The main character David

In this part of the guide, we will provide you with some suggestions to consider when you analyse the film with a focus on the main character, David.

David is both character and narrator. Think about how we initially assume that the handsome, assured banker David is speaking the truth. But in Keir Burrows’ “Donkey”, it is all about David’s truth, not the general truth. This film is a journey into a narcissist’s mind, who comes to discover that what he thought to be a good life is, perhaps, an ill…

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Further explanation of narrator, development, atmosphere and visual contrasts

A narrator tells a story. A narrator is important because their biases and opinions can affect the audience’s overall opinion of the story. Each type of narrator tells a story from various points of view. In “Donkey”, the voiceover narrator is also a character. As a first person-narrator, David uses pronouns such as “I” and “we”.

In literary works or films, we can talk about development as an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation or about character development. When analysing “Donkey,” think about the development of the relationship between the two characters. You could also consider the development of the main character, David, who changed his view on life at the end of the story.

By atmosphere, we…