Intractable heroes

"As Conrad E. Oswalt Jr. said, “The box office constitutes a mass medium for the apocalyptic drama, which suggests the existence of a popular, apocalyptic imagination in contemporary society – apocalyptic consciousness the movie industry has discovered and perhaps fostered.”

Charles P. Mitchell said, “Many of the elements from the book of Revelation have filtered into our world culture.” A few examples of these elements are: the destruction of the known world (termed “apocalypse”), dualism, the supernatural hero, free will and the predetermined plan of God, and dualism. Mitchell also said that apocalyptic cinema is made up of “motion pictures that depict a credible threat to the continuing existence of humankind as a species or the existence of Earth as a planet capable of supporting human life…the event threatening the extinction of humanity has to be presented within the story.”Conrad Oswalt has said, regarding apocalypse in American film, that “the apocalyptic drama occurs in a familiar or an immediate setting that has been transformed into a terrifying Armageddon” By going into a tangent, yet identical, universe, Donnie’s once familiar world has begun to speed rapidly toward destruction.

In order to avoid this worldwide destruction, however, there must be a hero figure to bring about renewal. Again comparing modern and traditional apocalypse, Oswalt says, “The modern apocalyptic imagination removes the end of time from the sacred realm of the gods and places the apocalypse firmly in the grasp and control of humanity.” This human control is found in the person of Donnie Darko. Donnie is chosen by Frank to get everyone out of the tangent universe before it collapses. The character of Donnie is similar to both John as the chosen recipient of a divine message, as well as Christ as messianic savior. Once difference, however, between the role of Donnie and Christ in Revelation is that Donnie does not realize until the end of the movie that he has been chosen to save everyone.

In the context of Donnie Darko, this hero figure is referred to as the Living Receiver. According to the book accompanying the movie, “The Living Receiver is chosen to guide the Artifact into position for its journey back to the Primary Universe…The Living Receiver is often blessed with…powers.” Donnie’s supernatural role is foreshadowed during his first conversation with his girlfriend, Gretchen. She asks, “Donnie Darko? What the hell kind of name is that? Sounds like some kind of superhero or something.” Donnie is, whether he knows it or not, the hero character in the story. Oswalt says, “the strong character is usually a hero figure who rises to the occasion by preventing the end from coming or by defeating the forces of evil.” However, this dualism, which Donnie fights, he ultimately sees as truth. What he once feared, dying alone, he later willingly chooses because of his love for Gretchen.

In addition to dualism, the supernatural hero, and apocalypse, Donnie Darko also incorporates the question of control found in Revelation, in other words, free will v. pre-determinism.

The movie asks the question of free will and predestination and purposefully doesn’t answer it. Director, Richard Kelly, says this is because “Ultimately for me I think it’s more powerful to leave the mystery intact and not spoil it by trying to over-explain everything.”

[...] In traditional apocalypse, according to John J. Collins, “The main means of revelation are visions and otherworldly journeys, supplemented by discourse or dialogue and occasionally by a heavenly book. The constant element is the presence of an angel who interprets the vision or serves as a guide on the otherworldly journey.”
Source: naomirachel.blogspot.com

"Brendan in this one is the too-cool-for-school dude who lunches alone and finally, at the height of his send-Mary-Astor-to-the-gallows moment - "Now you are dangerous," he says earlier, in a direct reference to THE MALTESE FALCON - learns that his controlling nature cost him not just the girl but his own happiness, indeed (in the literal, biological, gene-perpetuating way) his own masculine triumph; his self-reliant existentialism ends up hurting even himself. The film's magic seemed mysterious on first viewing, home-made and sketchy, set in a forgotten America of empty spaces and almost oppressive tranquillity - like on a stage, keeping real life at bay, and amateur dramatics duly make an appearance in the narrative - but second viewing reveals it to be slicker (and more skilful), leaning heavily on a memorable score (starting with Em's theme, a lilting lament seemingly played on shards of glass) and making creative use of its low budget by framing tightly on specific objects; since both noir and high-school are used almost abstractly, familiar sets of rituals to be shuffled through like a deck of cards in a card-trick; nor is it really script-centric - as some people claim - Johnson's control being far more important than the dialogue or narrative (which resolve into dense witty patois and tortuous McGuffin, respectively); best seen as a mood-piece, as lost in its world as its own intractable hero, finally puncturing his cerebral shell - he does get into violence but self-consciously, taking off his glasses first - as a warning against living too obsessively in your own head".
Source: leonardo.spidernet.net

"A while back, my boyfriend shoved Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life into my precious little hands, and I absolutely adored the part real, part video-game-ish love story (with ninjas!). Ever since we heard there was going to be a movie made of the series, we've been wondering who could play Scott, the books' 20-something, goofy, mediocre-music-playing slacker antihero who must defeat his crush's seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to win her heart. One name came to mind: Michael Cera.I think this could be a great role for Cera — a bit of a stretch, but certainly something he can pull off. Scott's awkward, like many of Cera's best characters, but it's a different kind of awkward: the awkwardness of someone who thinks he's actually pretty cool".
Source: buzzsugar.com