Dark City Director’s Cut
Monday, July 28th, 2008
It’s finally here, the edition that fans of the understated cult film Dark City have been waiting years for. I take a look at the film then and now, as I wait impatiently for the new edition, released in the UK August 8th, and July 29th in America. For the benefit of those who have not yet seen the film, I have tried to ensure the following is spoiler-free.
Dark City
In 1998, shortly before sleeper-hit movie The Matrix made it big and spawned two lackluster sequels, Alex Proyas’s Dark City was released. You may never have heard of it, but its cult success is soon to earn it a director’s cut in little over a week. Fans have been awaiting a special edition – more like the original theatrical release for nigh on a decade, and their wishes will be answered roughly around the time of the film’s tenth anniversary. What makes the film so special to those who have seen it? A good question… as a big fan myself I will try to answer. While The Matrix reused some of Dark City’s sets and the two films are often compared, they are, when you think about it, entirely different animals.
To list their similarities (and there are a few, but only rudimentary themes) may well reveal too much and spoil Dark City for the viewer.
Essentially Dark City starts out as a murder mystery/Neo-noir as we follow a man called John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) who has lost his memory and discovers that he is connected to a string of murders. While searching for the real killer, Murdoch is pursued by a grim-yet-endearing cop Frank Bumstead (William Hurt) the slightly loopy Doctor Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) and the creepy Strangers, who seem hell-bent on Murdoch’s destruction. While it does indeed incorporate elements of mystery, crime drama and noir, it is also a sci-fi film and it keeps you guessing about what exactly is happening from beginning to end. Helpfully, Murdoch is in the same position as the audience. Luckily, all (barring one*) of the major plot questions are resolved and the film ends in what I would describe as one of the most satisfying finales in cinematic history.
The cast are notable actors and actresses, with Rufus Sewell (A Knight’s Tale, The Illusionist), Kiefer Sutherland (24) and William Hurt (The Village, A History of Violence) heading up proceedings. Richard O’Brien’s portrayal of the sinister Mr Hand is played with such unique mannerisms that the rest of the Strangers (pale-skinned, well-wrapped top hats) were told to imitate his performance. Other notable characters come in the form of Jennifer Conelly’s Emma Murdoch, who lends to the proceedings a little love and at times desperation. Also, Ian Richardson’s stone-cold Mr Book, who puts in some noteworthy appearances. Absorbing all the nuances of the plot could take some time, there’s foreshadowing of events that give you the “Ahhh” factor when you remember something earlier that slightly jarred. In piecing together the rich tapestry that is the plot, you will, if you are anything like me, want to go back and watch it again.
Sets are subtle, sometimes twisted and in places breathtaking, e.g. the Shell Beach billboard scene and the great clock. Visual references to films like Metropolis (an inspiration for the film) and The City of Lost Children while present, do not detract from the film’s wholly unique look and feel. Pacing is fast with three-second cuts, and the score fits perfectly, slowing towards the end as the film winds up. The world the peopple of Dark City inhabit - a city of perpetual night as the film’s title suggests, is a melding of past and present architecture.
There have been one or two so called plot holes* which I would argue aren’t plot holes at all, but merely ambiguities and open for interpretation (to explain what these are, may prove spoilerish, but I am open for discussion).
Dark City Director’s Cut
At its time of release, Dark City came and went without much recognition - an unsung hero of cinema. Many of those who did see it enjoyed it immensely, although they remarked that the theatrical cut was a richer treat than the DVD release**, with better special effects for the parasite creatures (so I’ve been told). Dark City’s relatively poor takings at the box office have been accredited mainly to a poor marketing scheme and misleading trailers - it is difficult to summarize a rich story in a trailer or a blurb so that it reflects the flavour of the story in question, and even more so with a highly intricate story like Dark City.
Donnie Darko came out at the wrong time - 2001 was a bad year for releasing movies concerning plane crashes and consequently it suffered from a sporadic cinema life. However, the DVD release made it a cult and mainstream success, and soon everyone was talking about it. Fans of Dark City may hope that it will do the same in its new extended form - wishful thinking perhaps, but we shall have to see. A cinema re-release would also be nice, but you can’t have everything!
Director’s Cut: Features
Boasting an extra 15 minutes of footage, an already highly acclaimed commentary by Roger Ebert and others, new special effects and a silent intro (without Shreber’s voice-over, which disappointed fans of the original cinematic release, but which I actually rather like). Take a look at the following link for disc extras on the Dark City Blu-Ray version. I plan on making a follow-up post with some Dark City Noir-ish posters I’ll put together and my thoughts on the new cut.
The Dark City Director’s cut will be released on 8th August in the UK and July 29th in America.
Links:
Dark City Blu-Ray
Amazon Listing
HMV Listing
**All references to the original DVD refer to the region 2 copy, without the Shell Beach game and special features.
