God Vs. Donnie Darko
Let me be “Frank”
Most of those that have seen the movie “Donnie Darko” were left to be; not disappointed, but a little confused and let down by the ending. It is by no means disgraceful that viewers weren’t able to find closer from the movies conclusion. It has taken me a year to fully understand the depth, “alone,” and months to interrupt this novel-like complicated film. If you have not seen this critically acclaimed film, I suggest you read no further than this till you have a chance to watch it on your own and ponder you own meanings-it really is quite fun-you should try it. I have a history of ruining movies for people that haven’t seen them; so, I’m just giving fare warning. Life loses its spice if its recipes are revealed. Well, you get what I mean…
But feel free to watch the trailer:
http://movies.apple.com/movies/independent/donnie_darko/donnie_darko-sref.mov
-The Layout-
I am a sucker for fiction, because it breeds ideas, philosophies and contradictions. One of the most complicated ideas in fiction is the thought of time travel. Everyone has heard of the common paradox of going back in time and killing your father before your conception-negating your creation and thus canceling any of your actions. If you were never born you could not go back in time and assassinate your father. This has been the common theme in time travel movies---to look at the act through scientific and logical eyes. I give “Donnie Darko” points “alone” for its originality. It is the first movie I have seen that looks at the paradox of time travel through a theological view, and that is why people have such a hard time understanding this film.
-First Thoughts-
When I first started to think in depth of the hidden meaning, I was very much confused by the ending where Donnie stayed in bed to be crushed by the falling jet-engine. I knew he wanted to save his girlfriends Gretchen’s life, but did he really need to kill himself do so? He was a good-natured character, but he wasn’t an idiot. Surly Donnie could have taken steps to insure Gretchen survival. So why stay in bed to be killed, when he was a God of his own world?
-The Talk-
There is a foreshadowing confliction that takes place during Donnie’s conversation with his science teacher Dr. Kenneth Monnitoff that leaves Donnie a little less hopeful than before. All the scientific and logical theories of time travel were well conveyed from mentor to pupil with little ease, but the conversation took a drastic turn when Donnie started asking of time travel with a theological negation-a world without God.
Kenneth Monnitoff: Well each vessel travels along a vector though space-time, along its center of gravity.
Donnie Darko: Like a spear?
Kenneth Monnitoff: I beg your pardon?
Donnie Darko: Like a spear that comes out of your chest.
Kenneth Monnitoff: Umm… sure. And in order for the vessel to travel through time it’s got to find a portal, or in this case a wormhole…
Donnie Darko: Well could these portals erm… could these portals just appear anywhere, anytime?
Kenneth Monnitoff: I think that’s highly unlikely. No, I think what you’re talking about is umm… an act of God.
Donnie Darko: Well if God controls time, then all time is pre-decided.
Kenneth Monnitoff: I’m not following you.
Donnie Darko: Every living thing follows along a set path. And if you could see your path or channel, then you could see into the future, right? Like err… that’s a form of time travel.
Kenneth Monnitoff: Well, you’re contradicting yourself Donnie. If we were able to see out destines manifest themselves visually, then we would be given a choice to betray our chosen destinies. And the mere fact that this choice exists would make all pre-formed destiny umm… come to an end.
Donnie Darko: Not if you travel within God’s channel.
Kenneth Monnitoff: Umm… I’m not going to be able to continue this conversation.
Donnie Darko: Why?
Kenneth Monnitoff: I could lose my job.
Donnie Darko: Okay…
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Donnie didn’t see that he was contradicting himself-if he traveled through God’s channel but was able to see and choose his destiny, than that itself contradicts God’s infallible rule. Donnie also forgot that Dr. Monnitoff was a catholic school-teacher and that no matter whom or what Dr. Monnitoff talked about he could never engage or promote an idea that negated the existence of God. The paradox of Donnie’s questions on time travel is a sneak peak into the message of the story. Donnie’s questions couldn’t be answered by Dr. Monnitoff because Dr. Monnitoff’s ability to teach would be forfeit, or “negated,” if he did.
-The Philosophy of Time Travel-
I actually took the time to read the “fictional” book “The Philosophy of Time Travel.” I emphasized the word “fictional,” because the book was never published; just made available for those who feel like having their brain smashed out with a brick and a side of lemon. Navigating though Donniedarko.com is at best intriguing and at worse a mind-fuck.
The book gives a good understanding of the rules of time travel used in “Donnie Darko,” and pretty much explains what the hell is going on through the explanatory theory of a tangent universe and its inherent creation and destruction.
I didn’t quite explain why (in the previous section) Donnie is going through a temporal paradox; I only hinted towards it. You see, the movie is a look into a world that collapsed on it self, because God no longer had sovereignty over it. Donnie was able to see his fate; his future, and there for given the chance to stray from God’s path for him: canceling the inevitability of fate and disproving God’s existence.
In the world of “Donnie Darko,” it is very true that “everyone dies alone,” so explained by Roberta Sparrow. If there is no God, then there is no heaven or hell, and those who die in this world are trapped in Limbo; like Frank’s ghost was.
-The Letter-
Donnie was a very intelligent person. He knew exactly what was going on: that in his tangent world he would die alone. There would be no one to guide him to the light at the end of the tunnel, or greet him at the pearly gates of heaven. Once the tangent world ended, and Donnie was in his bed twenty-eight day back in time, he stayed in bed zealous at his reconnection with the divine. He wasn’t afraid to die. Death no longer scared him, because he knew that death was not the worse thing that could happen to someone: not by far.
Dear, Roberta Sparrow
I have reached the end of your book and there are so many question that I need to ask you. Some times I am afraid of what you might tell me. Sometimes I am afraid this is not a work of fiction. I can only hope that the answers will come to me in my sleep.
I hope that when the world comes to and end, I can breathe a sign of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to.
Donnie Darko….
