Table of contentsSummaryIntroductionDescription of psychopathologyDescription of 3 scenesCharacterizationPositive and negative messagesConclusionSummaryThe aim of this analysis is to evaluate the overall psychopathology used in Donnie Darko. Donnie's symptoms of schizophrenia can be analyzed primarily through his hallucinations with Frank and the illusion of the world ending in 28 days. These delusions and hallucinations affect the way he interacts with people and his actions. Actions include him committing a series of crimes such as flooding his school and burning down the house of a pedophile motivational speaker. A proper diagnosis based on the DSM-5 is established through these different aspects of the film. Even if the science fiction aspects play a major role, the psychological aspect is not ignored. Donnie's symptoms may worsen over the 28 days. The film's therapist, Dr. Thurman, offers insight into Donnie's condition through a proper diagnosis. The film further strikes a balance between the fictional aspects so that the portrayal of mental illness is not tainted in obscene ways. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayIntroductionAspects of mental disorders are frequently depicted in films because it is a way of showing society how they are portrayed. Mental disorders in movies often attract the attention of many viewers because people are fascinated by how the mind works. Not all films portray these aspects correctly because proper research, or for other reasons, is not done before the film is produced. Portrayals of schizophrenia often focus on the illness's positive symptoms, visual hallucinations, bizarre delusions, and disorganized speech. These symptoms are presented as commonplace, ignoring the reality that negative symptoms, for example poor speech, decreased motivation, and flat affect (a severe reduction in emotional expressiveness) are more common. These people are presented as prone to violence and unpredictable behavior, appearing in some cases as "possessed". This encourages viewers to develop harsh, negative attitudes toward serious mental illness. When done correctly, an excellent production with an important message about mental disorders can be made. The movie Donnie Darko is a great example of pulling off this difficult feat. The plot of the film revolves around a teenager, Donnie Darko, who sleepwalks out of his house one night and sees a six-foot-tall person dressed in a scary bunny costume. The rabbit, named Frank, tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days. While Donnie is outside with Frank, a jet engine mysteriously falls into Donnie's room. Following this, Donnie begins to obey everything Frank tells him because he feels he saved his life. Donnie, who suffers from schizophrenia, begins committing a series of crimes throughout the film, dictated by Frank. These acts include flooding his school, burning down the house of a motivational speaker/pedophile named Jim Cunningham, and stealing his father's gun. In addition to this, the film deals with science fiction aspects such as time travel, portals and the supernatural. Ultimately it shows how Donnie is finally killed returning to his room and the Jet Engine falls on him on the final day 28 (the end of the world). It's not known for sure how Donnie ended up in his room, but it mustdo something with the time travel aspect. The ending is truly up for interpretation and is still debated and theorized to this day. A popular fan theory includes the implication of a tangent universe. However, there is still no real answer. This aspect of interpretation and debate makes Donnie Darko, in retrospect, a cult classic. Beyond the sci-fi aspects, Donnie Darko does a great job of expressing schizophrenia throughout the film. She is often depicted through Donnie's general mood, his interactions with people, hallucinations with Frank, and his sessions with his therapist! Description of Psychopathology Donnie Darko is a sixteen-year-old white male who lives in the town of Middlesex, Virginia. The year is 1998 and the month is October. He lives comfortably with his mother, father and two sisters, Elizabeth and Samantha Darko, in the suburbs. Donnie is an intelligent boy who expresses himself poetically and speaks with rhetorical tendencies. His intellect is supported by his test scores, which are phenomenal according to his principal. Although he lives a comfortable life and is loved by his family, Donnie suffers from schizophrenia. This became evident when Donnie's therapist, Dr. Thurman, informed his parents of the diagnoses. According to the DSM-5, schizophrenia “is characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, and other symptoms that cause social or occupational dysfunction.” These symptoms appear earlier in mid-adolescence. It can be difficult to make a diagnosis because there are no laboratory tests available yet. In order for Donnie to properly receive a diagnosis of schizophrenia, he must meet certain standards set forth in the DSM-5. According to the DSM-5, typical symptoms to look for are delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, catatonic behavior, and negative symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). An individual must experience 2 of these symptoms for at least a month, and one of them must be a delusion, hallucination, or disorganized speech. The duration of the film is 28 days and during this time you see Donnie describing these symptoms. Donnie hallucinates when he sees Frank. During these hallucinations, Donnie is in a catatonic state because he is either sleepwalking or has no awareness of what is happening around him. All he is aware of is Frank and what he says. Donnie has the illusion that the world will end in 28 days if he doesn't listen or do what Frank tells him. Donnie continues this illusion throughout the 28 days. He experiences disorganized speech during therapy sessions with Dr. Thurman and sometimes speaks in a baby voice. Negative symptoms can be seen throughout the film as he has reduced his emotional expression. He can often be lethargic and sometimes short-tempered when having to communicate with people, especially his family. Donnie is impaired in major areas of functioning during this time. This domain includes work (or school in this case). Even though Donnie is a smart teenager, he struggles in school and gets into trouble. He often argues with teachers, even going so far as to explicitly insult one during a lesson. Due to this insult, Donnie was suspended from school. The DSM-5 states that signs of schizophrenia must last at least six months and include at least one month of active symptoms. Since the film only lasts 28 days, this is difficult to set up. Early in the film, it was revealed that Donnie had been going to therapy and taking medication for some time. Additionally, Donnie claimed to have burned down an abandoned house when he was younger. On this basis,it can be assumed that Donnie has had some form of symptoms for a long time. Schizoaffective disorder and bipolar or depressive disorder were dismissed as claimed by Dr. Thurman's diagnosis. His troubles are not caused by the effects of other medications since Donnie only takes the one medication provided by Dr. Thurman. There is no history of autism spectrum disorder or communication disorder since childhood. In addition to meeting these major qualifications, Donnie also has some associated features. He has disrupted sleep patterns as he is often restless at night and sleepwalks. He is sometimes hostile towards others, such as his mother and older sister. It is evident that Dr. Thurman's diagnosis of schizophrenia is indeed correct. According to DSM-5 standards, Donnie meets them all. Description of 3 Scenes There are various scenes throughout the film that depict schizophrenia and its symptoms. The film can be seen as a metaphor for schizophrenia and mental disorders in general. The 3 scenes that depict these most apparent psychopathological factors include Donnie's first hallucination with Frank, publicly embarrassing motivational speaker Jim Cunningham, and Donnie's final session with Dr. Thurman. During Donnie's first interaction hallucination where he met Frank, the scene begins with Donnie taking his medication and going to bed. For some time in the night, Donnie has an auditory hallucination where Frank tells him to wake up. Donnie wakes up from bed in a depersonalized state and begins sleepwalking. His eyes also became dilated. As Donnie begins to walk through his house, Frank can be heard telling him that he is watching him and that he is getting closer. Donnie unconsciously follows Frank's voice until he leaves his house. Once outside, Donnie sees Frank for the first time. Frank then tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days. Donnie's reaction is that he smiles sinisterly at Frank without any other emotion. This is Frank's first hallucination and creates the illusion of a world ending in 28 days. This is also the start of an irregular sleep pattern, as Donnie wakes up on a golf course the next day. During the scene where Jim Cunningham, a motivational speaker, gives a motivational presentation at Donnie's high school, Donnie begins to have an auditory noise. hallucination with Frank. Cunningham asks students to come to the microphone and share their fears and concerns. Cunningham provides answers to students by telling everyone to find their worth and not be afraid. He also brings each student on stage. When Donnie approaches the microphone, he asks Cunningham how much the school pays him to be there. Cunningham, stunned, begins to wonder who Donnie is. Donnie tells him his name is "Gerald" and that basically all his motivational advice is a joke. He then tells each student on stage the hard truth about each of their fears and worries. Cunningham explains to Donnie and the present administration that Donnie is a troubled young man and needs to find self-esteem. Donnie responds by admitting that he is confused, troubled, and scared. The stinger occurs when Donnie proclaims that Cunningham is the antichrist. At this point, Donnie is taken away by the school administration and laughs as he walks out. This scene depicts Frank's influence on Donnie. Donnie was hallucinating while talking to Cunningham. Likewise, Donnie exhibited other symptoms of schizophrenia. This included hostility and inappropriate effects. He had no control over his actions and was insensitive to what he said. During Donnie's last session with his therapist, Dr. Thurman, Donnie was underhypnosis. Dr. Thurman asked Donnie if he ever felt any regrets or current problems. He responds by saying he regrets flooding his school and burning down the house of Jim Cunningham (who is a pedophile). As Donnie reveals this, he speaks in a mumbling baby voice (disorganized speech). He further claims that Frank makes him commit these crimes because he has to obey him. Donnie thinks that if he doesn't obey Frank, the world will end. He then becomes agitated and frightened, going from a hypnotic state to a hallucination. He tells Dr. Thurman that he sees Frank and that the heavens will open, leading to the illusion of the end of the world. Dr. Thurman tells Donnie that if the world ends, there will only be him and Frank left. Donnie becomes emotional and hugs Dr. Thurman. She then snaps him out of the hallucination. During this scene, this is the first time Donnie can describe to someone what he sees in his hallucination. The combination of hallucination, end-of-the-world illusion, and disorganized speech presents the full expression of schizophrenia. Dr. Thurman also revealed that the medications Donnie was taking were placebos. This suggests that his troubles were not caused by any medication. Characterization Throughout the progression of the film, we can see how Donnie is gradually consumed by schizophrenia. Progress in the movie can be identified over the 28 days by periodically displaying the date/countdown. As the days pass, we can identify how Donnie begins to experience more symptoms of schizophrenia. From the beginning of the film, only Donnie experiences Frank's visual and auditory hallucinations. As Donnie begins to be consumed, his acts of violence/crime become worse. From flooding the school to burning down Jim Cunningham's house to shooting an individual with his father's gun. Through it all, Donnie's symptoms get worse. The periodic identification of the date signifies not only the countdown to the end of the world, but also how slowly Donnie deteriorates. The film's awareness of time keeps the audience in position with the concept of reality. Since the film spans 28 days, such a presence is imperative. Otherwise, it would be difficult to predict when the end of the world would come. The characterization of psychopathology is well done in the film thanks to this aspect. From the beginning to the end of the film, Donnie's hallucinations become more and more frequent. They range from simple auditory hallucinations to vivid visual hallucinations. Likewise, Donnie's delusion about the end of the world becomes obsessive. At the beginning of the movie, it's just a concept that Donnie was casually wondering about. His obsession grows through his criminal actions and listening to everything Frank says. This is because he wants to know what Frank's master plan regarding the end of the world is. Donnie's negative symptoms become more severe and may also be observed. At the beginning, even if he is irritable, he communicates with his interlocutors. At the end of the film, he has no emotional expression. When he shoots the individual with his father's gun near the end of the film, he shows no remorse or emotion. The overall combination of the concept of time and the progression of Donnie's symptoms vividly depicts how he slowly succumbs to schizophrenia throughout the film. This accomplishment is impressive since the film relies heavily on science fiction aspects and audience interpretation. Positive and Negative Messages The pacing of Donnie Darko allows the audience to understand what is happening with Donnie in his struggle with schizophrenia. Frank's frequent presence depicts Donnie's descent into this condition. There.