Dark City

This review is of the Director's Cut.

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Dark City is directed by Alex Proyas who also co-writes the screenplay with Leon Dobbs and David S. Goyer. It stars Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, Kiefer Sutherland, Richard O'Brien and Ian Richardson. Music is by Trevor Jones and cinematography by Dariusz Wolski.

A man wakes up in a grotty hotel bathroom and upon finding a dead girl in another room he realises he has no recollection of who he is or how he got there...

There's a lot of Blade Runner fans still out there waiting for that film's sexual partner to happen along. What many of them don't realise is that Alex Proyas has already made that movie. More than a cult film yet still criminally ignored in certain circles, Dark City, by way of poor box office and studio interference, never got off to the best of starts. The problems were compounded with the release of The Matrix the following year, where that film's popularity, and its sci-fi linkage to Dark City, led many to think that Proyas' movie was a Matrix rip-off; pushing it further (unjustly) back in the sci-fi noir pantheon. Fact is is that Dark City homages much great cinema from previous years, but it has influenced much that followed, with Inception fans asked to note that Nolan himself was taking notes...

Stolen Memories.

Dark City is a feverish film noir dressed up in stunning sci-fi clothes. The amazing visuals have led many to state that it's a film with much style and little substance, something which Proyas has fiercely argued against; and he's right to do so, especially once his own preferred director's cut became available to view. The story is a complex one, pulsing with human characters living in a world where there is no daylight, with their respective memories scratchy to say the least, it quickly becomes evident that a creepy alien race are overseeing things. The aliens, wonderfully attired in black trench-coats and hats to match, and aided...

Atmospheric, dark mixture of film noir, comic book horror and sci-fi

A man (Rufus Sewell) wakes up one night to great mysteries: There's a dead prostitute nearby that he gets blamed for murdering, but he can't remember much of anything. Several people seek him in the ensuing night hours of the big city: a somewhat mad doctor (Kiefer Sutherland), a detective (William Hurt), his estranged wife (Jennifer Connelly), an alluring woman of the night (Melissa George) and a group of pale bald males in black trench coats. He tries to piece together reality and escape the perpetually dark city.

Alex Proyas' "Dark City" (1998) takes place entirely on elaborate shadowy sets with CGI backgrounds, etc. The first time I tried to watch it I gave up after 20 minutes. But, if you're in the right mode, it's a cool sci-fi flick with elements of film noir and mystery/horror that is thought-provoking and never devolves into predictable blockbuster dreck.

The revelations at the end are well done. In addition, Sewell makes for a top-rate protagonist and William Hurt is effective. Many complain about Kiefer's offbeat performance, but the role called for it. If you don't like it blame the writers.

On the female front you have Jennifer Connelly when she was still curvy and ravishing (by the early 2000s she lost too much weight and thus her alluring appeal). Meanwhile Melissa George is gorgeous in her small role as a call girl.

My interest in "Dark City" was spurred by Roger Ebert's exuberant accolades. He was so impressed by the illusion of the vast scope of the city, which can be attributed to the well-done CGI backgrounds and accouterments beyond the immediate exemplary sets. Of course, this is no big deal today, but at the time it was still fairly new technology.

Some people compare "Dark City" to the more popular "The Matrix" and for good reason since they have similar themes and "The Matrix" was actually shot on some of the same sets, but that one came out over a...

Intriguing sci-fi

This is one of my favourite movies of a spate of movies dealing with philosophical themes. This group would include The Matrix (reviewed here by me), The Thirteenth Floor and Gattaca.

I saw this movie many years ago and it has stuck with me all this time. Don't be put off by my description of these movies as 'philosophical'-they are entertainment first and foremost.

The philosophical theme of this movie is, I suppose, the old chestnut of nature versus nurture. Is there an 'essence' to human identity? To use a different example than that in the movie...if Hitler as a young child was reared in religious orphanage or some such, would he have ended up a jolly good chap? Or was he a bad seed who would still give forth rotten fruit? I suppose the flip-side of that would be how the Pope would have fared had he been placed in Hitler's circumstances.

The movie deals with these kinds of themes in its own, intriguing way. I don't want to get into much more detail than this.

I did read a review of this movie in the Halliwell film guide, I think, and was surprised how low it scored. Not sure, but perhaps the reviewer was misguided into thinking this film lightweight when it is so much more than that. Again, Halliwell seemed to give many poor reviews for movies that I would consider masterpieces, especially Australian movies like Mad Max 2 and Bad Boy Bubby. American snobbery perhaps?

This is a terrific genre movie that should not be missed...along with the other movies that I mentioned above.

[Originally posted on another site 3 June 2008 according to their dating.]

This is one I probably haven't seen since the Director's Cut Blu-ray release in 2008 and while I liked it then, I now absolutely love it today. The cast and plot were wonderful to go along with the impressive visual effects, admittedly shrouded in darkness. I always like seeing Rufus Sewell playing a good guy as he's usually pidgeonholed playing either an A-hole or outright villain. Alex Proyas's Dark City is just a great sci-fi thriller that I actually place just behind The Matrix. 4.5/5

99/100

The inhabitants of a dark city are being used in an experiment by an alien race that rebuilds both the city and everyone's memories every night in an attempt to determine what makes us humans tick. Although very different films, you can't help notice the similarities with the manipulated environment of "The Matrix". The film noir quality, the surreal landscape, the strangers, the writing, the performances, the absolutely phenomenal spec fx, the astoundingly unique vision, everything in this film works on so many levels. Nearly perfect. -- DrNostromo.com

Please, don't watch this theatrical version of Dark City (1998). It was ruined by heavy producers interference. They spoiled all the movie in the beginnig with a spoiler.

Watch instead the Dark City: Director's Cut (2008). It is the perfect version of the movie without spilers, a real masterful thriller, how the director intended it to be. This is the only perfect version accalimed by critics and cinephiles.

That's all folks.