Art Explorer 5: Deja Vu?

The art film that my friends and I have watched and discussed is, Donnie Darko (as many other people have). Donnie Darko came out in 2001 and involves a fairly famous cast, including, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze and Noah Wyle. We picked this movie, because the trailer instilled a sense of mystery and thrill and did not seem to be about a typical suburban boy. Donnie is a teen, who comes face-to-face with his unfortunate destiny through a series of bizarre encounters with an imaginary rabbit, Frank.  Throughout the movie Donnie is portrayed as fairly delusional, who pushes boundaries and in a way does not conform to societal norms.  The characters in this movie either followed a simple or complex view of the world.  Donnie, along with this Enlgish teacher, science teacher, therapist and Gretchen are all on a spectrum of complexity, while his gym teacher and principal are in the spectrum of simplicity.  This symbolizes the spectrum of fear and love that is portrayed in the movie.

After watching and discussing this art film, the art word I have chosen is depth. According to dictionary.com,  depth is:

• A dimension taken through an object or body of material (such as, time travel in the movie) 
• Complexity or obscurity, as of thought or objects of thought (such as the fear and love spectrum or the philosophy of time travel)  
• Emotional profundity (how Donnie, is trying to make deeper connections of the world)

I feel that this film is a clear representation of depth, as the entire concept is complex and obscure.  I found the movie to be fairly strange and unusual, but I cannot ignore the fact that it causes the audience to logically think.  It poses unknown questions about life and explores the curiosities of destiny and faith.  The movie ends in an abstract way, as the characters portray a sense of "deja vu".  For instance, Gretchen is riding her bike past Donnie's house and told of the accident. While she is starring at Donnie's mother, the boy asks, "Did you know him?" and she answers, "No".  Although, Gretchen says no, there is an underlying communication between the mother and her, as if they have met before and indeed know each other.  Thus, even when the movie is ending, it instills a sense of depth that must be interpreted by the audience.

**Note to Future Educators**

Depth is an aspect of art that should be emphasized in all classrooms, as it causes children to make interpretations and connections from the process to product phase.  It also allows educators to take on the view of the child; in the sense that they see the art through the child's eyes not their own.
Remember, depth does not mean "cookie-cutter art" or tracing pictures; it's an element that involves exploration and experimentation.