#102 “Henrik de Wolf” (Frank)
From Olivier
28 days…6 hours…42 minutes…12 seconds…
That is when the world will end.
I’m not sure if there is any way to fully explain this, but as soon as I saw this illustration by Olivier (which he calls Henrik de Wolf), my mind was instantly drawn to remember the film Donnie Darko. I have not seen the movie in years, and in fact I have not thought about it months… and yet whenever I lay eyes on this picture, it’s all I can think about. I suppose it has something to do with the stoic nature of the wolf. Simply put, he reminds me of the character of Frank from the film. The eyes are cold and blank, but there is also a sinister knowledge behind them. There is a sense of danger associated with the picture, but at the same the wolf does not appear to pose and immediate threat. He is simply creepy…ominous. The news the creature delivers is certainly frightening and foreboding, but it is unclear if the animal is “warning” the recipient and is therefore a blessing, or if he is somehow connected to the message in a much more malicious manner.
I remember that the first time I watched the film, my brain had a difficult time understanding the nature of exactly what had happened during the final scenes. The time traveling, the alternate realities existing on various planes- it was all so surreal, but so believable as well. Ultimately, I chose to do away with trying to understand the logic of it. After all, that was not what had intrigued me most about the film. No, it was just the opposite that drew me in. It was the pathos, the emotion. I felt for Donnie. I really felt for him. So much so that when I watched that final scene, I was both saddened and relieved beyond words. In many ways that complex emotional soup of positives and negatives has never left me, and I suppose it never will. Sure, it’s just a movie. But if we don’t watch movies in hopes that they will impact our lives, why do we view them at all?
A picture of Frank from the film is provided below, along with Gary Jules’ cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” which appeared in the film and is included on its official soundtrack.
