Donnie Darko Opening Analysis

 

We decided to analyse opening sequences of the coming-of-age genre and of an Indie style to find out the conventions of the genre and opening sequences, which we will later apply to our opening sequence.

 

We chose to analyse Donnie Darko because it contains themes of mental health which we might pursue, and it introduces character and setting very quickly in the opening.

 



Sound -Thunder sfx, start louder and fade creating the sense we are moving away from a storm, especially as there are no clouds in the sky, although this could be another hint of the strangeness to come. -When titles end the thunder is in the distance, juxtaposed a little bird song signalling the early morning, which added together jar the audience, signalling the beginning of a film about the unusual. -A strange electronic/synthesized hum starts as a body in the distance is revealed, almost preparing us to be startled, and creating a feel of the abnormal. -As the boy sits up slow piano music starts, slightly distilling the foreboding feeling that had been building up -The piano music is joined by slow choral soprano singing creating an ethereal feeling -Electronic hum matches title fading in -Strange synthesized wind rushing sounds during fade add to the audience’s uncertainty -The fade up matches a change in music to a guitar song, which suits the cycling and emphasizes the teenage boy rather than the strange -Sound of bike, leaf blower, squeak of fridge door promote the feeling of an ordinary domestic life -Music fades as he walks into house

Editing -Fade up from black into a pan across -Cuts to another ELS which Donnie pops up into, then leaves again, with a white title introducing him as ‘Donnie Darko’ that then shines and white light fills the shot. -Fades up from white to show him riding his bike -Cut to LS of riding bike with sunrise behind him matches the drums starting in the music -Lots of similar shots shows monotony -In MS we see mother look left then it cuts to MLS of Donnie arriving from left -Lots of shots of him cycling, suggesting he will go on a journey through out the film -Sets up the equilibrium through a series of shots of the surburban setting -Introduces all the major characters -Shot of Halloween sign introduces setting -All of the shots feature Donnie, setting him up as the protagonist -The only hint of his mental health issues is him waking up in the countryside, suggesting that there is more too his character than just that

Mise En Scene -Mountains and vegetation promote a sense of isolation, and there is no settlement in sight -Dawn is breaking, with a pink sky fading to pale blue -The grey road and dark vegetation add to the unsettling feeling -The bike discarded on the side of the road creates enigma, as we wonder why the boy is lying on the road with a bicycle -The boy is clothed in regular pyjamas -Natural lighting from the sun shines through the trees -Orange Halloween sign matches with typical horror font on it -Wide streets with grass and just planted trees introduces surburban setting -Ladies in pink excersize gear walking and talking-its a conventional town -Leafy greenness connotes iddllyic suburban life -Typical big white boarded American house -Leafblower reinforces unexcitment and domesticity -Little girl wears jeans blue tshirt and has a long plait -Trampoline and deck chair connote summer and family life -Mother reading shows they are an intelligent family -A sign on the silver fridge says’Where is Donnie’ in cursive script on whiteboard

Camera -Pan across mountains to reveal ELS of body lying on the road -As the camera tracks toward the body it starts to move -The camera pans around his body until it stops at a side on MCU -ELS pan across the mountains when Donnie stand up into shot and looks out at the scene, then turns and smiles to himself, connoting the way he deals with his sleep cycling, and possibly his not too serious take on life -MS LA of him riding his bike, as though camera is positioned near handlebars, which sooms out to an LS -Side on MS of him still riding bike into shot -LS of him riding round mountain road corner -LS of road ahead of him as he rides along -CU of sign saying ‘Middlesex Halloween Festival’ with Donnie riding bike in background to signal his arrival back into an urban environment -Camera pans round following Donnie as he cycles past the sign -Trckin down surburban street pans across to LS of Donnie riding bike in the middle of road -LS pan follows Donnie as he rides round corner then zooms in on ELS to MS of dad blowing leaves onto woman, panning to an eLS of her as she runs away -LA LS of Donie cycling into shot past camera and walking up to house -Camera pans down from trees to little girl bouncing on trampoline, then pans down to mother reading -Pan right as Donnie walks up to door, inside, opens the fridge

Institutions:

·         Pandora ident

·         White titles on a black background:

·         ‘Newmarket presents’

·         ‘In association with pandora’

·         ‘a flower films production’

·         ‘a Richard Kelly film’