Dark City, 1998.
Directed by Alex Proyas.
Starring Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly and Richard O’Brien.
SYNOPSIS:
A man struggles with memories of his past, which include a wife he cannot remember and a nightmarish world no one else ever seems to wake up from.
Dark City is the kind of film that invites obsession. Directed by Alex Proyas, this visually arresting blend of noir and science fiction is a dense, stylised mystery that doubles as a philosophical thought experiment.
Released a year before The Matrix, it deals with many of the same themes, like identity, memory and control, but does so with a darker, more surreal sensibility. While it may lack the tight storytelling of its more commercially successful cousin, Dark City remains a strikingly ambitious and often brilliant piece of filmmaking.
The story follows John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), who wakes up in a bathtub with no memory of who he is and a murdered woman in the next room. As the police close in and the mysterious Strangers begin their pursuit, Murdoch discovers he has a rare ability: he is awake while everyone else sleeps. More importantly, he can manipulate the very structure of the city. With the help of the stammering Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland), Murdoch attempts to piece together his past, navigate a constantly shifting urban nightmare, and uncover the truth behind a world that is quite literally manufactured.
Proyas builds his city with a meticulous eye. The production design, by Patrick Tatopoulos, is nothing short of breathtaking. From its shadowy alleyways and ever-changing architecture to the blend of period detail and retro-futurism, the city itself becomes a character, and one that is claustrophobic, dreamlike, and unnervingly mutable. There are elements of everything from Metropolis and German expressionism to classic film noir, with fedoras, fog, and femme fatales layered into its inky palette. The cinematography captures both scale and intimacy, offering moments of jarring close-ups alongside grand, sweeping transformations of the landscape.
Narratively, Dark City hits some bumps. The pacing can be uneven, and the climax, featuring a rather hokey telekinetic showdown, leans more towards sensational than sensible. But there’s a sincerity to the film’s philosophical underpinnings that redeems its overreaches. Proyas is fascinated by the nature of identity: is who we are simply a sum of our memories, or something deeper? What happens when those memories are artificial? And can the soul remain intact without a history to support it?
Rufus Sewell brings an effective mix of confusion and resolve to Murdoch, while Jennifer Connelly, as his supposed wife Emma, offers a quiet grace amidst the chaos. William Hurt lends gravitas to the weary detective Bumstead, whose doubts mirror our own. But it’s Sutherland who steals scenes as the morally compromised scientist caught between duty and guilt, channeling Peter Lorre with unsettling intensity.
Trevor Jones’s score adds further atmosphere, balancing dread and propulsion, while Dov Hoenig’s editing gives the film a nervous energy that suits its unraveling narrative. The original theatrical cut, for all its studio interference, remains the definitive version – leaner, tighter, and more urgent than the slower Director’s Cut that followed (both are included in Arrow’s 4K release).
In addition to painstakingly transferring the original 35mm negatives to UHD and improving the audio with Dolby Atmos, Arrow’s restoration includes numerous commentaries by Proyas et al delving into the creation of this dark masterpiece.
An hour long documentary and two visual essays bolster the on-disc content, while the set comes with some nice material touches in the form of a 60 page book, limited edition packaging, a double-sided poster and art cards.
Dark City is not a perfect film, but it’s a daring one. It asks bold questions and crafts a world that lingers in the mind long after the lights come up. It may not solve every mystery it raises, but it deserves credit for having the courage to ask them in the first place.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
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