Reviewing the Richard Kellys Donnie Darko - Movie Review Example

Name: Tutor: Title: Film Review Course: Date: Reviewing the Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko (2001) Introduction The film is regarded as a mixture of horror, drama, thriller comedy and action. Thus the film director labor to bring out the effects of science fiction, grim comedy and the elements of social satire in his story that portrays the haunted misfit of a teenager boy through the use of various techniques in film making and presentaion. The film successfully combines the element of reality together with imagination in the story line in order to bring out the desired effects on the audience as well as create a plot for the movie. Section A of the essay will therefore focus of reviewing the Richard Kelly"s Donnie Darko (2001) while incorporating the use of certain specific elements of the film (Kelly, 2003). It is important to note that the essay consists of section A and B in relation to various films that were presented. Reviewing the Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko (2001) Donnie Darko is considered as an excellent piece of art that many individuals were interested in its review in order to offer a better understanding of the film and point out the use of several artistic elements to enhance the film. The mise-en-scene of a film comprises the setting, costumes, make up among other elements portrayed by the film’s images. Thus the mise-en-scene of a particular film or movie contributes to the a better understanding of how costumes are applied to different actors within the film while at the same how the element of lighting is used to induce a particular meaning. In the film Donnie Darko who is presented as the main character in the film is dressed in a manner that aids him to act in the imaginary world perfectly well as the costumes are not associated with the real world. The tall rabbit in the name of Frank with the use of its costume is used to instill fear, horror and also bring out the element of a supernatural concept exiting in the imaginary world that is used to cause hallucination on the main character of the film (Morin, 2005). In the casting of the film the soundtrack is applied in different versions and context so as to create different interpretations and meanings in diverse contexts of the film. In the film Donnie Darko different scenes experience different kinds of soundtracks for the reason of differentiating between the reality being presented and the imaginary hallucinations of the main character. Several soundtracks are also used for the main purpose of easing tension for instance during the presentation of the rabbit or animal monster that causes hallucinations and directs the main character on what to do; use of soundtrack to ease tension or create a different set of environment (Kelly, 2001). The element of synchronous/asynchronous is an element that has been widely engaged in Donnie Darko film to create the desired effect among the characters and among the audience. Thus the asynchronous voice in general terms holds a certain power that is used to depict the synchronous image. The synchronous image in this case is presented by the rabbit or monstrous animal that causes hallucinations, instills fear while directing the main character on what to do and what will happen in the imaginary environment. The asynchronous voice on the other hand depicts the imaginary voices that are in form of hallucinations that Donnie Darko the main character hears and performs several activities according to the directions of the voice (Morin, 2005). It is also evident that the film is narrated from an empathetic point of view. The main character in the name of Donnie Darko is presented as a teenager who suffers from a psychological disorder or a mental illness and is visited by a demonic rabbit that cause him to engage in several hallucinations and engage in activities that can only be associated with an imaginary world. Thus in order to draw out empathy from the audience the film employed the use of certain stylistic mechanism together with a narrative theme of the melodramatic approach. Furthermore Donnie Darko is represented as a hero in the film despite the aspect of hallucinations and mental illness depicted in the teenage main character. The immense majority of the film Donnie Darko takes place in the parallel setting of the universe. For instance when Donnie’s girlfriend Samantha asks him when they will have children he cites that not until 8th grade and it appears that parallel events are taking place at the same time in the real world. Thus the elements of parallel/not parallel are shown heavily between the scenes occurring in the real world and the imaginary world of hallucinations. The film also presents both diegetic and extra-diegetic moments in form of sound. For instance when Donnie arrives at school a soundtrack “Head Over Heels” by Tears is played to create a non-diegetic moment/sound for the film. In regards to the genre of the film, it is considered to be full of tricks and ideas. Hence the film acts as a form of human imagination in the way that the characters are presented. Donnie is as the main character is presented as a strange creature full of mysteries. The characters of the film are stereotypes as the film begins but grow more human flesh as the film progresses on humanistic themes. The film therefore incorporates various styles for the smooth running of the roles of the characters and the plot of the play (Kelly, 2003). Conclusion Through the review of the film the audience is able to grasp the various styles and elements applied in the film and the reason for the application of such styles for the plot of the film. Such elements are also crucial in comprehending the aspects of the film in another perspective. Thus Donnie Darko film is considered as full of mysteries and thrillers that manifested itself through the use of various characters and elements. Bibliography Morin E., 2005. “The Cinema, the Airplane”, in the Cinema or the Imaginary Man. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 5-11. Kelly Richard., 2003, The Donnie Darko Book, Macmillan. Section B In Citizen Kane, the role played by the reporter in telling the story. Citizen Kane is a considered as a film that narrates the story of powerful newspaper owner by the name of Charles Foster Kane a millionaire newspaper tycoon and a powerful man not only in America but globally. His last enigmatic word “Rosebud” propels a journalist/newspaper man to dig into his past so as to find and capture the meaning of his last word before he died. Hence in an attempt to figure out the meaning of his last word a reporter tries to keep track of individuals who were close to him, worked with him and lived with him. Through these individuals the reporter unfolds their story in a sequence of flashbacks that aid in enlightening more about the life of the millionaire but not enough to puzzle the mystery word (Welles, 2002). The tycoon never gets to tell his own story but his story is duplicated through the reporter. In the film the narrator in the person of the reporter seeks to tell out the story of the tycoon in the form of the film. The reporter therefore narrates the life story of Charles Kane with the use of information that he gathered from the close associates, friends and relatives of the tycoon. The film uses the theme of flashback in examining the life and legacy of Charles Foster while at the same time trying to resolve the mystery behind his death and the last word that the tycoon uttered before his death. The reporter or the narrator in the film therefore plays a very fundamental role in the plot of the film. It is through the reporter that the audience gets to relate with the life history and legacy of the tycoon and bring out the aspects of his life that was little known to the public limelight. According to Barnes 2011, the reporter applies the use of flashback from the information gathered from Charles Foster friends and relatives in a bid to bring out the life history and the mystery surrounding the death of the tycoon. Therefore the life of Charles Foster Kane unfolds in layers as narrated by the narrator as Kane himself never gets to tell his own story. Hence the major role of the reporter in the film is to narrate the life history of Charles Kane as it unfolded in stages through the use of flashback and information gathered from his friends and relatives while at the same time trying to unravel the mystery behind his last words and death. The reporter plays a crucial role in the reporting of the life events of Charles Kane in the film. Another role of the reporter was the gathering of the information from friends and relatives in order to piece together the life events of the tycoon and the events surrounding his death and the last words that Kane uttered (Barnes, 2011). Although the reporter through the process of narration made efforts in piecing together the life history of Charles Kane unfortunately the mystery surrounding his last words that he uttered and his eventual death were never resolved. Thus the role of the reporter was heavily criticized and critics argued that the story of Charles Kane the prominent tycoon could have been told from another perspective. The reporter purely relied on the information that he gathered from Kane’s friends and relatives and therefore the possibilities that his associates were not sincere in the information relied to the reporter cannot be ruled out. The reporter narrated the story with the use of information gathered through the use of friends and relatives that lacked the element of validity. Hence even as the reporter narrates the events of the life of Kane he is not sure if the information gathered was reliable and if the events really happened during the tycoon’s lifetime. Therefore the story could have been told from the Charles Kane perspective as opposed to the reporter’s perspective that was full of biasness in the narration and information gathering elements. Hence it is important to note that the film story could have been told from the first hand information perspective rather from the reporter gathering information about the life history of Charles Kane and narrating it to the audience since the information gathered cannot be relied on. It is also evident in the film that the wife of Charles Kane was reluctant to give out information in regards to the life and death of her husband and therefore the reporter had to rely for information from other associates that were believed to be close to Kane during his lifetime (Barnes, 2011). In conclusion Citizen is a great movie that tries to gather information about Charles Kane a prominent personality through the use of narration in the person of a reporter who makes an effort to gather information from friends and relatives in a bid to unravel the mystery around the last words of the tycoon and his death. Hence the film focuses on the role of the reporter in the narration process of the film. At the same time it enlightens the audience not to focus greatly on the reporter due to the setbacks associated with information gathering and narration procedure of the reporter. However despite these weaknesses the reporter played a fundamental role in the film that should not be ignored at any point in time of the film since it is through the reporter that that the life history of Charles Kane is able to be manifested through the use of flashbacks on the information gathered from friends and relatives (Welles, 2002). Bibliography Welles O., 2002, Citizen Kane: the complete screenplay, Methuen publisher. Barnes D., 2011, Citizen Kane. Insight study guides, Insight Publications Read More

It is also evident that the film is narrated from an empathetic point of view. The main character in the name of Donnie Darko is presented as a teenager who suffers from a psychological disorder or a mental illness and is visited by a demonic rabbit that cause him to engage in several hallucinations and engage in activities that can only be associated with an imaginary world. Thus in order to draw out empathy from the audience the film employed the use of certain stylistic mechanism together with a narrative theme of the melodramatic approach.

Furthermore Donnie Darko is represented as a hero in the film despite the aspect of hallucinations and mental illness depicted in the teenage main character. The immense majority of the film Donnie Darko takes place in the parallel setting of the universe. For instance when Donnie’s girlfriend Samantha asks him when they will have children he cites that not until 8th grade and it appears that parallel events are taking place at the same time in the real world. Thus the elements of parallel/not parallel are shown heavily between the scenes occurring in the real world and the imaginary world of hallucinations.

The film also presents both diegetic and extra-diegetic moments in form of sound. For instance when Donnie arrives at school a soundtrack “Head Over Heels” by Tears is played to create a non-diegetic moment/sound for the film. In regards to the genre of the film, it is considered to be full of tricks and ideas. Hence the film acts as a form of human imagination in the way that the characters are presented. Donnie is as the main character is presented as a strange creature full of mysteries.

The characters of the film are stereotypes as the film begins but grow more human flesh as the film progresses on humanistic themes. The film therefore incorporates various styles for the smooth running of the roles of the characters and the plot of the play (Kelly, 2003). Conclusion Through the review of the film the audience is able to grasp the various styles and elements applied in the film and the reason for the application of such styles for the plot of the film. Such elements are also crucial in comprehending the aspects of the film in another perspective.

Thus Donnie Darko film is considered as full of mysteries and thrillers that manifested itself through the use of various characters and elements. Bibliography Morin E., 2005. “The Cinema, the Airplane”, in the Cinema or the Imaginary Man. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 5-11. Kelly Richard., 2003, The Donnie Darko Book, Macmillan. Section B In Citizen Kane, the role played by the reporter in telling the story. Citizen Kane is a considered as a film that narrates the story of powerful newspaper owner by the name of Charles Foster Kane a millionaire newspaper tycoon and a powerful man not only in America but globally.

His last enigmatic word “Rosebud” propels a journalist/newspaper man to dig into his past so as to find and capture the meaning of his last word before he died. Hence in an attempt to figure out the meaning of his last word a reporter tries to keep track of individuals who were close to him, worked with him and lived with him. Through these individuals the reporter unfolds their story in a sequence of flashbacks that aid in enlightening more about the life of the millionaire but not enough to puzzle the mystery word (Welles, 2002).

The tycoon never gets to tell his own story but his story is duplicated through the reporter. In the film the narrator in the person of the reporter seeks to tell out the story of the tycoon in the form of the film. The reporter therefore narrates the life story of Charles Kane with the use of information that he gathered from the close associates, friends and relatives of the tycoon. The film uses the theme of flashback in examining the life and legacy of Charles Foster while at the same time trying to resolve the mystery behind his death and the last word that the tycoon uttered before his death.

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