‘Dark City’: Sci-fi noir in need of some polish

May 15, 2010 by Joshua    No Comments    Posted under: film, film feature

I know what you’re thinking. “That’s silly, why would you review a movie that is over a decade old?” I could say that the latest offerings at the cinema have been less than appealing to me, but the truth is that I have not gotten out to the theater lately. I saw some films a few weeks ago during the Athens Film Festival, and if you would like, you can read a review I wrote (and many other reviews written by others) here.

Kiefer Sutherland as Dr. Schreber. Image courtesy newline.com.

Title: Dark City

Directed By: Alex Proyas

Genre: Science Fiction

Starring: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt

“Dark City” is one of those films that pops up on movie lists quite often, whether it be for top Sci-fi flicks, most underrated movies of the ’90s or any similar theme. It came out during a time when such movies were popular – between the release of “Men in Black” in 1997 and “The Matrix” in 1999. For whatever reason, it has not lasted with the same tenacity as its contemporaries – perhaps because of its lack of sequel potential – but with an all-star cast and a brooding atmosphere, this film certainly has potential of another kind.

It is difficult to explain the plot of “Dark City” without giving too much away. It initially plays out like a murder mystery: A man (Sewell) wakes up in a bathtub with no memory of how he got there or even who he is, and as his mind focuses and he takes in his surroundings, he finds the body of a woman brutally murdered in the same room. Terrified, he stumbles out of the room, ducking out of the building as a group of men in black trench coats and hats enter the hallway. Midnight has struck, and as this man – John Murdoch, or so he is led to believe – makes his way through the streets, every person in the town falls asleep at the same time.

All of these events happen within the first five minutes or so of the film. By the end of the next five, all of the primary characters have been introduced and intertwined in one way or another: John, the amnesiac who is being followed by men in black; Emma (Connelly), John’s concerned wife and a rather attractive lounge singer; Dr. Schreber (Sutherland), an enigmatic intellectual who claims that he can help John; and Detective Bumstead (Hurt), the man tasked to solve the case of a serial killer who is preying on prostitutes.

What begins as a murder mystery, however, quickly ventures into the supernatural. John finds that he has the power to change the world around him with his mind, and that power is growing in strength. The men in black who follow him appear to have this same power, a power they use every night to re-arrange the city and replace the memories of its inhabitants with new ones – a sinister alien plot seeking to get at the essence of the human soul. Before long, John finds himself evading both the city authorities, who suspect he committed the murders, and the black-clad alien men, who desire his mind for their bizarre research. At the same time, he must uncover the secret of the dark city, a city where it is always night and nobody can remember what happened even yesterday.

Though the film is classified as science fiction, it borrows strongly from elements of film noir. The characters stalk grimy urban streets in thick coats and hats, like something out of a classic gangster flick. Also, like film noir, paranoia plays heavily throughout the film. John does not know who to trust, especially in a world where the people he meets one day could have completely different memories the next.

At the same time, the movie gets at deep philosophical issues. If a man knows that all of his memories are a fabrication, does he still feel love for the woman in those memories? Does his world still have meaning and importance to him if he knows that it is all a lie created by others? John must tackle these issues as he gropes about the city in search of answers.

The film does so much so well in the area of story and character development. The actors portray noir-ish archetypes, but they do so with a touch of originality. What struck me as interesting is the portrayal of Schreber by Sutherland. The man who would later go on to play the ever-capable Jack Bauer of “24″ can be seen in this movie as a frail, stuttering brainiac who plays underling to the aliens. Each character’s personality is distinctive, and those personalities are revealed to the viewer through showing rather than telling – except in the case where Schreber, the expert on personality, gives his diagnosis of the surly and fastidious Bumstead. The nature of the story is revealed to the viewer, also, from the perspective of John: Through camerawork and interactions with other characters, the viewer knows no more than the amnesiac.

Where the film shows its weakness – a weakness that may have debilitated its popular status – is in the department of computer-generated graphics. While the scenery is magnificently atmospheric and the scenes of shifting buildings are superb, some the special effects add something of a grungy aftertaste to the visual palate, particularly in the climactic battle scene (which, for reference, director Proyas stated was an homage to “Akira”). The film had a lower budget than its contemporaries, but given that a movie from eight years prior such as “Jurassic Park” has noticeably better special effects, it is hard to overlook such details. Still, despite such shortcomings, “Dark City” has a certain sparkle underneath its crust that is a rarity in films past and present.

And, as usual, a trailer:

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