The boy is
wearing very
plain casual
clothes.
Costume
He is wearing a
long sleeved
white top and
checked pyjama
bottoms. He is
slightly scruffy
Which could
imply he is of
working class
His pyjama bottoms could also imply that
he has to jump put of bed in a hurry. This
portrays that an emergency or crime has
happened which is common for thrillers
.
Donnie Darko Textual
Analysis
Location
The location of the
opening title sequence,
is set in just one
location. The location is
a long winding road
which is surrounded by
trees, mountains and
woodland. The location
is very deserted with no
buildings or houses
nearby.
The location appears very normal which is
typical for the thriller genre however you can
see a dark side of the location. As it is set in
the morning, the location does not seem
particularly scary or corrupt however at night
the location, would be portraying a different
meaning
It is dark enough to be mysterious however the brightness with the
darkness tells us that it is early morning. This means there will not
be many people around which adds to the atmosphere.
This sets the
mood for the
film as it
The lighting is dark however it is also bright.
appears quite
dreary and
not
particularly
The lighting has been
cheerful
de-saturated with a
blue/grey tinge
Lighting/Colour
Donnie Darko Textual
Analysis
Props
Performance
Bike
Implies he
is young as
he may be
unable to
drive
In the next scene the
lighting is brighter which
tells us it is later in the
day. The lighting tells us
that it is morning. It is
still slightly de-saturated
however.
He may like
exploring nature,
and this may be a
common location
for him to go to
It looks as if he
may have been
sleeping as he is
wearing pyjamas.
This could be why
he is moving
slowly.
The boy moves very
slowly whilst on the
floor
The boy smiles to
himself which is
unexpected and slightly
confusing for the viewer.
This is typical of a
thriller film as thrillers
twist and turn and try to
deliver the unexpected
You can only really hear birds
tweeting which shows that it
is very early morning
There is mainly diegetic
sound that is ambient and
specific to the location.
Sound
A handheld camera is used at the beginning
filming the boy lying on the floor – this could
portray someone is watching him as the camera is
shaking
Pan of scenery – this allows us to see all of the
location. The location is shown very frequently in
many different angles which implies that the
location is of some importance
Camera angles and
movement
Donnie Darko Textual
Analysis
Camera shots
Establishing long shot of location – shows you the whole of the setting, and
allows you to see how deserted it is. Also may give you an idea about the
character; for example they are interested in nature.
Medium close up of the boy smiling – This is an important shot as it is
unexpected and instantly makes the audience ask questions and wonder why
the boy was smiling
Point of view shot of man and woman – this once again makes us ask
questions and wonder if there a relation to the boy
Associated point of view of the location – As the boy is looking at the location
this may imply that he finds it interesting or that he is looking for something.