Drew Deetsch updated
dark city is one of those movies that people either love or haven’t seen yet. When I bring up Alex Proyas’ 1998 sci-fi noir, people who know what it is always respond with glee. The film has maintained a strong cult following over the years, receiving critical praise from celebrities such as: roger ebert.
And yet, dark city It never properly established itself as a bona fide classic. For some reason, it continues to be loved by only a relatively small portion of the pop culture population. why is that?
Let’s find out. But first, let’s find out exactly why dark city This is a real win for science fiction movies.
How was Dark City created?
dark city This film represents the pinnacle of director Alex Proyas’ effects-driven filmmaking style. he left a big impression Crow This was his big-budget follow-up, and it looked like it would be an even more visionary experience. With a reported budget of $27 million (approximately $43 million today), Proyas embarked on a journey to create a world that echoed the surreal landscapes of films such as: big city, Braziland City of lost children. dark city It truly is a testament to the power of fantastic storytelling.
Regarding that point, dark city It’s a great success. The entire movie was shot on assembled sets without any location filming. This adds a sense of intentional falsehood to the whole endeavor and is essential to the development of the story. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos intensifies the sense of unease that looms around every corner. As he said in an interview, cinefantastic:
“It’s a city built from fragments of the city: a corner in one place, a corner in another. So you have no idea where you are. The work looks like a London street, but it’s an architectural piece. The lower part looks like New York, but the lower part of the architecture looks like a European city again. You’re there, but you don’t know where you are. It’s like you get lost every time you travel. It’s something.”
dark city It’s great just as part of the production design. From the sets to the costumes to the music by Trevor Jones, everything works together to achieve a very specific vision. But what matters most is whether the story and characters thrive in this extraordinary world. Thankfully, dark city A thrilling mystery punctuated, ultimately questioning the very nature of reality itself. The story of John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) is a compelling puzzle that ultimately unravels the story’s secrets with great force.
Speaking of Rufus Sewell, dark city It’s a fun and eclectic production, with idiosyncratic performances from Sewell as well as Kiefer Sutherland and Richard O’Brien. William Hurt and Jennifer Connelly fit perfectly into the film noir archetype, and you can tell that everyone involved values the uniqueness of the project.
I won’t spoil it completely, but much of its uniqueness has to do with the film’s themes and development. dark city It is representative of an era of science fiction films that exclusively asked one big question: “What is reality?” I’ll talk more about this later, but suffice it to say. dark city is a film that has a lot in mind and a willingness to execute those ideas in a dynamic and engaging way.
So why would it be if this is in the corner? dark city Not as advertised as expected? To answer that question you have to take the red pill…
Why is it unfairly ignored?
dark city came out a year ago matrix And we considered a number of similar sci-fi ideas as blockbusters. In fact, many movies from the late 90s exist, 13th floor, truman show – We were treading on the same existential ground. but, matrixThis is a work that truly captured the imagination of mainstream audiences and became a pop culture titan. Indeed, this was also the most action-packed and modern-feeling of all these films. Interesting information: matrix Photographed on an actual set dark city!
I’m not just blaming this. matrix to hide the shadow dark city. Proyas’ film is more deliberately dull and distant at first, making it a difficult film to jump into right away. In fact, New Line Cinema anticipated this and restructured the film to make it more understandable to a wider audience. This includes the addition of a voiceover that ruins the first few seconds of the movie. Fortunately, Proyas was able to release a director’s cut of the film several years later, and it has become the preferred version to watch.
But just as overlooked; doom patrol, dark city It might be too weird to actually click with enough people. Perhaps that’s why it remains a quirky work that moviegoers adore. Films that manage true originality are often so special that only certain tastes can appreciate them.
dark city He is not ashamed of his eccentric behavior and enjoys the hypnotic, mysterious world it creates. Its enchanting aura will not work on everyone, but those who are seduced by the changing passages of this puzzle of a movie will be rewarded with an unforgettable adventure. Open your heart and see the truth…
