Dream-like

Rating: 9/10 (26 September 2006)

Imagine there's no heaven. Imagine a hundred minutes of pure atmosphere. Imagine a hundred minutes of raw science fiction. Imagine a hundred minutes of psychedelic cinematography. It will be called Dark City.
Probably the most overlooked movie of the 90s, Dark City is comparable to the likes of Blade Runner and the timeless Metropolis. It is a different from Blade Runner because the plot is more a picture in the puzzle than the puzzle itself. The classic sci-fi plot has been setup like a detective story. The story starts in true film noir style with a man wanted for a series of brutal murders. But he cannot remember whether he did them or not. In fact, he cannot remember anything. Thus starts a tale of discovery and a wonderful hundred minutes.
What makes sci-fi movies fun is the transportation of the viewer into its world and Dark City does this well. For quite some time in the movie, the plot unfolds like a crime story - but slowly and creepily leading into its sci-fi elements. And when it starts, its a lot of fun. The Strangers start chasing Rufus. They find out much to their surprise that Rufus can also 'tune in' like themselves. And then there is a kid with superpowers and has a couple of interesting encounters with Rufus. And the unforgettable Jennifer Connelly. For once in a movie she is being sought after and plays the ingénue to perfection, unlike most of her famous ventures where she is nursing crazy protagonists. Her memories are mixed up by the Strangers and she does not remember who Rufus is. By the end of the movie, Rufus has to start wooing her again. Nice.
What makes Dark City Dark City is the atmospheric canon of light and darkness. Dim lazy sets. A confused but determined Rufus Sewell. The creepy Strangers. Its a work of great imagination and packed a wallop when I watched it in an empty theater 6 years ago. Maybe this impact is what Manoj Night Shyamalan was talking about in order to stop studios' plans of releasing the DVDs of movies on the same day as their theatrical release. If somebody saw Dark City on DVD today they might never understand why its so good a sci-fi movie.