is actually way more disturbing.
And makes me want to watch it again tonight with a leaning towards that angle...
delalluvia:
--- Quote from: ednbarby on June 30, 2007, 09:06:02 pm ---That's a good call, Del, on both counts.
I'm liking that theory a bit more, now... As much as it creeps me out.
And yes, I found Jacob's Ladder disturbing, too.
I think the most disturbing such film I ever saw was one my English teacher showed us in the 8th grade. I forget what it was called, but it was based on a classic short story about a Civil War veteran who is about to be hanged for desertion, but who somehow slips the noose, gets away from the Executioner and his captors, and makes it back home to see his wife and baby. Then, just as he's about to embrace them, he is snapped out of his reverie by the trap door opening and actually being hanged by the noose.
*shiver*
--- End quote ---
Ow, very scary. I've always been frightful of such stories. How far can your mind fool you and the horror that might suddenly come upon you? I've not heard about that story, but I read a similar themed story as a kid in a comic book, and of course, even the movie "The Matrix" takes that route. Your reality isn't your reality. Your mind is being fooled...Stephen King wrote a short story based on this haunting premise called "Springheel Jack" which creeped me out and still does after all these years.
--- Quote ---But your version of DD is actually way more disturbing.
And makes me want to watch it again tonight with a leaning towards that angle...
--- End quote ---
You want to watch for the little hints - I mean, I know this take is wrong, the director says so in his commentary - but it's easy to find hints here and there.
Here's one hint that's it's all in Donnie's mind - when he wakes up and leaves his house and ends up on the golf course. As he's leaving his house, he passes the refrigerator and picks up the marker that is hanging there next to the little refrigerator bulletin board. He later uses this to write the date on his arm.
How did he know he was going to need something to write with unless it was all in his mind already?
Mikaela:
Well, I've never. Someone's apparently planning to make a DD sequel, where Donnie's kid sister Samantha is the main protagonist. This according to ComingSoon.net:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=44826
I think it's a bad idea. Great movies should be allowed to stand on their own, and be interpreteded without sequel interference complete with superfluous added-on tid-bits or ditto theories that only manage to dilute the mystery, ambiguity and impact of the original.
ifyoucantfixit:
I know what it is, and it is definitely one of his best acting jobs,, It was a very good
movie by all the actors in it. I own it. Funny and sad, and oddly interesting all at once.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version