Anyone know what THIS is?

[Reed]

This is what Donnie was dreaming, before Frank woke him up and had him go vandalize the school.

Looks futuristic to me, and institutional. Prison, built on the water to avoid the "not in my backyard" sentiments?

Does the directors commentary on the DVD explain it?

[MoonageDaydream]

Yeah, dude. That picture is the school, very much modified. If you look at the columns on the left, you can see that they are a few lockers. Also, the long sting of columns on the right is the other side of the hall. You can clearly see a door open and the school bulletin board. The abstract nature is just Donnie's subconcious messing with the mental image he already had, kind of a premonition to him flooding it. This shot is definitley one of my favorites in the movie.

Don't feel stoopid, though, it took me for-friggin'-ever to figure out that two second scene.

And yes, the commentary does expalin it, but I just did it for you! Aren't I super?

[Reed]

Yup. Thanks for 'splaining... that IS pretty cool.

But I was kinda close. Institution, prison... highschool. Same difference, right?

[Twitchmonkey]

Its also to note that it is based off a piece of modern art....the artists website was posted on here somewhere

[justme314]

if you go to the links and to cellar door site, they have the info about the art its based on and the picture on there.

[donniedarko2]

yep, it's the school. The writer/director was inspired by a painting of a shopping mall flooded and there is an elevator in the middle of the page

[josh]

This picture flash is consistent with the picture Donnie had of the "sky opening up" during his hypnosis session with the psychologist. Besides being visually valuable, it helps explain how Frank can communicate with Donnie. Frank "shows" Donnie things like Jim Cunningham's house, as a premonition, the flooded school, as a premonition, and as noted above the opening of the sky, as a premonition. Frank communicates verbally and visually with Donnie. #nosmileys