FAQ mit Donnie Darko!!!

[Damien3]

HI, ich habe ein sehr interessantes FAQ von Donnie Darko gefunden!!
Ist lieder auf englisch, aber stört nich weiter oder??

How do I understand this movie?
EditHistoryDelete 1. Watch the movie, ideally as many times as possible because once you go to Step 2 you can never go back :-)

2. Go to DonnieDarko.net and try and complete the web site. The web site gives a huge amount of additional information, and is arguably essential viewing to completely understand the film. The web site was written in conjunction with the film by the Writer/Director, Richard Kelly. Note the web site is fairly cryptic and full of puzzles. If you get very stuck visit Ruined Eye's excellent guide.

3. If you don't get very far in the web site, or you're lazy, you can take a shortcut to RuinedEye.com and read "The Philosophy of Time Travel" which explains a lot about the movie. The Philosophy of Time Travel pages are hidden within the puzzles at DonnieDarko.com, and have also been added to the Director's Cut. You can also view the pages, albeit with difficulty on some DVD versions.

If you're still stuck then obviously continue reading the FAQ. If the FAQ doesn't help then visit the IMDB forum or the various dedicated Yahoo groups, have a read there first, and if your question has not been asked before then post it. Equally drop me an e-mail and I'll add any good questions to the FAQ, or clarify answers as required.

Ultimately Richard Kelly intended for this movie to have multiple interpretations, and he has never (and most likely will never) given a complete explanation as to the main plot.

Also, there are many levels to this movie. Part of the FAQ is explaining the main plot thread which is fairly "cold" science fiction, but of course there is much more and many more levels to the movie than this, and I'm certainly not saying that this is all there is

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I would like to add that the second release of this movie (The Director's Cut) basically explains the movie as you go. It does this by showing you a page of the time travel book between scenes. The pages are shown to match the corresponding scenes; so you know what just happened and why. I personlly much perfer the original release because I like to way I was half lost during the entire movie. And I like the way I felt at the end of the original movie. (I had no idea what just happend and I wanted to watch the movie again, right away) I don't know many other movies that you would want to watch right after just seeing it.

What is Donnie doing in this movie, in a nutshell?
EditHistoryDelete Firstly, it depends how you interpret the movie. I repeat that Richard Kelly intended for this movie to have multiple interpretations, and he has never, and most likely will never, given a complete explanation as to the main plot. But you can draw conclusions from the evidence provided and come up with a cohesive plot thread. So...

In a nutshell, my favoured explanation is that the Universe has become corrupt and is ending. Donnie (and others) are manipulated by Frank the "rabbit" (and whoever manipulates Frank) to save the Universe.

Why is Donnie laughing at the end and/or why doesn't he get out of bed?
EditHistoryDelete Richard Kelly states this in the DVD commentary (with Jake Gyllenhal):

1. That he felt the whole experience had been a dream, and was therefore laughing with relief that he had woken up from this, hence doesn't get out of bed.

2. That the journey through the Tangent Universe had solved Donnie's problem of dying alone through achieving enlightenment, and subsequently he knew he was going to "something better" (from his letter to Roberta Sparrow). He was therefore laughing through sheer joy and anticipation, and didn't want to get out of bed.

I still don't get it, what did Donnie do to save the Universe?
EditHistoryDelete (I'm getting asked this question a lot, so have added this clarification and a different version of the explanation in the hope that it makes more sense to some people. I would add that it still depends how you interpret the film, so this is my personal interpretation. If anyone can send me a valid interpretation that stacks up I will add it here)

Basically it was all about the corruption and the jet engine (the artifact).

The first jet engine appears from a future we don't see. In that future the engine falls from the plane and enters a corruption in time. Therefore the jet engine is in the future one second, then in the past. This is the corruption , and the engine is therefore a sign of this. The corruption damages the fabric of space and time, and causes the countdown to the end of the Universe.

Donnie's role is to be motivated and learn enough to be able to route the engine back to the past, by creating or opening a wormhole to that same point in the past. Most of the film is about manipulating Donnie to do this, to the point where Gretchen is killed and Donnie can choose to save her and also end the corruption.

So, the engine appears in the same place it did the first time around, but this time it has a reason for its appearance, and it doesn't go to the past via the corruption. As there is no corruption the Universe is stable and saved.

In summary, first engine = corruption, second engine = wormhole, upshot... Universe saved.

Did Donnie need to die at the end, hence not get out of bed?
EditHistoryDelete It isn't entirely clear. Richard Kelly states a couple of things in the DVD commentary (with Jake Gyllenhal) that Frank was honking his car horn warning Donnie to get up and:

1. he didn't listen;

2. or didn't hear.

So this implies that he didn't need to die. See the question above also, and the explanations of the main plot thread above.

There does seem to be a fated aspect for Donnie's death, in that all Living Receiver's die. Something that is covered in The Philosophy of Time Travel.

Who is Frank and/or the rabbit?
EditHistoryDelete Frank is actually Donnie's sister's (Elizabeth Darko) boyfriend. The Frank we see through most of the film should technically be referred to as Manipulated Dead Frank (to understand the Manipulated Dead and Manipulated Living read the Philosophy of Time Travel referred to above). Manipulated Dead Frank (MD Frank) is appearing from another dimension, and essentially the future of the Tangent Universe, to help Donnie achieve the goal of changing the fate and saving the universe. The Frank we see at the very end of the film, in the scenes were Gretchen is run over and the "Dreams" sequence, is the "real" alive Frank, that is the Frank who exists in our universe prior to being shot by Donnie (in the Tangent Universe at least).

There are also some links to the living Frank throughout the film, for example:

1. He drops off Elizabeth after a date (just before the jet engine hits the house)

2. He drives past Donnie in his red Trans Am when Donnie is cycling home near the beginning of the film

3. He is on a beer run at Elizabeth's party (the notice on the fridge. Note the similarity with the "They Made Me Do It" handwriting around the school mascot)

Note that Frank does honk his horn in the first sequence as well, but he doesn't drive away the second time around.

Why does Gretchen wave to Donnie's Mum, Rose?
EditHistoryDelete Similar to the previous connection, it's believed that she feels some sense of deja vu when she sees Rose. We don't know if Rose or Gretchen ever met in the Tangent Universe, but even so she might feel some connection with her and Donnie's family, in a similar deja vu sense.

As Jim Cunningham isn't caught in the Primary Universe, doesn't that mean Donnie failed in revealing him as a criminal?
EditHistoryDelete Hidden in the puzzles at DonnieDarko.com is a newspaper article about Jim Cunningham's suicide, that occurs in the Primary Universe several days after Donnie's death. This is also written, albeit difficult to read, in the notes of the Philosophy of Time Travel.

How did Donnie get to Carpathian Ridge, at the beginning of the film?
EditHistoryDelete Richard Kelly states in the commentary that he cycled there, and the idea of the odd opening was to give Donnie's character a grand but strange introduction, as a foreshadowing of what's to come.

Why is Donnie smiling at the beginning of the film, when he wakes up?
EditHistoryDelete This is often incorrectly inferred to be that Donnie is stuck in a time loop, and is aware of what's going to happen. Richard Kelly reveals in one of the DVD commentaries that Donnie is simply amused at his situation.

Why do Karen Pomeroy and Kenneth Monnitoff have the conversation "Donnie Darko"... "I know"?
EditHistoryDelete Richard Kelly states in the DVD commentary that they are being manipulated, and they are aware of Donnie and that something is going on with him.

Why does Kenneth Monnitoff say he can't continue the conversation with Donnie about time travel?
EditHistoryDelete As it was a church linked school a conversation about God and time travel was taboo for the teacher. Clearly the school principal and PTA were sensitive based on Karen Pomeory's dismissal.

When Donnie's parents are talking about Frankie Feedler are they referring to Frank's father? Based on Frank saying that his father and grandfather were called Frank also.
EditHistoryDelete It's possible, although it seems a bit unlikely that Frank's father died at this young age, hence Frank must have been conceived at or before this time. Of course no-one other than Richard Kelly knows for sure, and this detail has never been covered.

Another factor makes this even less likely, as in the notes of The Philosophy of Time Travel, Frank's surname is revealed to be Anderson.

What does Roberta Sparrow whisper to Donnie?
EditHistoryDelete "Every living creature on this earth dies alone."

Why does Dr. Thurman react the way she does to Donnie's comment about the sky opening up?
EditHistoryDelete Her reaction is somewhat strange and out of character, so we can only assume that she is behaving as a Manipulated Living and trying to reassure Donnie.

Why did Dr. Thurman prescribe placebos to Donnie?
EditHistoryDelete In the deleted scenes of the theatrical cut DVD, and reincorporated in the Director's Cut, is a scene where Dr. Thurman reveals to Donnie that he's been prescribed placebos. As this must have occurred prior to the Tangent Universe, it can only be assumed that Dr. Thurman believes Donnie is not suffering mental illness and is verifying this. Thanks to the US based psychologist who contacted me with some background on this topic, and said says: Prescribing placebos - This would basically be highly unethical and illegal, since Donnie was reporting that he was "seeing things", especially since he was a minor. Also, Dr. Thurman would not have been able to allow him to leave her office following the session where he stated that Frank was going to kill someone - since Donnie had stated earlier that "Frank made him do it" when he committed other crimes, Dr. Thurman would have had to assume that Donnie was referring to himself as threatening to kill someone, call the police/ambulance and have him committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Why did Dr. Thurman call Donnie's parents on the night of the party?
EditHistoryDelete In Donnie's previous session he'd threatened that Frank was going to kill someone, so it's assumed that Dr. Thurman had to tell his parents that Donnie was threatening to commit a crime, and she believed he would, as by law. It's believed that the session was the day before the party, although no explicit timeframe is given.

Why are the bullies (Seth Devlin and Ricky) in Grandma Death's (Roberta Sparrow's) house?
EditHistoryDelete Earlier in the film Rose Darko refers to Roberta Sparrow having a gem collection, so we assume that this is a reason for them being there. Of course they needed to be there as part of the ensurance trap for Donnie, so we can assume they are also acting as the Manipulated Living.

Why when the characters are in bed at the end of the movie, in the "Mad World montage", do they seem to recollect what happened in the Tangent Universe?
EditHistoryDelete As background: at the end of the movie after we go back to the point where the jet engine hits the house we see Dr. Thurman wake up abruptly and look troubled, Karen Pomeroy is asleep in bed with Kenneth Monnitoff who is awake and looks concerned, Jim Cunningham is sitting upright in bed sobbing, Kitty Farmer is deep in thought, Cherita is smiling, and Frank is sitting on the floor touching his eye.

Essentially the characters remember what happened from the future, but now closed, Tangent Universe. The Dreams chapter in The Philosophy of Time Travel confirms this:

"When the Manipulated awakens from their Journey into the Tangent Universe, they are often haunted by the experience in their dreams. Many of them will not remember. ....Those who do remember the Journey are often overcome with profound remorse for the regretful actions buried within their Dreams, the only physical evidence buried within the Artifact itself, all that remains from the lost world."

Also Gretchen and Rose Darko (Donnie's Mum) seem to remember each other, based on them waving at each other at the end of the film.

What does Donnie mumble when he has the knife held to his throat?
EditHistoryDelete "Deus ex Machina", followed by "Our Saviour".

What does "Deus Ex Machina" mean?
EditHistoryDelete It's latin:

Deus = God

Ex = from the

Machina = Machine

Therefore, God from the Machine.

1. In Greek and Roman drama, a god lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation.

2. An unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot.

3. A person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty.

Reference: American Heritage Dictionary

Note that Deus Ex Machina is also mentioned in one of the deleted scenes related to the classroom discussion about Watership Down.

So why does Donnie say "Deus Ex Machina"?
EditHistoryDelete He's referring to the impending appearance of Frank, who appears like a Deus Ex Machina.

Who is the jogger in the red tracksuit?
EditHistoryDelete The web site reveals that this is a member of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following Donnie, and see some pictures below as proof. The FAA are very concerned as to how an exact duplicate of the engine exists hence are following Donnie as a potential lead on why this is (and how he avoided being killed by the engine). Curiously the actor playing the member of the FAA is named Tom Tangen.

In reference to Cellar Door being the most beautiful phrase, which "famous linguist" is Karen Pomeroy talking about?
EditHistoryDelete JRR Tolkien (author of Lord of the Rings and other books, and he also worked on the Oxford English Dictionary, hence is famous and a linguist).

It is also possible that the original reference to Cellar Door was from the french phrase "C'est l'adore" meaning "It is the love"

What part does Cherita Chen play in the film?
EditHistoryDelete It's possible to interpret Cherita's role in various ways. Richard Kelly has simply stated in interviews that Cherita is the innocent (she does nothing wrong and has good motivation), and is victimised for this (for both racial and size bias).

Personally I don't feel that Cherita plays any other role.

Why does Donnie put on Cherita's ear muffs?
EditHistoryDelete Again this is open to interpretation. Personally I feel that Donnie was sympathising with her character, so to sympathise with her he steps into her world by wearing the ear muffs.

Cherita presumably wears ear muffs to block out the nasty comments from other children.

Why does Donnie have a cut on his neck?
EditHistoryDelete In the Director's Cut there is a scene where Gretchen refers to a cut on Donnie's neck. The cut comes from the scene with Seth's attack in the bathroom, although this appears to occur some time prior, so there may be an editing problem here.

Why does Kitty Farmer relate Graham Greene to Bonanza?
EditHistoryDelete To highlight Kitty's stupidity, she is getting confused with Lorne Greene, an actor who played a character in Bonanza. Graham Greene is the famous author who wrote The Destructors, the novel that Donnie's class is reading, and which subsequently causes problems for the teacher Karen Pomeroy.

Why did Rose Darko, Donnie's mother, not appear sad about Donnie's death?
EditHistoryDelete She was feeling the effects of the tangent universe 'hangover', almost like when you wake up from a dream and still just remember fleeting moments of it. She recognised Gretchen even though they had not actually met in reality. All the characters involved feel this 'hangover' as evidenced in the tracking shot over them awaking in the night etc over the final track "Mad World".......another perspective might be to say that she still had her last encounter with Donnie on her mind. The night before, the last thing he said to her was to call her a "bitch". Maybe she was replaying that in her mind, along with everything she thought about him in turn.

What happened to Gretchen's mother, at the end of the film?
EditHistoryDelete At the end of the film Gretchen says that her mother is missing. We never find out what has happened to her.

Should I watch the Original Version or Director's Cut?
EditHistoryDelete Sorry, no-one can tell you this, but I can tell you the differences. In summary the Director's Cut has about 20 minutes more footage, some changes to the music order in the soundtrack, as well as some new tracks and sound mixing, some new effects, and the insertion of pages from the Philosophy of Time Travel. Whereas the Original Version has more of a mystery feel, due to less explanation. If you're not sure which version to buy, then rent both and see which you prefer.

But, watch the Original release FIRST! The directors cut will kind of spoil the original due to the insertion of the time travel book pages. See FAQ #1 for more on this.

Why is this film set in 1988?
EditHistoryDelete Richard Kelly has given various reasons for this: 1. It was a favourite time, when he was a teenager. 2. Very few films have been set in the 80s. 3. He didn't feel comfortable setting a teenage film now, with no knowledge of current teenage life.

Where is this film supposed to be set?
EditHistoryDelete A fictional town called Middlesex, in the state of Virginia. Although it was filmed in California.

What trainers/sneakers is Donnie wearing?
EditHistoryDelete Adidas Campus.

How old are Donnie and the other characters supposed to be?
EditHistoryDelete Donnie Darko: 16 Elizabeth Darko: 19 Samantha Darko: 10 Rose Darko: 42 Eddie Darko: 44

Gretchen appears in the notes of The Philosophy of Time Travel as a Manipulated Dead, why?
EditHistoryDelete I feel this is because both Frank and Gretchen die in the Tangent Universe. Frank obviously appears to Donnie in his Manipulated Dead form, projected from the future, but I see no evidence as to Gretchen appearing to Donnie this way. It would have both confused Donnie and confused the audience also.

What is the song played during the cinema sequence, and at the beginning of the credits?
EditHistoryDelete "For Whom the Bell Tolls" Written by Steve Baker and Carmen Daye Courtesy of Associated Production Music LLC

This track is available as a royalty free track from Associated Production Music on one of their collections titled Voicing the Classic 2. More importantly it can also be bought now on the 2CD Donnie Darko soundtrack, currently only available in the UK.

I used to provide this track for download on MP3 but as it can be bought from both these sources (particularly the new soundtrack) I have removed the download.

Note that this track is often confused with Ave Maria, but this is definitely not Ave Maria.

Why is there no soundtrack with the original 80's tracks?
EditHistoryDelete It was not possible based on the initial limited release of the film and the expensive requirements for licensing to release a soundtrack with these songs. But...

... A 2 CD soundtrack has appeared for sale in the UK (with a release date of 4th October 2004) which contains both the original soundtrack CD and a large number of tracks (but not all) from both the original and Director's Cut. Follow the previous link for a complete track listing.

Note of course that there is still the original soundtrack for sale with the original tracks by Michael Andrews, and the rearrangement of Mad World sung by Gary Jules.

What tracks were not on the original soundtrack?
EditHistoryDelete "The Killing Moon"

Written by Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson and Pete De Freitas Performed by Echo & The Bunnymen Courtesy of Sire Records/Warner Music U.K. Ltd. By arrangement with Warner Special Products

(Plays during the sequence when Donnie cycles home at the beginning of the original movie. Note this is changed in the Director's Cut to Never Tear Us Apart, by INXS. In the Director's Cut The Killing Moon replaces Under the Milkyway during the party sequence)

"Lucid Memory"

Written and Performed by Sam Bauer and Ged Bauer (Used during the "Cunning Visions" video)

"Head over Heels"

Written by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal Performed by Tears For Fears Courtesy of Mercury Records Limited Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

"Lucid Assembly"

Written and Performed by Ged Bauer and Mike Bauer (Used during the "Cunning Visions" video)

"Ave Maria"

Written by Giulio Caccino and Paul Pritchard, Courtesy of Associated Production Music LLC (Played in the background when Rose, Donnie's Mum, is talking to her friend)

"For Whom the Bell Tolls"

Written by Steve Baker and Carmen Daye, Courtesy of Associated Production Music LLC (Plays during the sequence where Donnie is in the cinema with Frank and Gretchen, and also plays over the end titles)

"Show Me"

Written by Quito Colayco and Tony Hertz, Courtesy of Associated Production Music LLC (Plays during Cherita's "Autumn Angel" sequence)

"Notorious"

Written by Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, Courtesy of Capitol Records, Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets (Sparkle Motion's dance track. Originally it was intended that West End Girls would be used, but the licensing cost was too expensive)

"Proud To Be Loud"

Written by Marc Ferrari, Performed by The Dead Green Mummies, Courtesy of Marc Ferrari / Master Source (Plays at Elizabeth's party. Some sources tell me this is a version by Pantera)

"Love Will Tear Us Apart"

Written and Performed by Joy Division, Courtesy of Warner Music U.K. Ltd., By arrangement with Warner Special Products, (Plays at Elizabeth's party, prior to Donnie going upstairs with Gretchen)

"Under the Milky Way"

Written by Steven Kilbey and Karin Jansson, Performed by The Church, Courtesy of Arista Records, Inc. Courtesy of Festival Mushroom Records Pty Ltd. (Plays at Elizabeth's party, when Donnie and Gretchen come downstairs, but only in the original version. In the Director's Cut this plays on the car radio when Donnie and his Dad are talking)

Note that two tracks (as mentioned above) used in the rough cut of the film shown at the Sundance Film Festival were West End Girls, by the Pet Shop Boys (replaced by Notorious in the original and Director's Cut) and Never Tear Us Apart, by INXS (replaced by The Killing Moon in the original cut, and reinstated in the Director's Cut).

"Stay"

By Oingo Bongo. (Only in the Director's Cut, and plays on the radio while Donnie is talking to his sister in the kitchen)

"Voices Carry"

By 'Til Tuesday. (Note this is playing on Donnie's radio during the scene where he calls his mother a "bitch". Curiously it's the only track from the film not on the more complete 2CD soundtrack)

Will there be a Director's Cut?
EditHistoryDelete Yes, the Director's Cut was released at the Seattle International Film Festival on the 29th May 2004. It spread to other cities in the USA, and other countries as well (including the UK and Australia).

The UK distributor provided some money for the Director's Cut, and it was shown on a limited theatrical run in the UK.

The Director's Cut has also come to DVD. The UK release date was 4th October 2004, US release date was February 2005, and Australia in December 2004.

What does the Director's Cut contain?
EditHistoryDelete Deleted scenes from the original DVD, new unseen footage, new special effects, and some changes to the soundtrack.

For a complete detailed list of the changes follow this list to DVD Times.

Is the Philosophy of Time Travel a real book?
EditHistoryDelete No.

Richard Kelly wrote it during the editing stages of the film, and was intending to incorporate it into the original version but time and budget constraints prevented this. The Director's Cut restores the original vision of the pages that Richard Kelly wanted.

Are there more pages to the Philosophy of Time Travel?
EditHistoryDelete Although the book Dr. Monnitoff gives to Donnie seems to have many pages, only those which are on the web site and DVD have been shown. It is assumed these were the only pages created, for the web site.

What other films are like Donnie Darko?
EditHistoryDelete In a sense no film is very similar to Donnie Darko, and it's that sense of originality which made the film very popular. However here's a list of films that fans have suggested those who like Donnie Darko might want to watch as well: 6th Sense, 12 Monkeys, A Beautiful Mind, A Scanner Darkly, American Beauty, Blue Velvet, Brazil, Butterfly Effect, What the Bleep Do We (K)now!?, I Heart Huckabees, City of Angels (remake of Wings of Desire), Contact, Dark City, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fargo, Fight Club, Gattaca, Heavenly Creatures, Identity, Jacob's Ladder, K-Pax, Lost Highway, Memento, Mirrormask, Mulholland Drive, Naked Lunch, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Open Your Eyes (Abre Los Ojos, remade as Vanilla Sky), Pi , Pretty Persuasion, Primer, Requiem for a Dream, Run Lola Run, Silent Running, Slaughterhouse Five, Solaris, Stay, Stir of Echoes, Sybil (2006), The Final Cut, The Fisher King, The Game, The Good Girl, The Ninth Gate, The Prisoner, The Science of Sleep (Science des ves, La), Twin Peaks, Unbreakable, Vanilla Sky (remake of Open Your Eyes), Waking Life, Wings of Desire (remade as City of Angels), The Jacket, City of Lost Children (Cita des enfants perdus, La).

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True, you just can't directly compare any movie to Donnie Darko

However, Here is a great list of movies with a weird feel to them:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080360/boa ... 13#1616513

Almost every movie listed above is on my list too.

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Check out The Chumscrubber. It's sort of Darko meets American Beauty. http://imdb.com/title/tt0406650/

Is Donnie Darko based on the Last Temptation of Christ?
EditHistoryDelete Comparisons are often made because of the messianic style hero, and other aspects of the story. Richard Kelly has never made a link (as far as I'm aware) aside from listing in in the double bill with The Evil Dead at the cinema Donnie and Gretchen visit. Richard Kelly has said it was shown on the double bill as a personal joke, because the film was banned in his hometown.

[Detlef P.]

Einiges davon hatte ich hier schon einmal aufgeführt.
Naja, man kann etwas auch überinterpretieren.