Retro-futuristic moody movie

Rating: 7/10 (14 February 2011)

A very engaging retro-futuristic movie, with a very original philosophical story, charming characters, great music, and an intriguing convoluted plot by Alex Proyas. It mixes film noir, sci-fi and action to create a world where the night never ends, its inhabitants have no past, and their present is as schizoid as the city.
The film tells the story of Jon Murdock, a man who awakens alone in an hotel room without knowing who he is, but finding himself persecuted by the Police for crimes he doesn't remember committing, and by a group of weird people who want to kill him.
--Visuals-- The movie is very stylish, with two different worlds masterly designed. It was a very good ambiance, effective miniature sets, moody colors and lighting, and a wonderful wardrobe. It has many cinematic influences: German expressionism, film noir of the 40s-50s, Hoper's night scenes, and touches of other eras all mixed up in a creative and harmonic collage.
Dark city is, indeed, a very dark city where the sun never shines, with dense layered cityscapes that change every night, and a a toxic atmosphere. The city is dominated by dark tones of green, yellow and beige with some colorful elements used as a contrast, with soft blurry textures; on the contrary, the world of the Strangers is sharper, shinier and more metallic, with a predominance of dark bright blues, greens and blacks. All the scenes related to what happen at 12am are very oniric, too. In fact, an oniric feeling permeates the whole film.
The special effects in the movie are at the service of the story and, therefore, perfectly integrated. Good for the 1990s.
--Themes-- Although the movie did not get good reviews when first released and was accused of being just a an unsubstantial, the movie's plot and storyline reflect on philosophical matters without being pretentious or pedantic.
The story, in fact, is an version of the allegory of the cave by Plato, and poses some interesting metaphysical questions: Is the world the way we perceive it? Where is the human soul located, in our heart, our memories, or in our thoughts? Does the place where we live influence what we are? How does the past define the self?
Moreover, there is an exploration of human reaction to the processes of alienation and dislocation, and modern urbanism, or the differences between societies dominated by the willpower of the community as a whole, or those in which the sum of individuals is predominant, just to mention a few elements.
Proyas was very interested in the book on schizophrenia written by Paniel P. Schreber, a 19th century judge who suffered from dementia, who gives his name to the doctor in the movie. At the same time, some of the the things that happen in the movie are just a reflection of the paranoid dementia behavior that Schreber mentioned in his book.
One of the best things of the movie is the fact that the plot is structured in a way that the viewer and the main character are unwinding the mystery at the same time, at the same pace from the same point of view. This makes the movie very engaging and entertaining.
--The acting-- All actors are convincing in their respective roles: Rufus Sewell as Jon Murdoch, Jennifer Connelly as Emma/Anna (she still had flesh on her bones, and looks stunning in this film), Kiefer Sutherland as the freaky Dr Paniel P. Schreber, William Hurt as the engaging Inspector Frank Bumstead (this sort of roles really bring out Hurt's acting), Richard O'Brien as Mr Hand, and Ian Richardson as Mr. Book, among others.
--The small letter-- I think that the fact that some things are not properly explained, or just not brought to discussion make the movie even more intriguing. For example, how did the citizens arrive at the city? When did that happened? This allows the end to be credible and have a closure, which is a new beginning. However, this is not the case of all the events related to John's childhood, why and how the memories were put in his head and then removed, and the direct involvement of the Strangers in that.
--The Director's Cut-- I think that viewing the movie differently would be viewing an incomplete movie, not only because some of the things that happen in the movie are perfectly explained in the director's cut, but not so clear in the original, but also because the movie indulges in artistic filming and shots, which were all removed from the theatrical release.
A very original and entertaining movie with stunning visuals and excellent plot, that will remind you of the Matrix sometimes, although it was released a year before the later.