'Donnie Darko' Analysis of the cover

The front cover of this film portrays Darko to be quite a enigmatic and very manipulative. This is because of the posture of his body (stance) and also his facial expression, which implies that he is unaware of what is going on around him/what harm he is doing to others. However, this facial expression also shows that he is quite devious in the way he does things. The way he is clutching his axe loosely and also his facial expression foreshadows the violence and despair throughout the film. The axe also shows that there is a hint of death/horror look about this film.

Looking at the tag line placed at the top of the front cover, we can say that this is a convention of the thriller genre. This is because this line is also mentioned in the film. So therefore it would also be foreshadowing the film. The character that mentions these words is the rabbit that only Darko himself can see, 'why are you wearing that stupid man suit?' This was a rhetorical/sarcastic answer to what Donnie Darko had asked the rabbit before hand in the cinema.

The colours of blues and blacks convey that the film has a very cold and dark setting amongst the mystery of the front cover. A variety of blues and blacks helps show that it has a thriller genre about it. Darkness looming in, surrounding Donnie Darko infers that the world may shortly be coming to an end in front of his eyes. The light that draws your eyes attention, gives us the idea that it may be a life line support keeping Donnie alive, as this has an orb surrounding the light. This orb appears to be controlling Donnie Darko in the film telling him where to go.This light illuminates the front of the film cover.

Words beginning to cover over Donnie Darko sutterly creates an air of obscurity, denying any existence that he has upon planet Earth. Also, these words we believe to be words from the book in which Grandma Death (Roberto Sparrow) provided to Donnie Darko in the film. The words around him have a very strong importance throughout the film giving clues (in sights) about what the film is going to include and also its lay out.

The title 'Donnie Darko' is in BOLD writing, however on the edges of each side they begin to fade into the blackness, foreshadowing events that are going to happen in the movie.