Dark City begins as a your basic murder mystery when John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up in a hotel bathtub with no knowledge of who he is or
where he has been the past few hours. When he finds the body of a dead woman in the next room, he assumes the worst and suspects that he may have
killed her. Murdoch abruptly gets a phone call in the hotel room from a Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) who warns him that he should leave right
away because he is being hunted--and not just by the police. Sure enough, Murdoch soon meets up with a bizarre group of people. Clad in black coats
with hats, and possessing outer worldly powers, these inhuman creatures are known as the Strangers, and they pursue Murdoch across the city. And
as he begins to uncover the bits and pieces of his past, Murdoch also starts to notice some other odd things, as well--such as the fact that there
is no real way to get to his childhood home of Shell Beach; it is always night time in the city where he dwells, and every night, at twelve
o'clock, the entire city shuts down, its citizens fall into a deep sleep, while the Strangers spread out like locusts, working their mysterious
magic. Nothing is as it appears in Dark City, not even Murdoch himself.
Directed by Alex Proyas (who also did The Crow), Dark City is a visually stunning film that is also imaginative and thought provoking. What starts
out as a dark, brooding tale soon becomes an uplifting epic struggle for empowerment. Sewell is superb as the everyman who transforms into the
classic hero, as is Jennifer Connelly, who plays his concerned wife. William Hurt is solid as Inspector Bumstead, the cop assigned to investigate
Murdoch's serial killer case. And Kiefer Sutherland gives a standout performance as Dr. Schreber, who delivers every line in a hushed, breathless
manner. The inspired casting also extends to the Strangers, as well. Richard O'Brien, who is better known as Riff-Raff in The Rocky Horror Picture
Show (and who also wrote the original play), plays Mr. Hand, while Bruce Spence, who was the Gyro Captain in The Road Warrior, plays Mr. Wall.
The Dark City DVD is rich with special features. In addition to a commentary by the director, writers, director of photography and the production
designer, there is also a separate commentary by film critic Rodger Ebert, who was one of Dark City's major boosters. There's a series of set
design drawings presented in a frame-by-frame set up. Celebrated fantasy author Neil Gaiman has a small essay that sings the praises of Dark City.
And there are unaccredited essays that compare the film to Metropolis, along with the original trailer, and a video game, "To Shell Beach".
Despite some minor plot holes, Dark City is a stylish, ultimately satisfying journey towards the light at the end of the dark tunnel. --SF