DARK CITY
US, 1998, 100 minutes, Colour.
Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connolly, Richard O’ Brien, Ian Richardson, Bruce Spence, Colin Friels, John Bluthal, Nicholas Bell, Frank Gallacher.
Directed by Alex Proyas.
Visually, with set and costume design, this film is quite stunning. It is a futuristic story but looks as if it is set in a variety of times, especially the 1930s (even detectives with hats) and echoes of Metropolis and Blade Runner. As the title indicates, all the action takes place at night. It is one of the most inventive-looking films for a long time.
Aliens have once again invaded (led by a sepulchral Ian Richardson). They want to learn the mystery of humanity and have persuaded a doctor (Keifer Sutherland) to alter memories so that they can take them over. Rufus Sewell is a victim who does not succumb entirely to their plan and, of course, ends with confronting them. Writer-director Alex Proyas has made a memorable science-fantasy. He went on to make I Robot.
1. The repute of the film? Its visual impact? Themes?
2. A film of imagination, science fiction, futuristic? The variation on the amnesia theme?
3. The philosophical background of the film, space, aliens, human life, identity, memories? Its relationship to film such as The Matrix?
4. Familiar stories of aliens from other planets, invasion, sinister, research on human beings, the takeover? The dying culture, wanting to preserve the race, trying to understand what being human was? Using the doctor to extract memories in order to understand? The explanation that they were looking into the head rather than into the heart to understand what was human?
5. The visual impact of the film, production design? Costume design? Space, the planet, the darkness? The metropolis, the buildings, the streets? The interiors of the flats, the nightclub? The meeting place for the aliens? The range of colours, light and dark? The musical score?
6. The style of photography, angles, atmospheric, the editing?
7. The city itself as a character, the nature of the darkness, the absence of sunlight? The buildings and the strange changes that the aliens were able to bring about? Restructuring the city? The subway, the trains? The streets, the cars? The ordinary look yet not ordinary? The contrast with the posters for Shell Beach? The memories of the beach, the sunlight, the water? The coast?
8. The nature of memories, real, invented, planted? The creation of memories, the effect of inserting memories into different people, an individual with somebody else’s memories? The end, the poster of Shell Beach, the train trip, discovering that it was not real as the camera drew back and showed the planet in space, in the dark universe?
9. Themes of personality, changeable, implants, momentary personality and its effect, on the mind, the will, on conscience, implanting immoral memories that played on people’s guilt?
10. Dr Schreber, sinister, his voice-over, appearance, limp? His dress and coat? His crippled nature? Betraying, the voice-over and his explanation, his relationship with the aliens? His extracting the memories, inserting them? With John, the bathroom, John’s different reaction? His audiences with the aliens, their commands? Visiting him in the pool? The threats? His experiences, the violence, wanting to warn the inspector, warning John? His trying to save John – and his appearance in so many guises in John’s memories?
11. John as the hero, in the bath, the strange experience, looking in the mirror, wanting to understand his identity, getting dressed, the pursuit, no memories, the payment of the rent? Encounters with Dr Schreber and gradual understanding? His wife, their encounters? The information that she had had an affair? The deaths of the prostitutes, his discovery of the newspaper clippings, his seeming guilt? Such violence consistent with the character as shown? The memories? His discovering the humans being put to sleep at midnight? His going to the police, his meetings with Inspector Bumstead? The memories of Shell Beach, going to his Uncle Carl, the drawings and then discovering the book was empty? His going through the city, his ability to create and change, open doors that were not there, his various escapes? The fights with the aliens, destroying them, the episode on the bridge? Shell Beach as a destination, going to the platform, the express train not stopping? His wanting to resolve the issue, the final confrontation, the fight with Mr Hand? Mr Hand with his memories? The truth about his wife, her memories, her not being Emma? Anna, at the ticket box in the cinema, on the pier, the discussion about Shell Beach? A new beginning with whatever memories?
12. The picture of the aliens, their appearance, sinister faces, bald heads, their hats, the sinister little boy with them? Mr Hand, Mr Book and his being in charge, Mr Wall and his warnings? Their motivations, the assemblies, the decisions? That they were mortal and could be killed? The menace? The alien becoming John, the collage of his memories, knowing what John would do?
13. Emma, her singing, her story, the phone call, the encounter with Inspector Bumstead, with the prostitute, with John? Reality and unreality? Singing in the club, the issue of her betrayal? At the cinema, her becoming Anna, on the pier, with John at Shell Beach?
14. Inspector Bumstead, at work, his assistant, the portrait of the detective, the search for John, finding him? Going to sleep at midnight? With Emma, the death of the prostitutes, the visiting of the apartment? Helping John, the fight with the alien, being lost in space?
15. Walenski, his madness, his room and his eccentricity, the posters, the paper on the wall? His explanations, the information for Bumstead, at the railway station, telling John the truth about what was happening with the aliens, throwing himself under the train?
16. The various police, Bumstead’s assistants?
17. The prostitutes and their murder, May, the encounter with John, his testing himself about killing her or not, Emma’s visit, her death?
18. The theme of the psychological journey? A futuristic Kafka story? The pessimism of the resolution?
