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Post by Teilhard de Chardin on Sept 5, 2004 13:53:08 GMT -5
Too many people take this film at face value and fail to see the ideas beneath the narrative, and this is where the "end of the world" comes into it. The reason the montage scene at the end is so effective is because it is extremely important in making us realise what Donnie has just done. Not only did he save the primary universe as a whole from destruction, he managed to attack the social and political problems facing modern society. What Frank was basically saying was that Donnie has the ability to save his town, and basically to show the world, how problematic the world is becoming: the paedophiles, the apathetic youth, the bullies, the people desperately seeking a quick-fix solution to lifes problems - all of these people are represented in Middlesex, and because of Donnie Darko, are exposed to themselves for who they really are and in most cases find the experience enlightening and ironically Donnie almost becomes a Deus Ex Machina, for righting these peoples lives and resolving their problematic situations.
He is their saviour.
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Post by Twitchmonkey on Sept 5, 2004 18:23:20 GMT -5
I must agree.....another A+ for you
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Post by gretchen on Sept 9, 2004 21:43:44 GMT -5
*claps* yeah.
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Post by Acidhartha on Sept 19, 2004 18:19:10 GMT -5
In this sense isn't Donnie a Christ-like figure, taking on the sins of mankind with his death? Themes of resurrection and a companionship with Heaven.
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Post by Aisu Ryuu on Sept 28, 2004 23:39:28 GMT -5
I don't think that anyone has tried to link the scene with all the people affected by Donnie and the TU (all the people wakeing up at the end), and the fact that Donnie did tackle some big issues.
Everyone in that scene were affectted in a positive way by Donnie and his work as the LR in the TU.
Lets say for the sake of a good argument that Donnie had one job, and that was to end the TU before the TU ended the PU. He did that and with flying colors. But Donnie isn't an everyday ordinary kind of Joe. He has been a problemed person long before the events of Oct.2 to Oct.30 of the TU. Im my opinion, he had a deeper understanding of the problems of the world, being a production of the problems.
This is most appernt to me when he Takes on Cunningham face to face and really runs him down at the school assembly. The thoughts spoken to Cunningham were the thoughts of Donnie, and they came from with in him. The only influence being the LR would have had on this scene would be giving him the nerver to get up to the mic (lets remeber he is diagnoste as anti-social, at least i think he was). And i have anouther theory that he can see the future (ask me about it id love to discuss it at colin_dorr@hotmail.com).
Donnie must have been able to understand that he could to good (eventtualy). And he does do good, he takes down a petaphile for one. The best reason i can think good was done for the rest of them is all of them were to end up unhappy in the TU (to them it would have been real), and there leason is to not take it for granted.
I beleive in a normal situation when a TU is ended, all effected are unaware (not including the LR). But as an act of GOD they are given a slite attitude ajustment, like the memories of the TU were gently eched into there heads, without them accualy remebering the great act of fate the TU was. I think thats why Jim Cunningham is crying, Frank looks upset (thinking it's posible to kill a person), Ms Farmer (i think thats spelling of her name, aka the bitch from the movie) is upset realising that shes living her life in a storm of bullshit. As for the teachers, i have to analyse there role in the movie but the seem to fit well.
Now give this, in order for these people to have this sort of spirtual revolution, it would take an act of god. And a good peice of my mind believes Donnie knows this, and it brings him at peace with God (his faith was narrow at best before). And seeing as he helped these people, he doesn't feel alone anymore. So death isn't a bad idea for him, because if he still remains maybe all the influence he gave would not remain.
If he stays and doesn't die, (and we don't know if he would have memorie of the TU), maybe he would still stand up to Cunningham and tell him off, witch would make Cunningham feel a need to countinue his anti-christ goals and not kill him self (witch would continue his ring of kiddy porn). There is no telling what his effects on the other could be, but remeber Donnie is not an ordinary person, LR or not, he can be very influential, remeber he is a very smart person ("Your test scorse are intimidating"). He already did them good, and his second job was complete, so i guess i also stated why i think he choses to die.
Well i know thats full of holes so Email me at Coiln_dorr@hotmail.com
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Post by gretchen on Sept 29, 2004 18:45:08 GMT -5
there has been some discussion on the effects of the characters but i think way too many people look over it... and i think way too many people focus only on frank touching his eye rather than the rest of the characters. i think you made great points on the idea that the other characters were greatly affected by the events of the TU, this is clearly the case and anyone who disagrees is just blind...
the POTT states that the participants of the TU are left with a vague memory of the events, a deja vu like aspect, something like a dream... which gradually fades. they remember only the tiniest slice of what went on, some are just left with a feeling that something happened.
and the donnie seeing the future point... can anyone take this? i can't remember if the POTT said anything about it. i won't counterject it because it could be true, in a way... but i'm not positive on it.
it is widely believed that he chooses to die because he knows there is a god, and that he won't be alone when he dies. he knows there will be life after death, and that there will still be things to look forward to. he understands and embraces his fate (how many times have i said that exact sentence here, lol?)
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Post by ProvidencePortal on Oct 1, 2004 14:27:50 GMT -5
Agreed -- Donnie's impact (through his actions in the TU, which are remembered afterward in some dream-like sense) on the folks in his PU town is significant, and it is often overlooked in our discussions.
But, I might say it's quite fairly overlooked, since we don't actually see any of that impact played out in the movie but for the quizzical or saddened reactions people have upon waking. In fact, the most compelling results of Donnie's actions are available only from the Web site, where we learn Middlesex's resident pedophile turns in his living/breathing card less than two weeks later.
Once again, we're forced to look to companion texts outside the movie for more substantive explanations. There's something I haven't thought much about: has another movie been made that so successfully and intimately integrated outside materials -- its Web site, its DVD release, a book that exists only electronically -- into its mythos? Any thoughts?
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Post by josh on Oct 10, 2004 13:10:10 GMT -5
Great definition, description of a deus ex machina at: www.bartleby.com/61/51/D0175100.html. Reading the discussions here and the definition makes me understand why the movie wasn't "popular" with the common folk. Deus ex machina is a fantastically important hint that one would only recognize after seeing the movie a dozen times and familiarity with latin (or how to turn on subtitles). DIrector Kelly's unwillingness to dumb down the hints is a tribute to his real target audience who can and will think about the complexities of the movie on their own.
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Post by ProvidencePortal on Oct 10, 2004 18:48:04 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing that link -- and your thoughts -- Josh.
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Post by ekayefitire on Apr 18, 2019 14:28:18 GMT -5
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Post by isimatayuv on Apr 18, 2019 16:33:29 GMT -5
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