English Media Study - Donnie Darko

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‘Donnie Darko’ English Media Coursework             

Explore the ways in which Richard Kelly presents his ideas about the film “Donnie Darko” and the characters in the “school walk” scene. You should refer closely to camera shot, lighting, sound, denotations (signs or symbols) and connotations. Relate your understanding of the scene to the film as a whole.

The scene where Donnie arrives at school is a representation of a 1980’s MTV music video. Richard Kelly recalls seeing the video ‘Janie’s got a Gun’ by Aerosmith. The person in ‘Janie’s got a Gun’ has a vision in it, similar to Donnie knowing that the world is going to end. Donnie had an epiphany of what is going to happen in the tangent universe. Kelly said that ‘I had never seen a video that told a story. It was better crafted than most movies I had seen and I was taken aback by it’’. Significantly the school walk scene does resemble a music video as it has everything going on around a song being played in the background, the song is ‘Head Over Heels’ by Tears for Fears.

As the scene begins we see the school bus at an ‘Oblique camera angle’, the bus is sideways on. On the back of the bus there is writing that say ‘Mongrels Rule’, this represents the cougar which is a mongrel. It shows some what pride for the school mascot. The school is in havoc after the statue is defaced by Donnie later on in the film, you can see it means a lot to the school because it brings a sense of pride.  Donnie is the first to get of the bus. You can see he uses the back exit which could be used as a sign of impatience or to state as if he is above the rest, as if he is ‘special’, so he deserves to go first. As Donnie exits the bus the camera moves in to ‘Tilted long-medium shot’.

As Donnie and his friends walk towards the school the camera ‘Rotates to its normal position’ and ‘Moves into a long shot’, this is an ‘Establishing shot’ of the school so it sets the scene. While going towards the school you can hear bells in the background and the chime seems some what ‘fated’, it is similar to the fact that the world has a ‘fate’, the ‘tangent universe’ has to be destroyed. It is Donnie’s destiny, he has a set path, it is similar to the way he can also see other people’s set path because he can see ‘ghosts’ emerging from their bodies at the party later on in the film, he knows he has his own set path. The camera represents a pupil walking around the school. We see what ever this pupil sees.

The students, most noticeable are the girls, have very old fashioned uniform. The uniform and the bells suggest a strict code at the school. We can establish that it is a Catholic school and the bells at the beginning reveal that because, it reminds you of a church. The surroundings outside the school give off a peaceful vibe. For example the flowers are colourful which could mean peace and solitude or even harmony. The outside is the complete opposite to what is happening inside the school. It resembles two different worlds. It is like the two worlds in the film. One is in mayhem and the other is in its original state. On the school door there are patterns on the windows which resemble bar, suggesting that the school is like a prison.

We can see that Donnie’s personality is free, this is because he has his top button undone as he walks in to the school, and also you can see his expression is very ‘vacant’. Once again Donnie is first to enter the school just like he was first to leave the bus. As Donnie and his friends enter, the camera is in ‘Medium close-up’, then it moves backwards and ‘Dollies’ on them. The music ‘Head Over Heels’ starts playing in the background. Donnie is central in the shot.

The camera then ‘Whip pans’ to Seth – the school bully, so he is now the main focus. The ‘Whip pan’ could resemble Donnie’s feeling towards Seth, this is because they don’t see eye to eye, this is seen further on in the film when Seth is accused of flooding the school and defacing the cougar statue. Seth threatens Donnie with a knife in the toilets. At this point the music becomes very high pitched. This is similar to the rock guitar which could symbolise rebellion which resembles Seth; the high pitch sound could again signify the dislike between Donnie and Seth. Seth walks with a swagger through the corridor. He is very casual and laid back; this is something he has in common with Donnie, he can think for himself. Seth is not institutionalised. Seth has a very rebellious haircut; the ‘Mullet’ was popular in the 1980’s among rock stars. Everyone moves out of the way for Seth as he is walking, he has a very hostile presence. The girls who moved out of the way walk behind him as if they are in awe of him, power equals popularity in this instance, it is similar to a school hierarchy with the popular people, the ‘Jocks’ and the ‘Bullies’ near the top, then social outcasts such as Cherita and Donnie near the bottom because they are ‘different’.

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Seth is very grimace and as he walks along he gives a very intimidating but sarcastic smile at Ms. Farmer. From here the camera ‘Whip pans’ from Seth to Ms. Farmer. We see a ‘Close up’ of her Then it ‘Dollies’ on her. She is standing in front of a door which again makes the school look like a prison. Ms. Farmer is clutching the book ‘Attitudinal Beliefs’ by Jim Cunningham near her chest. This could mean that she loves his theories and is holding it near her heart or she loves Jim Cunningham and is holding it near ...

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