Deconstruction of Donnie Darko
The first thing the audience see is a slow zoom up towards an unknown object in the road, with the only sound being a few quiet birds chirping- an off screen diegetic sound and some subtle eerie non diegetic music, which makes the atmosphere tense and ominous. The trees and scenery are vast and surround what we realise is a man, as the camera zooms closer and he starts to move. The piano starts to play as the camera does a 180 pan around the man so the audience can see the tranquil expression on his face. He is wearing checked trousers and a long sleeved top, most likely- pyjamas, suggesting he slept out all night on the road. His hair is messy and he has a tired expression. A point-of-view pan of the scenery, accompanied by the calm music creates a peaceful setting. The man then stands up and turns towards the camera to smile to himself, showing the audience his character is currently in a good mood rather than a melancholy one.
After the screen fades to white there's a straight cut to a man on his bike, and the parallel non-diegetic music picks up tempo which is synonymous with the increased speed of the man on his bike. tracking shots are used to film the man cycling whilst he is travelling down the hill. Point-of-view shots are also used to allow the audience the same experience of the surroundings as the cyclist has.
Next, the camera shows a close-up of an advertisement for a Halloween carnival, informing the audience that Halloween is approaching and this could play a part in the story of Donnie Darko, who is presumably the man on the bike. Although straight cuts are primarily used, the camera often moves from one point of focus to another with cutting. For example, the camera simply pans until the cyclist is out of view, before zooming closer to a mute scene with a man and a girl. This camera technique represents the way the cyclist sees his surroundings as he travels at a high speed.
As he enters the house, the non-diegetic music begins to fade, suggesting the montage will end and the dialogue will begin. The note on the fridge says, "where is Donnie?" which is a narrative enigma, inferring the cyclist is Donnie, he has been sleeping out all night and people at home were only moderately worried about him- suggesting he is a teenager given quite a lot of freedom by his parents.
