Nothing shouts postmodern like an indie, science fiction film about an angst ridden, slightly psychopathic teenage boy who’s followed around by a spooky guy in a rabbit suit. However, what strikes me as the kind of “narrative collapse’ that Rushkoff discusses in his novel, Present Shock, isn’t the obviously eccentric plot points that the movie Donnie Darko is so well known for, but instead the deeper messages that lie behind the film, and the ways in which the filmmakers chose to portray said messages.
Although released in 2001, Donnie Darko takes place in 1988. One of the main premises of the movie is to poke fun at the “perfect” lifestyles of middle-class, suburban Americans, and the director most likely felt that the most appropriate time period to do so was in the 80s. However, the movie was not written, filmed, or created during this time, and the actors’ choices, along with the topics chosen by the writers, are therefore prime examples of presentism, a topic brought up by Rushkoff in his book, Present Shock. Leading into a new millennium, the late 90s and early 2000s were consumed heavily by science fiction, with ideas such as time travel and powerful external forces circling the minds of all of those who were waiting for the type of future they believed would come with the 21st century. Therefore, with “The Philosophy of Time Travel” being a common motif throughout the film, despite the desired time periodization, it is made clear that some ideas behind the making of the movie were influenced by presentism. When discussing this phenomena in Present Shock, Rushkoff states, “Our society has reoriented itself to the present moment… It’s more of a diminishment of anything that isn’t happening right now—and the onslaught of everything that supposedly is” (Rushkoff). Although the director maintains the feel of a 80s movie, using proper clothing choices and appropriate characterization, Donnie Darko still focuses on something that the creators felt was important and interesting in 2001.
Donnie Darko also challenges the idea of a strictly linear narrative. There is no clear beginning to the story, as we are almost instantly introduced to the conflict, when an airplane engine falls on the roof of the Darko house. Viewers are left slightly confused, as it feels almost expected by the filmmakers that we already know who the Darkos are, considering there is no clear introduction to each of them or their lives in Middlesex, Virginia. It also feels as though we should just accept the fact that an airplane engine has fallen from the sky, and landed perfectly in Donnie’s bedroom. Viewers are therefore left confused, until the plot is explained further, and each piece slowly begins to fit into the puzzle, as the storyline gets more and more complex. Then, when you almost think the last two hours you’ve spent finally make sense, everything contradicts itself in the last five minutes of the movie. However, this type of scattered chronology is a prime example of a “narrative collapse” which makes us question everything believed to be key to traditional story making.
Some may argue that challenging traditional narrative formats creates the risk of a confusing storyline. Although a valid concern, considering many feel Donnie Darko isn’t worth the blurred line between reality and hallucinations that is often crossed too leisurely throughout the film, writers shouldn’t just stop taking risks, as it is important to separate ourselves from past generations. “As Korzybski put it, we see further because we ‘stand on the shoulders’ of the previous generation. The danger of such a position is that we can forget to put our own feet on the ground” (Rushkoff). Although building upon an already solid foundation left over by previous writers and thinkers is a valid strategy, it’s also not a bad idea for new writers to take the risk of creating a new format that may better fit the message of their piece: hence, the influx of postmodernism.
In conclusion, the film Donnie Darko is a prime example of ideas expressed in Rushkoff’s Present Shock, such as presentism and “narrative collapse”. Although seen as a postmodern, breakaway story from traditional narratives, Donnie Darko still expresses traits of a hero’s journey. Donnie is called to adventure by Frank the Rabbit, goes through multiple steps of a hero, and finally ends the movie, and his life, by sacrificing himself in the wormhole. Although Donnie goes back and forth between both the antagonist and protagonist, the overall message of needing a hero that is commonly prominent in stories is still fairly clear. However, in Donnie Darko, the hero isn’t necessarily a person, but one could argue that it is instead the sanity of Donnie himself.
Works Cited:
Rushkoff, Douglass. Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now. New York: Penguin, 2013. Print.
This was a wonderful movie to write about, it's a great example of Rushkoff's idea of a narrative collapse. The fact that the film starts off by showing the ending, and then presenting the audience with all of the events that lead to the ending, proves that the choices made by the director are nothing less than postmodern. I personally think that time altering plots- although confusing to many viewers- put more emphasis on the end result, and that the time the audience spends dwelling on what it all means helps them to develop a separate or personal meaning of the narrative.
ReplyDeleteI'm laughing a lot because we both chose the most confusing movies to write about. Good.
Ruth, I really enjoyed your post. This movie really stuck with me when I first saw it (it was on DVD a few years after it had come out, actually). I remember lying awake that night unable to sleep because I was thinking about the events and ideas in the film.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely an excellent example of a non-linear, postmodern film.
**Spoilers**
You make a good point in that even though the narrative structure is complex, Donnie is in many ways a classical tragic hero--even to the point that he dies/sacrifices himself at the end.