Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut

[bigsleepj]

Yup - time for the Bi-Annual Donnie Darko thread where we discuss a movie a few of us like despite the fact that we have no cookin' clue about what's going on in the movie despite our theories to the contrary.

So, what did you think about it?

I recently saw the director's cut of the movie and I have to say its more pleasing and less troublesome than the 2001 theatrical cut (which is so cryptic its depressing - or at least that's my brother's response) and I'm still not sure what's going on, but I know that it at least drops more clues as to what it may be about, assuming its about anything at all.

[Scribs]

I saw the theatrical versian and I dont have a very good idea about what is going on. I do however want to see the directors cut, that could be interesting.

[bigsleepj]

It is less cryptic for one thing.

Hey! I recognize that avatar.

[Scribs]

Hey! I recognize that avatar.

Hey, it was just the kind of creative thing I was looking for, thanks again for submiting it.

[Maledicte]

I've seen both versions, and I must say the theatrical cut was better. While it didn't explain much, the story was tighter and focused more on the reason WHY Donnie acted as he did, and not on the what was going on specifically. The Director's Cut does provide some insight as to what was happening, but not enough to fully satisfy a viewer.

The whole Time-travelling thing...what happened *supposedly* was that when the jet engine fell, it somehow rent through the fabric of time and "split" time into the real universe and the "Tangent" universe. This tangent universe will cease to exist in 28 days, so-and-so hours and so forth, and when it is destroyed everything in it will cease to exist also. It's Donnie's purpose to manipulate events to seal the rift and bring life back to it's place in the real universe...or something like that.

The Director's Cut made the whole time-backtracking thing sort of weird, like Donnie could see into the future and saw the time-travelling technology from some more advanced civilization (human or otherwise) or something like that. Eeegh. I'll stick with the theatrical version.

Other theories and easter eggs and stuff like that can be found at http://www.ruinedeye.com/cd/follow.htm and also http://www.tonystuff.co.uk/darko-spoilers.htm

[K. Ayato]

The director's cut does indeed help make some sense of the movie as you go along. I really like the added scenes that show how Donnie and his family care for each other, but that's it. Watching the director's cut makes me sleepy. Not that it's boring or anything. I still like the movie.

[Sonic_13]

I couldn't stand this movie >=P

[Htom Sirveaux]

This makes me want to watch the movie a second time. I saw it a while ago, but, like so many of you, a lot of it went over my head. Maybe I'll rent this director's cut joint.

[Orange Kitten]

I've only seen it once, so I can't say my own opionions about what exactly happened, only that I agree with Sirthinks2much and others. I thought it was an excellent film. I need to buy the dvd and watch it again.

[bigsleepj]

The whole Time-travelling thing...what happened *supposedly* was that when the jet engine fell, it somehow rent through the fabric of time and "split" time into the real universe and the "Tangent" universe. This tangent universe will cease to exist in 28 days, so-and-so hours and so forth, and when it is destroyed everything in it will cease to exist also. It's Donnie's purpose to manipulate events to seal the rift and bring life back to it's place in the real universe...or something like that.

Personally I suspect the story may be psychological. In other words its all one big delusion of grandeur by an person who had a mental breakdown - in other words he's seeing himself as a hero - a superhero who has to go out and save the world while actually he may be plum crazy. Some things in the movie are possibly too good to be true (like the girl of his dreams ending up sitting next to him - him being chosen to save the world and his family and girlfriend and exposing Jim Cunningham as a monster (the anti-Christ - a false prophet - although this act would be negated by his death - in theory) and so forth. That may be an explanation. When his mother and sister died in the plane-crash it effected him and he's now imagining the world as if he might maybe have made a difference.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

ive never seen the directors cut... only the dvd that i borrowed from blockbuster

Ahhh... it was so awesome when he stood up to that guy that believed we all had 2 emotions or whatever. I liked it how he rebelled at something so preposterous and the teachers were believing it

[Maledicte]

Personally I suspect the story may be psychological. In other words its all one big delusion of grandeur by an person who had a mental breakdown - in other words he's seeing himself as a hero - a superhero who has to go out and save the world while actually he may be plum crazy. Some things in the movie are possibly too good to be true (like the girl of his dreams ending up sitting next to him - him being chosen to save the world and his family and girlfriend and exposing Jim Cunningham as a monster (the anti-Christ - a false prophet - although this act would be negated by his death - in theory) and so forth. That may be an explanation. When his mother and sister died in the plane-crash it effected him and he's now imagining the world as if he might maybe have made a difference.

Interesting theory. It's possible.

However I think the real selling point is how it shows how life is at that point in a person's life, growing up from teenager to someone who knows his purpose in life. (Even the town's NAME tells us this is so.) And also I enjoyed how it described life in the 80's in a lighthearted way, not depressed or making fun of it. "Vote Dukakis"

And let's not forget the awesomeness of the bunny suit.

[bigsleepj]

However I think the real selling point is how it shows how life is at that point in a person's life, growing up from teenager to someone who knows his purpose in life.

And let's not forget the awesomeness of the bunny suit.

I concur, your excellency. It is part of the attraction of the movie.

[Bobtheduck]

Actually, most of the theories that fans had were debunked by the commentaries. He pretty much explains about 90% of the movie in there... There is some stuff he just says was there to "look cool" too...

Still, I love this movie, and I prefer the director's cut to the theatrical version.

[The Last Bard]

I've been trying to decide on whether I should buy this movie or not, and now I guess I will...Sounds intresting.

[Maledicte]

Get the original cut plz. It has the deleted scenes (which, when played into the movie, are interesting but bog it down), and also the Director's Cut pretty much spells everything out for you. The allure of the original cut, I felt, was how it let you come up with theories of your own.

[Bobtheduck]

I saw both of them (original first) and prefer the director's cut, maybe because it is much less mystical... It's all sci-fan "scientific" in the director's cut, wheras the power controling everything in the orignal seemed almost supernatural, as did Frank...

[Scarecrow]

I liked the original cut as well. The movie felt slightly differnt and I didn't care too much for that. Plus yea I kinda agree... the fun part about the original was watching it.. going "huh?" Watching it again, and then going to donniedarko.com and going through that sight a bit to help explain things. The fun was going through and figuring it all out yourself