Donnie Darko: A Masterpiece in the Surreal
Donnie Darko follows the story of, well, Donnie Darko as he falls
in love with a girl named Gretchen, all whilst struggling with Insomnia and
visions which seem unclear and confusing. We follow a very small chapter of
Donnie’s life; the narrative takes place over around a month. Set in one
village with a small cast of characters. However, this film explores so much
during this small concept, it satirises high school and education, celebrities,
and ‘80s movies (with a perfect soundtrack), as well as exploring mental health
and the effect on the family – all contained in a tight script that doesn’t
waste a second. The narrative is still paced really well, with a clear journey
towards a climax, yet not much is happening. This is what Kelly really succeeds
in, the small aspects that just feel slightly off, whether it be off-kilter editing
and shots that don’t make sense, or pointless detours in conversation. It’s all
to confuse and distress the spectator, and I always appreciate a film with a
unique atmosphere.
Jake Gyllenhaal, as our unsteady protagonist,
is a tour de force in this film and shows remarkable range; he has this
consistent uncomfortable energy to his character while simultaneously being
endearing and charming, then at times he’s vulnerable to the point of tears. Some
of his actions are irredeemable but Kelly uses the surrealistic aspects of the
film to make Donnie become morally ambiguous. His family all have that right
amount of dysfunction, with very dismissive parents that provide excellent
comedic moments, along with Maggie Gyllenhaal as Donnie’s sister, all realistic
portrayals of a family perfectly contrasting the absurdity found elsewhere in
the film. The film features a fantastic cameo from Patrick Swayze, in a
hilarious role and resulting in one of my favourite moments in the film as he
meets Donnie. The whole cast has this edge to them, half the performances feel
like caricatures and half feel like realistic portrayals, it’s fascinating casting.
The only cast member, and part of this film, I don’t love is Gretchen, her character
leaves a lot to be desired and ultimately feels like a plot device. Jena Malone
is fine, but she feels a bit monotone and uninteresting in comparison to the
rest of the superb cast.
From a technical standpoint, this
film is spectacular. The effects occasionally look a little dated, and they
are, though I think it works as they are meant to seem strange and
other-worldly. The cinematography isn’t especially stylised, but it subtly
communicates so much with many tracking shots and figure placement that really
stick with the spectator. I mentioned earlier my love for the soundtrack, it’s
not only full of great songs, but genuinely works really well at setting the
scene, accompanied by the fantastic unnerving score that becomes the focus in
the third act. It’s the filmmaking I appreciate the most, where it’s clearly a
collaborative piece of art, where every team member has come together to
execute an atmosphere and vision. Ironically, the director’s cut is a much
lesser version of the film as it says too much, it shows pieces of text that
explain certain aspects of the film. I think this is a massive mistake, the
film works without explanation, it’s both a surreal sci-fi as well as a high
school drama.
In the end, Donnie Darko is a film that I’ve held close to my heart for a long
time. It’s not for everyone and I understand why, it can be seen as pretentious
nonsense, but if you spend time with the film and revel in the feeling of
ignorance, it’s an absolute masterpiece. I would seriously recommend this film
to as many people as possible, so then it may have the same impact as it did on
me.
Just don’t watch the sequel.