The search for God is absurd?

Rating: Null/10 (7 November 2004)

For those of you that have seen the original version of this film, the director's cut fills in some unanswered questions and nearly takes this film into a whole new genre. After leaving this film last night at the theater, my wife and I had another two-hour discussion about this film. One of the discussions that we had was if the director's cut perhaps moved this perfect film from the world of fantasy into the world of science fiction. This is something to think about when you watch this edition. The ending of this film (not to give anything away) opens the door to the possibility of the genre change. Throughout the film there are hints towards this chance change, but it isn't until the end that it becomes clearer. That is what impresses me about Richard Kelley's unbelievable film, it opens your mind to several new ideas and possibilities. He does this by adding chapters from the book 'The Philosophy of Time Travel' to better guide us through the different phases that Darko encounters and experiences. Also, Kelley adds the images of the human eye to several of the scenes to create a stronger connection between the tangent universe and reality. This director's cut seemed more like a dream than the original, and I thoroughly welcomed this change.
There are a handful of other scenes that Kelley adds that helps enhance the world around Donnie. We learn a bit more about his parents, his girlfriend, and his therapist. There also seems to be more referencing to religion in this edition. I was overjoyed to see this because I felt that was an aspect missing from the original. There is a wonderful discussing in this film between Donnie and his therapist concerning the difference between an atheist and an agnostic. This powerfully sealed the film for me. It allowed a bit more insight in Donnie's character as to where he stands on the issue of God and the strange events that are happening around him. It was as if the final piece of the puzzle was finally put into place.
Thankfully with these extra scenes and better sound we can witness Donnie Darko in it's purest form. The way the director wanted it to be. We finally were able to see the finished product, and for some it may not be the finale they desired, but for this film fanatic it was extra icing on the cake. The additions of some new songs only help build the already haunting sound of this film. Honestly, who can match the remake of the Tears for Fears song 'Mad, Mad World'? It seemed like it was made explicitly for this film. Finally, how can you challenge a film that releases the secret to time travel? The truth is out there? Not unless you have seen this film. There are some cases when a director's cut will dramatically change the structure and sensation of the film. This was not the case here. Kelley changed nothing with his deeply developed characters or the overall story. The only aspect that I feel did change (and possibly not for everyone) was the possible genre switch. It will be up to you to see if this is true or not.
Donnie Darko continues to remain on my top eleven films ever list. I do not see it dethroned anytime soon, especially with the release of this director's cut. It is a cultural phenomenon and a thought provoking film that will leave impressions on your mind for years to come. You will not see films like this in the recycled Hollywood riff that is currently being released, and I doubt we ever will, so go out and buy this film today. It honestly is one of the greatest ever to escape the grasp of Hollywood.
You will never experience a film like this again in our lifetime.
Grade: ***** out of *****