From Alex Proyas, visionary director of The Crow, comes Dark City, a mind-bending science fiction thriller set in a shadowy world where the sun never rises and nothing is quite what it seems. John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes in a hotel bathtub with no memory of who he is or how he got there, but there’s a body on the floor with bloody spirals carved into the flesh and a voice on the phone that tells him to flee. Soon Murdoch is on the run, wanted by the police, a woman who claims to be his wife and a group of mysterious pale men who seem to control everyone and everything in the city… except him. With a cast that includes Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys), William Hurt (A History of Violence), Jennifer Connelly (Phenomena) and Richard O’Brien (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), and a script by Proyas, Lem Dobbs (Kafka) and David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), Dark City is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, filmed through a lens of film noir and German expressionism… an extraordinary feast for the cinematic senses.
What We Thought:
Dark City is a movie I had only seen once or twice before. The last time I saw it was close to 15 years ago so I was looking forward to revisiting it with this new 4K release. After watching it I definitely can see why it was a box office disappointment, but also why it’s grown a huge cult following. It was a bit ahead of its time and was a much different film than Director Alex Proyas’ previous flick, The Crow.
The movie is neo-noir and feels very much like a movie that was based on classic sci-fi storytellers like Phillip K. Dick. Unfortunately it was released in 1998, before The Matrix changed science fiction flicks. People expecting something action packed like The Crow were disappointed in a slow, sci-fi noir inspired drama. Rufus Sewell plays John, a man who wakes up with no memory of who he is and what’s going on around him. The police are looking into the murders of prostitutes and his wife, a singer played by Jennifer Connelly, hasn’t seen him in a few weeks.
That story element is very noir. Add in the look of the ever changing city and early 20th century wardrobe and it also looks very noir. But the difference is the sci-fi aspect with a group of bald men watching over the city and resetting time. It’s always night time and people sleep without knowing it and have their memories changed. It’s sort of a mix of Minority Report, The Adjustment Bureau, Fringe, Inception and all those other projects that were made afterwards. The audience didn’t know what to do with this story at the time and I think it would do much better nowadays. Blade Runner wasn’t the hit it should have been and now it’s a beloved sci-fi icon so a lot of these sci-fi films go through the same re-evaluation process.
Dark City has grown a following since its release. I know a few people who absolutely love it and the new 4K is perfect for them. I think it’s better than it was received at the time especially the performances of Sewell, Connelly and John Hurt. If you like sci-fi stories from the likes of Dick or Terry Pratchett (especially his Discworld series) and haven’t seen Dark City give it a try. If you haven’t seen the movie in a while I’d give it another shot as well. It’s a classic noir setting with science fiction storytelling so if that’s something you’re interested in, you’ll dig it.
Bonus Features:
- 2-DISC 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- Brand new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negatives approved by director of photography Dariusz Wolski
- 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentations of both the Director’s Cut and Theatrical Cut of the film
- Original DTS-HD MA 5.1, stereo 2.0 and new Dolby Atmos audio options for both cuts of the film
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- 60-page perfect bound collectors book featuring new writing by author Richard Kadrey, and film critics Sabina Stent, Virat Nehru and Martyn Pedler
- Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
- Three postcard-sized reproduction art cards
- Postcard from Shell Beach
- Dr Schreber business card
- DISC 1: DIRECTOR’S CUT
- Brand new audio commentary by director Alex Proyas
- Brand new audio commentary with Craig Anderson, Bruce Isaacs and Herschel Isaacs, co-hosts of the Film Versus Film podcast
- Archive audio commentary by director Alex Proyas
- Archive audio commentary by film critic Roger Ebert
- Archive audio commentary by writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer
- Archive introduction by Alex Proyas
- Return to Dark City, a new hour-long documentary featuring interviews with director Alex Proyas, producer Andrew Mason, production designers Patrick Tatopoulos and George Liddle, costume designer Liz Keough, storyboard artist Peter Pound, director of pho
- Rats in a Maze, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra West
- I’m as Much in the Dark as You Are, a new visual essay by film scholar Josh Nelson on film noir and identity in Dark City
- Design & Storyboards
- DISC 2: THEATRICAL CUT
- Archive audio commentary by director Alex Proyas, writers Lem Dobbs & David S. Goyer, director of photography Dariusz Wolski and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos
- Archive audio commentary by film critic Roger Ebert
- Memories of Shell Beach, a 2008 featurette in which cast and crew look back at the making of the film from concept to reception
- Architecture of Dreams, a 2008 featurette presenting five perspectives on the themes and meanings of the film
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
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