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Dark City [DVD] [1998] starring: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Richard O'Brien

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Rating: - a masterpiece

my wife being a huge fan of the matrix thinking it so original was dumb founded when i disagreed but this gem of a film {and ghosts in the shell} proved where the wachowski brothers "borrowed their ideas" the one etc buy it!

Rating: - In the city, in the dark

Cult films don't come much more groundbreaking than "Dark City" -- it was bending reality before the Matrix ever did.

At first glance, Alex Proyas' movie seems like a basic sci-fi little-man-against-the-evil-night-aliens movie, with all the plot complexity that implies. But it isn't. Instead, it's a dark grimy nightmare where nothing is what it seems, and everything we think is real is just an elaborate illusion. This is one of the rare films that is creepy from start to finish.

The Strangers are pasty-faced, bald, leather-coat-wearing aliens (think Darth Vader, post-mask), whose survival depends on somehow imitating human souls and dreams. So they created the Dark City, to observe and manipulate the unwitting humans.

Our hero John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up naked in a tub, with no memory of who he is, and the police hunting him for brutal murders that he is sure he didn't commit. And worse, hes being pursued by the Strangers, without even knowing who they are or why they're after him.

And then he starts seeing past the Strangers' illusions. Buildings are reshaped, people's memories change, and the sun never appears. As John searches for hints to his past, he finds that the places he knew never existed -- and it's connected to the Strangers. Now John and a suspicious cop will unravel the truth of the City -- and of why the Strangers want John.

It's not surprising that "The Matrix" and "Dark City" are often compared. They deal with an illusionary "real" world, malevolent manipulation, and one man who might be able to stop the bad guys. But "Dark City" is very much unique -- it's dark, angular, and haunted, like if Fritz Lang made a sci-fi noir with an eerie Philip K. Dick twist.

The Dark City is a pretty creepy place, like a... well, like a city at night, with some surreal skyscrapers, enormous cogs and giant clocks. Proyas gives all these scenes a creepy feeling, which is only increased by the fact that there are so few people in the streets and houses. Even everyday things like eating soup and going to work become unreal.

But it's also paired with a very suspenseful script, which is equal parts surrealism and gnostic philosophy. All the dialogue is well written ("You know something, I don't think the sun even... exists... in this place"), and very spare. But Proyas makes all the dialogue weirdly disconnected, as if the characters are never really communicating fully. It adds to the dreamlike feeling.

Sewell is well-suited to the role of John Murdoch, moving seamlessly from confusion to skepticism to a pretty wild action scene where he clashes with all the Strangers. Connelly has a good if underused role as his nightclub-singer wife. Kiefer Sutherland is a bit annoying, but he does a good Peter Lorre impersonation with all those nervous gasps.

The original DVD was rather bare-bones in its presentation, but apparently Alex Proyas slapped together a long-awaited director's cut. Apparently it restores a substantial amount of cut footage, some updated special effects, remixed sound, and a lighter-colored, techno-creepy cover that emphasizes the sci-fi elements over the noir darkness. Remember the director's cut cover of "Donnie Darko"? It's a little like that.

Like Kafka on acid, "Dark City" is a unique and compelling sci-fi movie, with outstanding direction and an amazing plot. Definitely a must-see.

Rating: - Advice for First Time Viewers

Almost brilliant but shows its hand too early (in the introduction voice-over !) I'd recommend anyone watching this for the first time turns the sound off for a couple of minutes (until the main character wakes up in the bath) for a much more exciting ride.

Rating: - Dark City: Not to be taken lightly.

Dark City starts with a man, John Murdoch (Sewell), waking up confused, alone and memoryless in a gloomy hotel in the middle of the night; committed of murders he didn't commit and pursued by ghostly agents who want him on account of the mysterious psychic power he has developed.

It so happens that I wanted to watch 'Dark City' because having seen Rufus Sewell in 'The Illusionist' I wanted a comparison and this intriguing film seemed a good option. In fact I'm very glad I bought it because the film is a masterpiece of science fiction. Combining a tense surrealism with incredible visual effects and an indescribable sense of foreboding, Dark City draws you into its dark heart. I was not sure quite what to expect, but from the first intriguing moment to the cosmic finale I was gripped by the mystery; the pace; and the queer malevolence of 'the strangers' whose hidden purpose both intrigues and discomforts.

On the one hand, Dark City could be described as an extended 'escape quest' along the lines of the Truman Show, but that would be an injustice. For whereas in the Truman Show everyone was conspiring against Truman, in Dark City everyone is oblivious to the monstrous 'experiments' conducted upon themselves by the alien strangers, leaving only John Murdoch sentient and aware except for one (somewhat unappealing) scientist traitorously acting on behalf of the strangers. Dark City is profoundly philosophical in its treatment of what constitutes identity, the value of memory and what it is that fundamentally makes us human, for the way the 'strangers' callously tamper with the human mind is enthralling and it is only when one distances oneself from the dreamlike quality of the film that the troubling nature of such a possibility is realised.

All in all, I loved this film and I recommend it to anyone who's ever considered the question 'who am I?'. It's a fast-paced exciting story with a great performance by Sewell, convincingly backed by Jennifer Connelly and William Hurt, filled with stunning effects; creepy music; supernatural powers; and the haunting dilemma of existentialism that will leave you - strangely in sympathy with the 'strangers' - pondering long after the ending.

Rating: - Ignore Amazon's review of this film

Please ignore Amazon's review of the film. Dark City is a classic, one of the best science fiction films ever made. To say that it is a triumph of design over substance demostrates a total lack of understanding of the film. Yes the film is beatiful to look at, but the complexity of story is rewarding in equal measure.

This film is crying out for a Special Edition/Director's Cut.

If you have never watched this film before it is strongly recomended that you mute the narrative right at the start of the film and keep it on mute until the opening titles begin.

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