Tagline: "They built the city to see what makes us tick. Last night one of us went off..."
Four years after the success of The Crow (1994) comes Dark City (1998), and you can see Alex Proyas' gothic imagery that was present in The Crow. Again this film is quite dark and sinister, but also imaginative and clever as this film comes straight from the mind of Proyas whereas The Crow is based on a popular series of graphic novels.
The film opens in the dark with Kiefer Sutherland (Character: Dr. Schreber) on the voice over, explaining "first there was darkness... then came the strangers " before the camera pans down through space as Sutherland explains the situation of this dark city and shows indeed the dark, dingy, dirty surroundings that make up this city. The powerful music adds to this opening sequence making it even more eerie.
Next comes one of my favourite scenes as it is fantasically filmed; combining a variety different film shots into a small scene. This is the first time we are introduced to the lead character John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), who awakens naked in a bath tub with no memory of who he is and a small bloody imprint in his forehead, with a murdered woman in the bedroom covered in strange spriral symbols. Sewell successfully delivers a great performance of a man with no recollection of who he is and evokes genuine fear and confusion in this scene. The audience is given as much knowledge as the character and only when the phone mysteriously rings does Dr. Schreber inform Murdoch that there is danger.
John Murdoch seeks to find his identity on the run from the mysterious group of Strangers who want to kill him, and tries to find the answers to his questions that no one can answer, or has thought about before, such as what happens to the day? And why does everyone fall asleep at midnight, yet he remains awake wandering the streets followed by the Strangers who control everything in this city.
The only people who can help him are nervous Dr. Schreber, his wife Emma Murdoch (Jennifer Connelly) and confused police inspector Frank Bumstead (William Hurt) who wants to arrest him for murder. However, I will not venture any further into this fantastic narrative as it will ruin the intial thoughts towards this film that is best discovered through watching.
Kiefer Sutherland is brilliant as a nervous, lonely doctor controlled against his will who wants to see nothing more than the end of the Strangers. This character is quite different to other roles I have seen him play in films such as Young Guns, Stand By Me and TV hit '24', and still he continues to do a great job.
Who better to play a cold hearted, sinister Stranger than Richard O' Brien, who I will always remember as the best presenter of the TV show Crystal Maze. He effectively portrays someone incapable of emotions, but strives to understand the human form in order to survive and also shows a little jealousy towards the human race.
Unfortunately some of the special effects aren't that great, especially if you consider that the Matrix was released the following year and introduced us to bullet time. The sets involving the Strangers aren't too impressive either, as I don't believe that they look very original, although they do give a further Sci-Fi feel, I do believe that they venture a little too much towards bad Sci-Fi films.
However, the rest of the sets in the film are impressive, as the style follows in many ways the 1920/1930s era, which gives a possible theory not identified in the film, see if you can figure it out, if I say it it would ruin some of the events in the film.
Overall I would highly recommend this film, I wouldn't say that its a film that would appeal to everyone, its perhaps aimed at people who love cinema and the film process, and also fans of Alex Proyas' gothic style. But if you want to see something original, then watch this film.
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If you're a fan of brooding comic-book anti-heroes, got a nihilistic jolt fromThe ... more
Crow(1994) and share director Alex Proyas's highly developed preoccupation for style over substance, you might be tempted to callDark Cityan instant classic of visual ima...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
If you're a fan of brooding comic-book anti-heroes, got a nihilistic jolt fromThe ... more
Crow(1994) and share director Alex Proyas's highly developed preoccupation for style over substance, you might be tempted to callDark Cityan instant classic of visual ima...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon...
John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens alone in a strange hotel to find he is wanted for a ... more
series of brutal murders. His memories have vanished and even his beautiful wife, Emma (Jennifer Connelly) has become estranged from him. So begins a quest to unrav...
Advantages: The film creates a fantastic vision that makes you want to explore its depths Disadvantages: It's dark and foreboding which is its power yet its downfall
![Dark City [DVD] [1998]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78548028.jpg "Dark City [DVD] [1998]")
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