By Drew Dietsch | Updated
Dark city is one of those films that people either love or have never seen. Whenever you bring up Alex Proyas’ 1998 sci-fi noir, those who know what it’s about respond with joy. The film has maintained a strong cult following over the years with critical adoration from luminaries such as Roger Ebert.
And yet, Dark city never managed to really establish itself as a true classic. For some reason, it has only remained popular with a relatively small portion of the pop culture population. Why is that?
Let’s find out. But first let’s examine exactly why Dark city is such a triumph for science fiction cinema.
How Dark City was masterfully done
Dark city marks the pinnacle of director Alex Proyas’ effects-oriented filmmaking style. He had made a big impression The crow in 1994 and this was its big-budget follow-up, which seemed to be an even more visionary experience. With a budget of $27 million (about $43 million today), Proyas embarked on a journey to create a world reminiscent of the surreal landscape of films like… metropolis, BrazilAnd The City of Lost Children. Dark city would be a testament to the power of truly fantastic storytelling.
In this context Dark city is a complete success. The entire film was shot on constructed sets, with no on-location filming. This gives the entire endeavor a sense of deliberate falsehood and is crucial to the story’s progression. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos heightens the looming unease around every corner. As he described in an interview with Cinefantastique:
“It is a city made up of parts of cities. One corner from one place, another from somewhere else. So you don’t really know where you are. One piece will look like a street in London, but part of the architecture will look like New York, but the lower part of the architecture will look like a European city again. You are there, but you don’t know where you are. It’s like you get lost every time you travel.”
Dark city The production design alone is breathtaking. From the sets to the costumes to Trevor Jones’ music, everything works together to bring a very specific vision to life. What matters most, however, is whether or not the story and characters thrive in this extraordinary world. Fortunately, Dark city interrupts with an exciting mystery that ultimately questions the nature of reality itself. The story of John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) is a captivating mystery that propulsively reveals the story’s secrets in the end.
Speaking of Rufus Sewell, the cast of Dark city is wonderfully eclectic, with unique performances not only from Sewell, but also from Kiefer Sutherland and Richard O’Brien. William Hurt and Jennifer Connelly fit their film noir archetypes perfectly, and you can tell that everyone involved is committed to the uniqueness of the project.
Without giving it all away, a lot of that uniqueness has to do with the film’s themes and twists. Dark city represents an era of science fiction cinema that exclusively asked one big question: What is reality? We’ll talk more about this a little later, but suffice it to say Dark city is a film that has a lot on its mind and is ready to implement those ideas in a dynamic and captivating way.
So why is this when all of this is hanging in the balance? Dark city is not announced as it should be? To answer this question we have to take the red pill…
Why it is unfairly overlooked
Dark city came out a year earlier The Matrix and explored many similar science fiction ideas as a blockbuster hit. In fact, there were a number of films in the late 90s – existence, The thirteenth floor, The Truman Show – trod on the same existential ground. However, The Matrixwas the one that really captured the imagination of mainstream audiences and became a pop culture juggernaut. Admittedly, it was also the most action-packed and modern of all the films. Interesting tidbit: The Matrix actually filmed on the sets they were made for Dark city!
This shouldn’t be the sole fault The Matrix to overshadow Dark city. At first glance, Proyas’ film is rather dull and distant, which makes it difficult to get straight into the film. In fact, New Line Cinema anticipated this and had the film redesigned to make it clearer for wide release audiences. This also includes the addition of a voiceover that spoils the film in the first few seconds. Luckily, Proyas was able to release a director’s cut of the film years later, and it’s clearly the preferred version to watch.
However, similar to the equally overlooked one Doom Patrol, Dark city might just be too weird to ever really click with a large enough number of people. That’s probably why it has remained a curiosity that film fans love. Films that create a real sense of originality are often so special that only certain tastes will enjoy them.
Dark city is fearless in its eccentricities and relishes the hypnotic, mystifying world it creates. This captivating aura won’t work for everyone, but anyone who allows themselves to be lured into the changing gears of this enigmatic film will be rewarded with an unforgettable adventure. Open your mind and see the truth…
