More than meets the eye

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2002)

At first glance, Pitch Black seems to be just another sci-fi horror flick. However, when you dig a little deeper, you can see that there's a lot more to this film than appears at first glance. Pitch Black is a story about humanity itself. It shows us one of the truest glances into the depths of human nature we've ever been given in popular culture: when people are pushed to their limits, there's nothing that won't do to survive, but they will *only* survive if they work together. Though the plot is a little lacking (and a bit cheesy at times), the filmography is wonderful. The cameras are used in much the same way as a master artist uses their brush - as a means to make the viewer see what was going on in their head. Pitch Black's camera styles range from jerky, blurred action shots - often shooting back and forth between the eyes of two people - to sharply-contrasted color-toned shots of the harsh desert climate. The movie is, quite simply put, beautiful. I give Pitch Black a solid ten out of ten. Not only is it one of my personal favorites, but it's an excellent film as well.