Review of Dark City (1998) by Nesbitt10 — 27 Jan 2013

An imaginative sci-fi thriller with sensational production values/special effects--a vast noir metropolis landscape that seems to exist in an alternate time line, with elements of our present and past combined with visions from a futuristic comic book. Although its story doesn't add up when you analyze it afterward, the movie does take you on a visually arresting ride that offers many entertaining surprises. Director Alex Proyas rewrites movie rules, making its stand on visuals alone. It is hypnotic, haunting, and to be sure, dark. And there's nothing wrong with a movie that is simply sensational to look at.

"Dark City" opens by immersing the audience in the midst of a fractured, nightmarish narrative. The protagonist, who later learns that his name is John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), has amnesia. He begins his "awaking" as a full-grown adult naked in a bath tub, uncertain of how he got there. His only company in his hotel room is the nude body of a dead prostitute. Much like that plot, the main character here, and the audience as well, is thrown into the story without any idea of what's really happening. It's an effective tool as it puts the audience on a level playing field with the main character with similar motives.

Suddenly, Murdoch receives a phone call from a man named Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland), who claims to have his best interests at heart. Schreber warns him to get out of the hotel immediately. Soon, without a clue about his identity, Murdoch is fleeing from phantom-like creatures with supreme mental powers. When cornered, Murdoch discovers he is not defenseless against his enemies -- his mind, like theirs, can shape reality, although he doesn't understand how to harness his abilities. Soon, his quest to unearth his past links him up with Emma (Jennifer Connelly), a woman who is supposedly his wife, and Police Inspector Bumstead (William Hurt), who believes Murdoch to be innocent of the prostitute's murder. But Murdoch's small group of allies offer little help when it comes to dealing with his powerful, ghoulish adversaries, the amoral Mr. Book (Ian Richardson) and Mr. Hand (Richard O'Brien).

While the story does slightly deal with the main character's memories coming back to him, that's what is really missing. Movies like this usually have those feint images of the past holding the key to unlocking the mystery, but this film's more concerned with the thought of memories being erased and/or passed around, then with what's actually inside those thoughts. The film's storyline is a bit weak but manages to remain intriguing by informing and evolving "on-the-go", though the ending is a bit of a disappointment. Alex Proyas once again delivers a phenomenal spectacle by creating a somber, despairing ambiance set in "Dark City". "Dark City'' is a cinematic experience-- it is a triumph of art direction, set design, cinematography, and special effects.