Donnie is the saviour

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2005)

Donnie Darko is, like Mullholland Drive, Blue Velvet and others before, a personal movie. Kelly has provided his viewers with a canvas open to their own interpretation. My personal interpretation runs along the lines of Donnie functioning as the worlds saviour, realigning the balance between the Tangent universes. The first part of the film sees Donnie fighting against the forces of the world he feels threatens him. His struggle manifests itself in his neurosis and visions of Frank. In this part of the movie Roberta Sparrow's declaration that we all die alone is negative to Donnie. However as things become clearer to him (and more confusing to us)he realises that he has to die alone, he has to die to save Gretchen and put things back the way they should be. The final part of the film focuses on Donnies acceptance of this. Frank must die in order to free Donnie who in turn saves Gretchen. Donnie declares 'Our Saviour' after Gretchen's death and heads home to sacrifice himself to rectify the traumatic events. The films ending poses the question to us that can one death to save others be justified? The personal nature of the movie creates many question and an equal number of interpretations. Flaws in its analysis are impossible to avoid but that is the best part of this cult classic.