On the list of the top ten existentialist films, there in lies Donnie Darko. The story of a lost and confused teenage boy diagnosed insane. The debate now is whether or not this movie actually represents the ideas within existentialism. I have to say that the existentialist ideals were poorly portrayed in the film. The existentialist ideals embody free choice and free will, while in the film, Donnie Darko was forced to follow his fate by the concept of time travel and pre determined fates (the weird looking bubble things that he follows around). Other concepts of existentialism include that there is no meaning in life other than what we determine, and that people create the overall meaning of their lives through their own actions.
This seems to be contradictory considering the entire movie is centered around Donnie's predetermined fate. His life is shaped by his relationship with Frank. The first example of Franks influence on Donnie's life is his first interaction with Frank, when the plane engine crushes Donnie's room, but Frank saves him, by telling him to follow him out of the house.
When Donnie travels back in time at the very end of the film, he knows that not following Frank will kill him, and spare him all of his suffering, so he chooses to suffer his fate. Many would vouch for Donnie Darko when it comes to existentialist films, however I would have to disagree.
Good stuff xanthe. I would think people would understand the Frank and Darko relationship from the get-go. However from the long class discussions I now see that it is too much for people to whrap their minds around. TiMe TrAvLe MaN!
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Colten, Xanthe--you make a good case for kicking Donnie Darko off the 'existentialist film' list.
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