Reply To This Post         Return to Posts Index           VegSource Home

From:	scott (218.185.227.85)
Subject:	Re: Donnie Darko Explanation (with spoilers)
Date:	October 31, 2008 at 1:53 am PST

In Reply to: Re: Donnie Darko Explanation (with spoilers) posted by Ben on September 4, 2008 at 8:05 am:

Writer/director Richard Kelly does not deny the validity of personal interpretations, but has expressed his own theories through the extra commentary on the two DVDs, his own (fictional) book The Philosophy of Time Travel, and in various other interviews.

According to Kelly and his Philosophy of Time Travel, at midnight on October 2 a Tangent Universe branches off the Primary Universe around the time when Donnie is called out of his bedroom by Frank, immediately before the appearance of the Artifact, the faulty jet engine. The inherently unstable Tangent Universe will collapse in just over 28 days and take the Primary Universe with it if not corrected. Closing the Tangent Universe is the duty of the Living Receiver, Donnie, who wields certain supernatural powers to help him in the task.

Those who die within the Tangent Universe (and would not have died otherwise) are the Manipulated Dead (Frank, Gretchen). Manipulated Dead Frank, at least, is also given certain powers in that he is able to subtly understand what is happening and have the ability to contact and influence the Living Receiver via the Fourth Dimensional Construct (water). All others within the orbit of the Living Receiver are the Manipulated Living (e.g. Ms. Pomeroy, Dr. Monnitoff), subconsciously drawn to push him towards his destiny to close the Tangent Universe and, according to the Philosophy of Time Travel, die by the Artifact.

Frank appears in the story in two guises (indeed, three guises if we assume that he 'never' dies on account of the restoration of the Primary Universe through the negation of the Tangent Universe). Firstly, there is the Manipulated Dead Frank who appears to Donnie as a premonition from the future of the Tangent Universe in the disturbing rabbit suit. Dead Frank is aware of Donnie's fate and destiny, and impels him to realize it so that the Primary Universe can be restored at the point where/when the Tangent Universe branched off from it. Secondly, there is the living boyfriend of Donnie's sister, Elizabeth, whose fate unfolds within the Tangent Universe by means of Donnie's successes in realizing his mission. This living boyfriend is fatally (in both senses) shot by Donnie towards the end of the film, a killing which was foreseen by Donnie (albeit through a glass darkly).

With regards to Donnie's mission, the question arises as to whether his success in fulfilling it was predetermined. If we assume that it was, then Donnie was fated to die a young death in the Primary Universe. If we assume that it was not, then there would not have necessarily been a Manipulated Dead Frank to guide Donnie on his mission. The fact that such a Frank existed suggests that it is probably the case that Donnie was, throughout the film, taking the inevitable steps towards his own annihilation.

Reply To This Post         Return to Posts Index           VegSource Home