A Case Study of Donnie Darko,Analysing Interpretations and its Cult Status

Matthew Kenneth Bishop takes his time analysis the very complex and twisted movie Donnie Darko. He makes many claims as to a certian and peticular genre that he would classify and eventually the film, Donnie Darko. Bishop aslo takes time to refrence a historical and poliical aspect of the film; the 1988 United States Presidential Election. somehow he convincely categorizes the mere refrence in the film as hopeful act to add depth to the chracters of the story. The following qoutes, I feel, play a significant role in both this writng and as well as in my final paper and most defintely plays a key role in the understanding of the six methods of analysis. A Case Study of Donnie Darko,Analysing Interpretations and its Cult Status is a bold dissertation on the logic of Donnie Darko.


"This time setting also lends itself well to the narrative, as Kelly uses a number of popular cultural references that add a further level of depth to the characters. The political debate within the Darko household separates Elizabeth from her father.
This paints her in a rebellious, yet not extreme, light with her support for
Dukukis lacking solid political argument, seeming to exist just to bait her father
who is supporting Bush."

"It is interesting to note also the genre that Donnie Darko would fit into. This is a difficult film to categorise by genre as it contains elements of so many, all of which help contribute to its complex meanings and difficulty interpreting it. It can be seen as a teen rite of passage film, with Donnie trying to understand his life, embarking on what is essentially a journey of discovery, not dissimilar from the journey of Brad and Jane in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The romantic element between Donnie and Gretchen, and the science fiction elements are prominent. There is also an addition of horror genre, not least, as it is set around Halloween, which allows Frank’s image to fit in well with the season. The twisted rabbit mask could be
something straight out of a horror set piece. Coupled with the deranged look of Jake Gyllenhaal after speaking to Frank, it is harrowing after seeing some comedy scenes, such as the discussion about the sexual appetites of the Smurfs(another 80s popular cultural reference). This variety of different genres becomes a key factor in the analysis of Donnie Darko as a cult film, as the multi-faceted genres can be seen as a key attribute of cult status."