Applying Roland Barthes Theory

Barthes' theory states that a narrative can be broken down into five sets of rules or codes:

Enigma Code- This refers to any element in a story that is not revealed or explained therefore it acts as a mystery (or an enigma) for the audience. At some point in the movie however, these questions have to be answered in order to satisfy the audience.

Action Code-This code can be applied when an action implies further narrative. For example, a character pulling out a weapon implies that they will use it to hurt someone-even if we do not necessarily see the action.

Semiotic Code- This is when a part of something will be shown but it stands/represents the whole e.g the desert representing the whole of the Wild West. This code shows the story rather than tell it.

Cultural Code-This code is where the narrative refers to common bodies of knowledge.

Symbolic Code-This code is there to explain the complexities of a narrative, but can be interpreted in many different ways providing no fixed meaning or definition.

DONNIE DARKO

(The clip I've analysed starts at 8:07 VIDEO 1- carries on into VIDEO 2)

1. Identify the key actions within the opening - what kinds of actions are included and how is the narrative moved forward?

The first key action we see is our protagonist Donnie Darko waking up and sleepily walking outside after following instructions from a robotic voice. In the garden, he comes face to face with the rabbit Frank. We can assume that the robotic voice is coming from Frank even though we cannot be sure of it since we only see a long shot of him. We then cutaway to the TV (which was previously turned onto a news channel) displaying white noise, as Donnie’s father sleeps peacefully in front of it. The scene cuts to Donnies mother asleep in bed then to his older sister coming in from a night out. These are all very typical, normal, unassuming actions. This serenity is completely polarised as the scene cuts away to a chandelier swinging violently from the ceiling of their hallway as there is a deafening crashing sound. We are not sure what has caused this but can deduce from the way that the furniture is thrown around it is something of very high impact, perhaps even an earthquake. This moves the narrative forward as now there is a problem, a strange occurrence that the plot can develop around. The sequence cuts to the next morning where two golfers find Donnie asleep on a golf course with the date given to him by Frank scrawled on his arm. He looks very confused as he apologises and walks away. As well as raising many enigmatic questions, this scene makes the narrative move forward as the audience can assume he will go back to his home and we can find out what has happened there.

2.  Identify the enigma codes within the opening - what kinds of questions are posed and how is the audience meant to read these codes?

This is possibly one of the most enigmatic sequences in any film (hence why I chose to do it!) as it poses SO many questions: Who is Frank? Why is he there? Why is he a rabbit? Why has he been ‘watching’ Donnie? Why will the world end in 28 days 6 hours 42 minutes and 12 seconds? How does he know this? Why is he telling Donnie this? Why did he tell him to leave? What was the crashing? What significance does this have to the rest of the story? Is Frank real? Why was Donnie asleep on a golf course? Why does he have the cryptic date scrawled on his arm? The audience wonders all of this and continues watching in the hope that the answers to these questions will be revealed.

                                                    

3. Identify key characters and think about what they represent in the opening

Our main character is clearly Donnie Darko- his name even being the title of the film- so we know he is very crucial to the story. He is a young teenage boy and we can tell is slightly troubled and albeit a bit weird from his confused expressions and vacancy. Another crucial character is Frank the rabbit. Although what his purpose is at this early stage we are not sure. We are left to ponder his prupose: perhaps he is a guardian angel, guiding Donnie away from trouble? In actual fact, Frank is a six foot tall bunny rabbit that only Donnie Darko can see. He makes Donnie commit crimes and often talks about time travel. Later in the movie, Frank reveals he is from the future. Frank is actually a boy Donnie's age who Donnie shoots in the end of the movie because he accidentaly runs over Donnie's girlfriend Gretchen.

4. Interpret the cultural codes in the opening.  What kind of knowledge is being drawn on? social/historical/political/art and culture etc.  Highlight the 3 most important references in the opening that help with audience understanding.

(See video 1 from beginning) Donnie Darko draws on cultural codes earlier on in the film as it refers to the 1988 presidential election and Dukakis in which Donnie’s sister says she would vote for him. This sets the time and place and shows political debate over the dinner table which adds to the realism of a very fantastical film and gives the characters a more rounded and developed personality. The song ‘The Killing Moon’ is featured in the opening scene by the band ‘Echo and the Bunnymen’- ironic, seeing that Frank is a rabbit. At the dinner table scene, Donnie’s mother also mentions his sister going to Harvard, a prestigious Ivy League college. From the audiences cultural knowledge we can deduce she is very clever and high achieving to even be applying for a position there. We also see that Donnie has a younger sister, meaning Donnie is the middle child and bar his father, the only male in the family. This adds to the isolation of his character and perhaps provides explanation as to why he is such an outcast and disturbed in personality.

5. Identify key themes and analyse how they are presented visually/technically.

It is difficult to identify themes at this early stage in the film exacerbated by the fact the movie as a whole is fairly confusing and the writer and director Richard Kelly himself even admits to not fully understanding the story! I suppose one of the key themes is time travel which is revealed later in the story but at this point our only clue is that Frank has told Donnie that the world will end in 28 days.