Donnie Darko - Parapolitical message hidden in movie?

[vondardenelle]

yea, the names stood out for me as well. i think the most attention is given to "Gretchen Ross" because it's made-up and it's discussed in the film. I have no idea what that might mean. But Gretchen is another interesting character as well. You never know who she really is, it sounds like she comes from a scary past (she and her mother are hiding from her step-father), her mother goes missing at the end of the film, wat happened to her dad let alone her step-dad? <br><br>also, just noticed in that obit for the teacher, but his daughter's name is Alice. in light of the child pornography in the film, maybe that's something.<br><br>i didn't get a chance to watch this again over the weekend but i'll really try to this week. but yeah, the more i think about it, it seems like there are so many short scenes that seem kind of out of place. like the smurf scene, the scene with the jogger, and as mentioned earlier in this thread the scene where drew barry more and the ER guy just say "donnie darko" and smile. <br><br>also, doesnt he write "they made me do it" when he floods the school? who are they? <p></p><i></i>

[thoughtographer]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>also, doesnt he write "they made me do it" when he floods the school? who are they?<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Yes, but he actually <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>burned</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> that into the ground. It's not very obvious by looking at it, but there you go.<br><br>"They" are "The Manipulated Dead". <br><br>The next time you see a fancy person on their mobile phone, being pulled by a drooling, fancy high-bred dog, I suggest you lean out the window and say: "Nice mongrel!" <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>

[vondardenelle]

never noticed that was burned into the ground. yikes. doesn't he drive an axe into a solid metal mongrel as well? <br><br>haha, "nice mongrel". probably more opportunity to use that than "nice marmot". <p></p><i></i>

[thoughtographer]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>never noticed that was burned into the ground. yikes. doesn't he drive an axe into a solid metal mongrel as well?<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>Yes. Remember that even bronze is a "liquid" at the right temperature, so there's yet another vague connection to "water" and Donnie's alleged powers.<br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>haha, "nice mongrel". probably more opportunity to use that than "nice marmot".<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>Hahaha, yeah. I thought the same thing when I considered the parallel, and thought: "That's fucking interesting, man..."<br><br>I have this opportunity every single day. I probably wouldn't even have to leave the house. <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>

[bvonahsen]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>also, doesnt he write "they made me do it" when he floods the school? who are they?<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>never noticed that was burned into the ground. yikes. doesn't he drive an axe into a solid metal mongrel as well?<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>"They" are or is Frank. In Roberta Sparrow's book it explains that in a tagent universe one person has the power over the others. Frank is able to put Donnie into a trance and summon him to the golf course, to vandalize the school and torch Cunning's home. Donnie also has super human powers when he is in the trance state and those powers are given to him by Frank.<br><br>The tangent universe loops back on its self and is unstable. That is why Frank has to manipulate everyone to go to where they need to be before it collapses. Cunnings' home is burned down, exposing his pedo-dungeon, forcing Donnie's mother to take the trip to LA with the dancing group. On their way back, it is the engine from their plane that falls off, completing the loop and killing Donnie in the "real" universe. The tangent universe goes poof.<br><br>There are websites out there that go on about some supposed connection between the Smurfs and Satan. I think there was a nutcase preacher around this time who claimed that the Smurf's were Satanic in origin. Probably the same one who said Mr. Ed, the talking horse, had some back-masked satanic statements in it's episodes. <br> <p></p><i></i>

[Mentalgongfu]

Donnie Dark jumped to the top of my favorite movies list the first time I saw it a few years ago. It struck me immediately as an intriguing story with great cinematography. That, along with the time travel and other odd themes, won me over. I taped it from a movie channel and watched it many times. <br><br>I hadn't seen it in at least a year so I rented the DVD and watched it again yesterday, in light of the discussion on this thread. I also checked out the website, which I had never done before. <br><br>Regarding the Smurf dialogue, I didn't 't get the impression it was intended as anti-woman. At least not Donnie's comments.<br><br>But I do agree that the smurf scene stands out. If anything, I think the dialogue may be highlighting the sexual undertones in the movie. After all, it is MiddleSEX. There's the sexual abuse, Gretchen and Donnie, and even the fibonacci spiral could be a interpreted as a reference to sex, if it's correct that it is derived from the reproductive patterns of rabbits. And although the movie begins with a line about Dukakis, the dinner conversation soon degenerates into "fuckass" and "suck a fuck."<br><br>Then there’s the scene at the therapist’s office, where Donnie talks about sex under hypnosis and unzips himself. And you’ll notice when Gretchen comes into English class the first time and is told to sit next to the cutest boy, the girl across from Donnie (Jonie, I think) is giving her a “come hitherâ€

[streeb]

Yeah - the Smurf speech seems pretty important, and I wonder if it alludes to a certain "Poppy". <br><br>Anti-woman? I didn't pick up on that. My wife mentioned that she thinks Donnie's mother is alcoholic. I also didn't pick up on that (until she mentioned it).<br><br>On a real tangent, I have a friend who sat me down one day, played me a couple of tracks from a Smurfs LP at the wrong speed (16 rpm), and then asked me who it sounded like. The answer was astoundingly obvious: Syd Barret. The songs in question were all composed by somebody called - ahem - Barry Corbett, and they certainly mimicked Barret's peculiar cadences, accent, phrasing, not to mention melancholy. Very weird. I guess I should also mention this was after a huge bong hit. <br><br>Not trying to derail. I just thought some here might find it interesting.<br> <p></p><i></i>

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>On their way back, it is the engine from their plane that falls off, completing the loop and killing Donnie in the "real" universe. The tangent universe goes poof.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Now that sounds like the Franklin Cover-up with the cop who had evidence killed when his small plane blew up.<br><br>It also occured to me that another similiar alternative narrative/keyword hijacking of the Franklin Cover-up is the movie 'Stand By Me' where a few young boys share the experience of knowing where the body of one of their friends is. <br><br>They hide the body of a friend killed on train tracks and go back to it like some kind of prize or altar.<br><br>Hmm. Altar. Alter...<br><br>'Stand By Me' sounds like the perfect trigger for a ritual abuse victim to keep them in line by their handler. For kids that is their parents and authority figures.<br><br>And the movie starred River Phoenix. Wasn't he raised in some abusive commune or cult and drug addicted?<br><br>I could research it but I'm just throwing it out there... <p></p><i></i>

[thoughtographer]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>I could research it but I'm just throwing it out there...<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>Yeah, you sure are. <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

Thoughtographer, are you familiar with the Franklin Cover-up?<br><br>Nasty business with pedophiles, snuff films, necrophilia, mutilation, and murder all over the place.<br><br>The BBC made a documentary for the Discovery Channel but massive suppression forced the elimination of the film.<br><br>A bootleg copy was smuggled out though and you can see it online.<br><br>Just throwing that out there.... <p></p><i></i>

[thoughtographer]

Yeah, I've seen the documentary. I just think that this movie's subtext is a lot broader than something that would address any one case.<br><br>And if you think Stephen King's "The Body", which is what "Stand By Me" was based on is "mind control", then you probably didn't even read/watch the source material. <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>And if you think Stephen King's "The Body", which is what "Stand By Me" was based on is "mind control", then you probably didn't even read/watch the source material.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>'Mainstream' movies are stand alone (pun intended) psycho-political events and have nothing to do with the source material.<br><br>Movies operate at the pre-literate level and educated cultural creatives easily miss the cover of the book which is the framing.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>In fact, movies are more about their titles, advertising, and catch phrases than the actual content of the movie, although that has its levels of mental intercourse as well, obviously.<br></strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>"May the force be with you."<br>"Show me the money!"<br>"You can't handle the truth!"<br>"Thank you for smoking."<br>"Chicken Little."<br>"The Godfather."<br>"The French Connection."<br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=hughmanateewins>Hugh Manatee Wins</A> at: 4/3/06 7:46 pm<br></i>

[thoughtographer]

Well, I can see there's no point in going further, as usual. <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

Hey, I don't mean to short circuit your perceived narratives.<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr> I just think that this movie's subtext is a lot broader than something that would address any one case.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>I don't mean to limit this movie's scope to one scandal. Although that is one that is decades long and ongoing with similar mechanisms in the culture at large. <br><br>What do you see as possible subtexts of DD? <p></p><i></i>

[thoughtographer]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Hey, I don't mean to short circuit your perceived narratives.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>Yes you do, but that's okay. I don't give you as much credit as you do, yourself.<br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>I don't mean to limit this movie's scope to one scandal. Although that is one that is decades long and ongoing with similar mechanisms in the culture at large.<br><br>What do you see as possible subtexts of DD?<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>Have you seen the movie? If not, then I can't understand why you're trying to discuss it. <p><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>"A crooked stick will cast a crooked shadow."</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></p><i></i>