The 90s sci-fi masterpiece everyone forgot about because of The Matrix
Drew Dietsch Published
dark city is one of those movies that people seem to love or have never seen. Whenever you mention Alex Proyas’ 1998 noir science fiction novel, anyone who knows what it is will be delighted. The film has maintained a strong following over the years and has received high praise from celebrities such as Roger Ebert.
However, dark city Never able to establish itself as a true classic. For some reason, it’s only beloved by a small subset of the pop culture crowd. why is that?
let’s see. But first, let’s look at why dark city This is a triumph for science fiction movies.
How Dark City was crafted
dark city Marks the pinnacle of director Alex Proyas’s effects-led filmmaking style. He left a deep impression crow 1994, his big-budget follow-up, seemed even more visionary. With a reported budget of $27 million (about $43 million today), Proyas set out on a journey to create a world that recalled the surreal landscapes of films like “Metropolis.”Braziland city of missing children. dark city This will prove the power of truly fantastic stories.
in this regard, dark city was a huge success. The entire movie was shot on a built set, with no on-location filming at all. This adds a deliberately false feel to the whole endeavor and is crucial to the story’s development. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos heightens a looming sense of unease around every corner. As he described in an interview phantom movie:
“It’s a city made up of fragments of the city. A corner of one place, another corner of another place. So, you don’t really know where you are. A piece looks like a street in London, but part of the building looks like It looks like New York, but the bottom of the building looks like a European city. You’re there, but you don’t know where you are. Like every time you travel, you get lost.
dark city The design alone is stunning as a piece of product. From the sets to the costumes to Trevor Jones’ score, everything works together to bring a very specific vision to life. But what matters most is whether the story and characters can thrive in this extraordinary world. Fortunately, dark city itself filled with exciting mysteries that ultimately question the very nature of reality itself. The story of John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) is a riveting mystery that ultimately unravels its secrets in a propulsive fashion.
Speaking of Rufus Sewell, the actors dark city Delightfully eclectic, with excellent performances not only from Sewell but from Kiefer Sutherland and Richard O’Brien. William Hurt and Jennifer Connelly fit into their film noir archetypes perfectly, and you can tell everyone involved was dedicated to the uniqueness of the project.
Without spoiling it entirely, a lot of this uniqueness has to do with the film’s themes and twists. dark city It represents an era of science fiction movies that specifically raises a big question: What is reality? We’ll talk more about this later, but I just want to say dark city This is a film with a lot of ideas and a willingness to execute them in a dynamic and engaging way.
So, with all this in its corner, why is this happening? dark city Is it as foreshadowing as it should be? We have to take the red pill to answer this question…
Why it’s been unfairly ignored
dark city Came out a year ago The Hack and explored many similar science fiction ideas, becoming a blockbuster. In fact, many movies from the late 90s – There is Z, Thirteenth floor, Truman Show ——We are following the same existential path. However, The Hacktruly captured the imagination of mainstream audiences and became a pop culture juggernaut. Granted, this is also the most action-packed and modern of all these films. Interesting tidbits: The Hack was actually filmed on a purpose-built set dark city!
This can’t just be blamed on The Hack to cover dark city. Proyas’ film is deliberately obtuse and distant from the start, making it a difficult film to jump right into. In fact, New Line Cinema anticipated this and reconfigured the film to make it more accessible to wide-release audiences. This included adding a voiceover that ruined the mood of the film in its opening seconds. Luckily, Proya released a director’s cut of the film a few years later, and it’s easily become the go-to version to watch.
However, as equally ignored doom patrol, dark city Probably too weird to really resonate with enough people. That’s probably why it’s always been such a weird thing for movie fans. A truly original film is often so special that only a certain taste can appreciate it.
dark city Make no secret of its weirdness and enjoy the hypnotic, mysterious world it creates. This engaging aura won’t be for everyone, but those who find themselves lured into the ever-changing corridors of this puzzle film will be rewarded with an unforgettable adventure. Open your heart and see the truth…
