MYST Post #1: Donnie Darko

I'm really into movies with a weird subject matter, and *Donnie Darko* is exactly that. *Donnie Darko* is a film that really requires your attention in order to fully grasp it. There are moments of humor and moments of terror, and it's important to constantly listen to what the characters are saying and to follow what's happening in Donnie's mind in order to put the pieces together and fully understand and enjoy the film. Every detail, from each therapy session to the smaller characters, such as Donnie's teacher (Drew Barrymore) and the motivational speaker/author (Patrick Swayze), were very necessary details in order to understand the film and bring the plot together.

The film itself can be slightly difficult to follow. It jumps from moments of darkness and suspense to scenes of sunny days with a normal, relaxed feeling to it. This pattern of going from dark to light is repeated throughout the movie, starting from the opening scene: it's a dark morning and you see Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) for the first time, the music is eerie and suspenseful; but then, the title appears on the screen and the shot is cut away to a bright and sunny day where the camera's following Donnie riding his bike home. During those times of normality and brightness, Donnie's character was shot at a medium level and portrayed him as this normal guy, as if hiding the fact that the audience is aware of all the mysteries going on in his mind.

The film is definitely unique in subject matter and has a very different approach to portraying Donnie's issues with schizophrenia. In a typical movie where the main character struggles with a mental illness, they're seen as a victim. However, in this film, Donnie's schizophrenia is almost like a super power. Although his problems and Frank's (his imaginary friend in the bunny mask) existence makes him uneasy and fearful, he uses it as a strength to speak up about what he feels and believes, which allows him to separate himself from the majority of people in a superior way. Donnie's character was filmed in an interesting way in order to portray that quality. There were a lot of close ups during his serious episodes of his schizophrenia and low lighting to add to the dark and creepy affect.                  .

Overall, watching the move was an enjoyable experience. After my first time viewing it, it'd give it 3.5/5 stars; however, i want to watch a couple more times to see if there are essential details I could've missed that may be vital to getting the maximum enjoyment out of this film. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys wacky ideas but in a mature way. This film definitely thought outside the box, but at times, it lacked a little clarity. But I will definitely watch it again in the future.