|
Post by requiemforarabbit on May 13, 2008 12:36:23 GMT -5
Well of course, honestly Donnie is right in his argument with Mrs. Farmer. You can not just lump all of human emotion and feeling into two catagories. The human mind and emotions are so complex that the more you look into it the more confusing it is. Its completely insane for someone to try to teach young people that, even though that was not her intention in the project. She was just wanting the students to understand the two polar opposites, but there is much more to it than that. I think that Donnie explained it best.
|
|
knifeplay
Full Member
Gregory Crewdson is god
Posts: 103
|
Post by knifeplay on May 18, 2008 10:30:31 GMT -5
Fear and love was the main theme in the movie, and it was also important that we knew it was being taught and learnt (if you know what i mean, i dont really make much sense)
I also think that the main message in the end was that you cant have just one or the oth er, there is always both
|
|
|
Post by andremartins on May 27, 2008 14:35:03 GMT -5
i think thatfeedtherich is right .
well, i see the movie in that way ...
|
|
iggy
New Member
Posts: 5
|
Post by iggy on Apr 7, 2010 1:34:00 GMT -5
I've never considered any of this, I'll watch again, the last time I watched I was paying attention to the story but this time I'll look deeper. After watching the directors cut once I got the plot which I'm very proud of since I have ADD.
|
|
|
Post by arrusomobos on Jun 3, 2019 17:28:08 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by asikuyaigda on Jun 3, 2019 19:13:07 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by mediator on Jul 27, 2020 4:28:19 GMT -5
i think feedtherich and giantbunnyrabbit both make excellent points: they not only have poignant observations about the human condition, but they truly grasp Donnie Darko's journey of growth and maturation in the movie. Love and fear is a central theme in the movie, yes, but so is the slippery perception of reality, or put simply: things aren't what they always seem. Is Donnie Darko a typical horny teenager filled with angst teetering on the edge of mental illness and self-destruction? Or is he a sensitive and pensive soul slowly coming into a greater awareness of his superhero destiny?
The clever thing about this film is that you can have two different understandings of the characters/plot and they can still be true at the same time, like a Primary Universe and a Tangent Universe, like a hero who is destined to save the universe by destroying it (along with himself). But back to the larger group discussion, Jim Cunningham and Ms. Farmer are reprehensible characters in the film for their moral hypocrisy yet their message is admirable. They are damaged people and as a result they also damage others in the story despite their intentions to uplift or heal the children they are tasked to lead and keep safe. Yes, its true that human beings experience both fear and love (sometimes all at once) and yes, its true what Donnie notes -- that you cannot boil complex reality into two categories and deny everything else.
Here's my argument: just because Jim Cunningham and Ms. Farmer are fuck-ups in life, it doesn't mean that what they have to say is any less valuable in the film; instead it just plays into the whole anti-hero element: sometimes those that are accepted by society are not what they appear, just as the kid struggling with mental health issues and subject to bizarre rants isn't necessarily a villain.
We know this because in the end the love between Donnie and Gretchen is what saves the universe and therefore life continues, just as the fear between Frank and Donnie only serves to prepare Donnie to receive that love in the Tangent Universe and to act with courage and self-sacrifice in the Primary Universe. In the end, the Primary Universe is what survives as God had intended.
Feedtherich is right when observing how Donnie Darko is initially on the path of Fear and destruction. Giantbunnyrabbit is also right when making the observation that Donnie, at his core, is scared of dying alone especially when he wonders to his psychologist if searching for God is ridiculous. In some ways, his greatest fear is wondering whether or not God is real or alive. The movie refers to The Last Temptation of Christ in the scene when Donnie and Gretchen go to the movies. Jesus saw God's plan for him and despite any fears He resisted Satan's temptations and stayed faithful to his purpose to save mankind.
Donnie Darko isn't Jesus, but feedtherich is right when when stating how he overcame fear and chose love in the end. Donnie didn't conquer fear, nor did he conquer death. He lived it, survived it, and made the most of it through his commitment to love. But in the end, he died presumably at peace with God.
giantbunnyrabbit is right when stating how you cannot have love without fear, and vice-versa. As humans we are rarely presented with that option in everyday life. Instead as humans we all know we have a limited time on Earth. We are all screw-ups in some way, wrestling with fear and self-loathing while basking in the joy of love and the hope of a new world to come.
Frank uses the language of Fear to speak to Donnie on his journey, whereas Gretchen uses the language of Love to speak to Donnie's heart. Both of whom are among the Manipulated Dead conspiring to lead Donnie to his final understanding -- that humanity is worth saving despite all of flaws and moral ambiguities, despite all of violent tendencies and enduring capacity for love.
|
|