ONLY THEMATIC COMMENTS WITH SPOILERS, PART 1

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 2002)

PART 1: **SPOILERS EVERYWHERE**
I have decided to write a thematic explanation to DONNIE DARKO since I was not satisfied with the majority of the user comments I have seen. Because I have only seen the movie once, this is not a definitive discussion of every single element of the film. And since after I began to write it became difficult to stop, I have written a little too much. For those who give a s**t about my ramblings, this lengthy comment comes in two parts that should be on the same page.
I am always pretty disappointed to read comments of angry viewers screaming about how a movie makes no sense and therefore it is bad, or it is weird for weird's sake, or that people who like it don't understand it either. You couldn't be more wrong. Just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean that other people (whose intellects must be far inferior to yours) don't understand it either. Of course, I'm not saying that everyone who thinks that DONNIE DARKO is a bad movie is wrong. I'm saying that anyone who says that it is a bad movie without understanding it is wrong. On the other hand, there are people that believe it to be the greatest film ever made, comparing it to other works of genius such as MEMENTO or FIGHT CLUB. Those are certainly good films, but if you think that those are the best ever made then you still have a lot more movies left to watch. Plenty of great films were made before 1999, believe it or not. Many also hail DONNIE DARKO as genius without really understanding it. How do you know that you are not watching a Nazi propaganda film that just happens to have a `cool' style? In their defense, they are at least open-minded enough to respond to it even if they don't fully understand it. They are accepting it as something artistic rather than dismissing it immediately without thinking about it.
Now I'll get into DONNIE DARKO. I have seen the movie only once, but I have thought out the themes well enough to write about them, I think. First of all, I will not try to explain the logistics of every single plot point since the film has some surreal moments that are meant to symbolize states of mind rather than physical actions. For example, I do not care how exactly Donnie Darko travels through time. It might only be inside his mind, or he might actually be moving physically. It may have been that he went back in time at the end of the film to make things right, or that he went into the future at the beginning to see what might happen if he survives. It is not important. Movies like this are not puzzles where every piece must fit. I think this film is pretty easy to understand as long as you try to find themes and understand the characters.
Donnie is clearly a thoughtful outsider in his school. He is not a genius, or nerd, or an average person, or the most popular kid. He is an outsider that thinks about his place in the world. He is visited by a creepy looking bunny that saves his life. As a result, Donnie feels that he owes the rabbit something. He carries out destructive deeds, which the rabbit asks for, without even thinking about the consequences. It is not a `cool' thing when Donnie floods the school or burns down Patrick Swayze's house. Even if Swayze's character had child porn in his house that does not necessarily make him an evil person. He is a confused character that tries to guide people along some religion that he himself does not follow. As the movie progresses, Donnie continues to do harmful things including killing a person. When loved ones around him start dying, he begins to understand that his survival eventually lead to more harm than good. He travels back in time (physically, mentally, in his dream, whatever) because he knows that he should die as intended.
End of Part 1, look for Part 2, if you care!