MovieChat Forums > Dark City (1998) Discussion > Conflicting

Conflicting

posted 10 years ago by Legendary_Badass
19 replies | jump to latest

Just saw this for the fist time after years and years of hearing it come up in conversation.

There are some very cool ideas featured in this movie. A lot of the effects look fine today, the shot composition is on point, and I gave it an 8/10.

My hesitation to call it great is in the seemingly random tone of the movie. At times it's Blade Runner and The Matrix, a movie for adults. Then the music kicks in and the visuals get a light whimsical feel and suddenly it's a Disney movie. I wish there was more commitment to a vision. Maybe that's achieved in the director's cut, but I haven't seen it.

I'm not convinced this movie needed a nude woman and an R rating when it has such a light, family-friendly climax that doesn't appeal to the adults that the first half captivated.

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[–] sploiter 10 years ago

I have no problem at all with nude women and the ending isn't exactly all that happy considering their circumstances. Teen nihilists wants everyone to die horribly at the end of every movie but this one works fine. The last shots of DC are a pretty striking way to end it imo.

[–] GreyHunter 10 years ago

I'd offer an opinion, but I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. What exactly was Disneyish about the climax? The "hero" triumphed, certainly, but Disney hardly invented nor cornered the market on the whole "hero wins" concept. Considering it's been around since early mythology, they couldn't possibly. Other than that, I can't even imagine what you mean by this. Lots of "people" (well, Strangers) die, as does the detective. He meets his former wife on a pier, and there's no actual resolution other than her asking him to walk with her, so that's not exactly wrapping things up in a tidy fashion. Everyone's still trapped in a city floating in the middle of space, and since the memory storage has been destroyed, there will likely be considerable confusion soon. They still have to come to grips with their situation, and even the transformation of the city is imperfect, given that the beach is bounded by massive, soul-crushing walls rather than nice beach houses, so that means the transformation John manages isn't exactly a Brave New World.

This movie is, in fact, anything but Disney-ish, when you stop to think about it.

[–] sploiter 10 years ago

Some people have a problem with Matrix as a hollow rip-off derivative of most of the science fiction classics and I don't totally disagree about that but I still kind of like Matrix anyhow. Dark City is definitely better but Matrix isn't totally worthless.

I do believe Dark City is more 'adult' than Matrix. Matrix does feel a little like a movie for people who one critic called 'teens who have never read a book in their life' altho I think that's too harsh. DC is all about story 1st and it's aimed at an adult audience all the way.

[–] stevewyzard (1304) 3 years ago

Agree with ^this^!!!

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 3 years ago

Agree about the fluctuating tone. I enjoyed the film up until it suddenly turned into a slasher style horror. Also hated Sutherland in it. Terrible!

6/10

[–] Alocirp (680) 3 years ago

Slasher style horror? When exactly did this sudden turn occur?

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 3 years ago

Slow walk up stairs dragging claws on the wall leaving blood trails. Jarring change of genre right in the middle.

[–] Alocirp (680) 3 years ago

I don't recall that exact moment, but granting your description is correct, that's still all it would be—a moment. It's not like the entire movie suddenly shifted to a slasher just because there may have been a brief instance of horror in an otherwise dark sci-fi mystery. In fact, I would expect there to be a few such moments in a film of this type, and certainly don't see how it constitutes a "jarring change of genre," as you claim.

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 3 years ago

It has tonal consistency problems throughout. Still not a bad movie though.

[–] Alocirp (680) 3 years ago

It transcends a single genre for sure. Whether or not that equates to a problem, is, I suppose, a matter of simple opinion. You are certainly entitled to yours.

[–] Owlwise (1513) 3 years ago

Well said. Part of the film's strength is precisely that its tone shifts from time to time, as the tone of our own lives will shift from time to time, with fear right next to a moment of peaceful memory, etc. The film is like being awake in a never-ending dream that encompasses all emotions—after all, the Strangers want to understand the human soul, so they'd naturally explore all aspects of human feeling & experience.

[–] Alocirp (680) 2 years ago

You bring up some very good points here. In particular, the Strangers' motive to understand the human soul, and how that plot point would logically result in some seemingly bizarre--yet actually quite fitting--tonal changes throughout the film.

Just as the inhabitants of the Dark City are mere subjects of the Strangers twisted experiments, the film's use of wide-ranging, often unpredictable emotional atmosphere effectively places the viewer right in the shoes of any other inhabitant of the city. To me, this makes for an immersive and fascinating viewing experience.

[–] ILJtheFirst (1947) 2 years ago

That Stranger was the serial killer which John was supposed to be. I'm assuming he injected himself with the same stuff that didn't go into John.

[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

Disney?! LOL, WHAT?! How the hell do you watch this movie and think Disney?!

[–] mobocracy (867) 3 years ago

I think the moments of whimsy are probably intentional to establish the tone of false reality that the residents of Dark City exist in and to contrast it with the revealed true nature of their reality.

[–] TrentnQuarantino (8848) 2 years ago

I saw this movie shortly after it came out. I thought it was pretty good. Or should I say I remember I thought it was good. Not sure what I would think of it today.

[–] stevewyzard (1304) 2 years ago

How about...watching it again???

[–] TrentnQuarantino (8848) 2 years ago

I see no need

[–] ILJtheFirst (1947) 2 years ago

You should watch it again, it's been 24 years. Dark City is one of those gems which still beats new movies by a long shot.