Donnie Darko (2001) Directed by Richard Kelly

Donnie Darko is a 2001 American horror set in 1988. The compelling film follows Donnie Darko, a troubled teenager, as he comprehends abnormal visions and occurrences around him.

Non-diegetic sound of a thunderstorm echoes pre picture, foretelling the audience that the upcoming shot will correlate- representing perhaps how visions play appear in the feature. It then fades in to an extreme longshot of a woodland expanse immediately presenting the scene and gives rather a tranquil impression. It is dry which is a contrast to what you preconceive which connotes strange shifts of time throughout. It seems to be dawn foreshadowing the awaking of something- also creating a hazy and dull image implying confusion and delusion.

Horizontal tracking reveals more of the wilderness then a pan reveals a road. This then continues in a forward tracking giving a sense of stalking or a journey, adding to the thriller/ horror feel. An object is present in the centre of the road yet this master shot does not give detail of what it is- the purpose is perhaps to build tension and confusion. Forward tracking allows you to grasp it to be a body- this is slow to gather mystery into the situation. A steadicam allows for a very smooth movement almost comparable to a ghost or spirit. The diegetic music is slow and depressing signifying the characters state and feel. The body then sits up and the camera tilts and pans round his head- showing the head to be of some significance perhaps showing he is academic, philosophic, and theological (Which could also foreshadow his mental health). An echoing keyboard accompanies the instrumental signifying the sadness of the character. An extreme longshot reiterates the landscape and could be denoted as a point of view shot, showing his isolation and that he feels secluded with his mental disorder, as well as foreshadowing his is a social outcast. He stands up obstructing the view, showing he could be irritating or a nuisance- yet could also show he feels he has control. He then rotates to show a close up of his face and then he laughs adding an evil, twisted edge to his character. A shadow hides one side of his face signifying a split personality or ashamed of something.x

A fade from white then takes use to a long shot of him pictured on a bike signifying a flashback or passage of time. The juxtaposition of him in the centre of the scene helps you classify he is the central protagonist. ‘The killing moon’, a more tempo soundtrack, is played by the artist Echo and the bunnymen- which is ironic as Frank (his imaginary friend) is a Rabbit. The non-diegetic music gave a more positive atmosphere, a contrast to before, portraying the highs and lows he feels- further stapled with the bright lighting. Reverse tracking then gives a sense of movement and progress. The bike shows he is a very active person yet cycling is quite an individual sport again presenting him as socially outcast. A cut to a low angle shot gives the illusion he is in control yet this is later contradicted in the film. The steadicam coincides with very few cuts making it smooth and following.  

A cut alternates the attention to, a close up, an orange Halloween sign again emphasises the genre of the film. The camera then continues to track the boy anchoring further that he is the films main focus, making you form a relation between him and the title of the film, ‘Donnie Darko’. The shots are wide allowing you to gather the next scenery. It pictures large white wooden houses set back off a wide street, typical of that of a middle class American town. The cameras focus is then taken from Donnie and tracks an older male using a leaf blowing signify average daily life. A young female then comes into context and jokes with the man who appears to be her father. The switch of focus to other characters foreshadows that Donnie affects others. Then it cuts to a young typical American girl playing on a trampoline, the crane shot tilts down then displaying a woman on a deck chair reading a book, Donnie is then enters on screen hinting they are related. The women appears to be the mother midway through reading a Stephen King book again fixing the horror genre. She is lying down presenting her as being relaxed and appears not fussed by Donnie’s arrival revealing that similar situations typically takes place. The four characters exposed had individual screen time signifying they each have important within the impending story.

Donnie then enters the typical American house and opens the fridge, signifying that he lives there- it could also show that he has been away for a while as he is hungry. A medium shot shows the fridge which reads ‘where is Donnie?’, further creating the mystery into his disappearance. A master shot shows the characters all sitting around a kitchen table eating a meal, reiterating that they are a family unit and shows that they play a role in the film. The dark lighting and shadows symbolise secrets and gives a sinister feel as well as foretelling death. A cut to a two shot shows the relationship between the two girls and shows them as being sisters, the following shot shows Donnie singly , which could show his isolation or lack of connection with his family. The fast paced shot reverse shot between Donnie and his sister then shows conflict between them which foreshadowing further matters.