I just saw the directors cut. It shows a lot more scenes then in the original (obviously) some important, some useless, and some minor details that somehow give more character development.
The chapters of the philosophy of time travel were shown in the film, but they mainly focused on just a few sentences, and the were quick shots, where you only focused on that one sentence and the rest would dissapear.
But mainly, there were 2 scenes that really made the movie make a whole lot more sence.
The scene where donnie sees frank while under his therapists hypnosis is extended. His doctor says something along the lines of
"donnie, you can stop taking your pills, they were placebos, nothing but pills made of water"
"thank you"
"donnie, you are not atheist. Atheist believe that there is no god, you are agnostic, you cant find an explination or proof of existance, but you do not stop believeing his existence" (refering to his earlier comment that it is useless to seek god if every living creature dies alone)
That was the quote, cant say i remembered it word for word but it was along those lines.
The second scene that was not shown was donnies english teacher (drew) telling her entire class that "The Destructors" was now banned form the school, and all who were caught with the book on school property would be suspended. She introduced another book of which i do not recall the name. But it had to do with a community of bunnie rabbits, and after 1 saw a vision and told his surrounding peers, none believed him. Long story short the bunnie who saw the vision died. Donnie would then argue with his teacher about the significance of the story.
"who cares about a bunch of bunnie rabbits"
"(teacher) The rabbits are us donnie. are you saying that the destruction of an entire race means nothing"
"bunnies arent anything, they arent humans, they dont think or believe or have emotions, they dont have memories. bunnies are cute and horny, they have to live happy lives. I mean who wouldnt live a happy life having vast amounts of sex their whole lives"
"(gretchen) thats not what he means. The writer loved his characters and with that his writing allows us to love them."
"(back to donnie) but who cares about 1 insignificant life, even if not the entire species."
once again, i didnt remember these lines exactly but i did remember the jist of them.
After seeing directors cut, i have gained a new understanding of the film.
It didnt have to do so much with the philosophy of travel, but it did explain how donnie did go back in time, as well as forward.
I quote his therapist
"if the sky were to open, and there were no rules, no laws, no boundires, all that would be left are you, and him"
the doctor is speaking to donnie when he sees frank in her office. We also need to remember what donnie had said earlier
"She said every living thing dies alone"
"and how does that make you feel?"
"afraid, i dont want to be alone"
Frank appears, he tells donnie when they first 'meet' that hes been watching him. After watching the directors cut, ive come to the conclusion that Frank came to donnie from this tangent universe and gave him the choice, the choice that donnie really wasnt all that aware of. In exchange for frank to be with donnie, donnie would have to do these distructive acts which would in the end cause the deaths for the most part, of those he loved and cared about. For the others, the rest of humanity, and the collapse of this tangent universe ultimately leaving only him, and frank. Going back to the scene with donnie arguing the importance of the new book, he realizes that his one life was insignificant to be the reason for the deaths of the entire human race, and existence. He goes back in time and is killed by the jet engine, falling into the philosophy that every living creature dies alone.
but then again thats just me
also going with tthe philosophy of time travel says, the manupulated living being used by the manipulating dead. Frank was using the living to yes, lead donnie on in the directors cut he tells donnie to write her a letter, a letter that she would have in her hand and be on the road as frank runs over gretchen. After killing frank Roberta sperro then approaches donnie and tells him that he knows what he must do, and that he must hurry. That he must stop this manupulating dead before he destroys the universe, ending in only donnie and frank.
