Blu-ray Review: Dark City

Dark City rises once again and this time on high definition. Not only that, but it features a new director’s cut of the film with some new special features. Worry not if you like the theatrical version because you get that as well.

A man (Rufus Sewell) awakens in a hotel bathtub but he has no recollection as to how he got there. Even worse he doesn’t remember his name or who he is. He’s not alone in the room, but the other party can’t tell him anything since they’ve been brutally murdered.

He gets a call from Dr. Daniel Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) who tells him to get out of the room. Some tall, pale, bald “Strangers” lead by Mr. Hand (Richard O’Brien) arrives and appears to be looking for our amnesiac hero. He soon finds out that his name is John Murdoch and that he has a wife named Emma (Jennifer Connelly). He is also being pursued by inspector Frank Bumstead (William Hurt) who thinks that Murdoch is responsible for the murder of a series of prostitutes across the city. As Murdoch runs around the city he notices some strange things, such as that it’s never daylight and that at midnight the city literally goes to sleep and the “Strangers” rearrange things. He also wants to get to a place called Shell Beach and can’t seem to find anyone that knows the way. Roger Ebert called Dark City one of the best films of 1998 and has been a champion of the film in the intervening years. You wouldn’t have been able to tell that from its box office performance but its reputation has risen as more people discover the film on home video. We can see how the film can appeal to movie buffs as it channels Fritz Lang’s Metropolis through its sci-fi lens. Also if Keifer Sutherland isn’t attempting to channel Peter Lorre I’ll eat my virtual hat. However what director Alex Proyas has crafted is an intriguing sci-fi noir that has enough twists and surprises to keep your interest to the very end. Since the film made you think and the studio head’s consider the audience the great unwashed, a voice over narration was tacked onto the opening of the film and has been jettisoned on the director’s cut. Fear not if you’re a fan of the theatrical cut because you get both versions on the Blu-ray.

Either cut the film is an interesting one and follows Proya’s equally dark The Crow (come back into prominence somewhat because it shares the death of a star with The Dark Knight). The film is brilliant, thought provoking, and features a great deal of style, but never puts it over substance (though the opening narration seemed to be attempting that – thanks studio bosses). The director’s cut is the preferred version however, as the opening narration really seems a bit of dumbing down. Both cuts look gorgeous and are the best that I’ve seen the film look so far. Dark City is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.35:1). The special features have been divided between the theatrical cut and director’s cut of the film. The theatrical cut has a commentary with director Alex Proyas, screenwriters David S. Goyer and Lem Dobbs, director of photography Darius Wolski, and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos. Next is a commentary from film critic and admirer Roger Ebert. There are also two text essays. The first is “The Metropolis Comparison” and the second is an appreciation of the film by Neil Gaiman.

The first is from Proyas, next we hear from Roger Ebert, and finally from Goyer and Dobbs. A nice addition is the director’s cut fact track and there’s also a production gallery. Next are a series of documentaries. The first is a 5-minute introduction by Proyas (though he’s joined by Ebert). The second is the 43-minute “Memories of Shell Beach” which goes into the production of the film. Finally, there the 33 minute “Architecture of Dreams” which has five perspectives on the film. The second disc contains a digital copy of the film that you can put on your PC or portable device. Dark City is one of the best films to come out of 1998 and offers a fantastic mixture of genres. It’s only made sweeter with this new cut and some more great special features on Blu-ray. See you at Shell Beach. Dark City [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon. Visit the DVD database for more information.