BJ: Movie Opening Analysis- Donnie Darko (Kelly, 2001)

Donnie Darko is a supernatural horror/drama that was made in 2001. It depicts a teenager who regularly gets visits from a person dressed in a rabbit costume that calls himself 'Frank'. this rabbit then tells him that the world will end in a month, and then goes on to influence Donnie to do terrible things. This is typical of a psychological horror film.

• The scene begins with the camera slowly zooming in to Donnie laying in the middle of the road looking confused. This connotes that the main character may have strange things happening to him or he is not in a normal state of mind.
• The director has used costume to portray the character effectively. The boy is wearing rough clothes, possibly pyjamas, and his hair is very scruffy.
• We know this is possibly a horror film because there is a shot of a sign that says 'Middlesex Halloween Carnival' which could mean that some supernatural things could happen.
• The scene is seemingly one continuous shot of Donnie waking up in the middle of the road and riding home on his bike.
• The director has used panning, tracking and zooming to create the opening scene.
• The director has used specific lighting to create a more eerie atmosphere. For example, the lighting when he wakes up is very dim, making it seem like it is cold and scary.
• The music starts off very eerie with conventional horror soundtrack and then while he is riding the bike it is more jolly music. This is not conventional of a horror film.