Dark City Blu Ray Review
Yolette Langevin
The last we saw of Proyas' work was The Crow - a movie that the majority of its audience went to see to try to catch the point at which Brandon Lee checked out - but which turned out to be a satisfyingly dark and melancholic comic book piece showcasing Proyas' unique visuals. With Dark City we get the same gloomy pop Gothery but this time with less of the emotional content. And no one bought it on set. Bummer.
John Murdoch (Sewell) wakes up in the bath only to find that the metropolis around him is in the process of being physically remodelled by a bunch of pale-faced floating blokes in terrifying hats who look like the kind of thing Salvador Dali might have nightmares about. Not only that, but they're swapping people's personalities over, and Murdoch has wound up as a murderer pursued by the cops. He must persuade Inspector Bumstead (Hurt) that there is something afoot with the city while Dr. Schreber (Sutherland in an enjoyably over-the-top Peter Lorre impression) tries to track him down to administer the painful head injection that will make him forget.
If this all sounds beyond ludicrous that's because it is. Proyas appears to have been so distracted with his gloomy vision of the city that he forgot to actually write anything approaching a coherent story. Which is why, while the majority of the performances are serviceable, it's the sheer overwhelming style that gets Dark City through. Proyas drenches each shot in a unique feel and delivers a movie with a visual sense with all the inventive, poetic power of Ridley Scott or Terry Gilliam firing on all cylinders.
When I first began watching film noir, Eddie Muller's DARK CITY: THE LOST WORLD OF FILM NOIR was an indispensable guide.
I was initially slow to embrace film noir, finding it, well, dark; my gateways into the genre included films with favorite musical stars, Betty Grable in I WAKE UP SCREAMING (1941) and Alice Faye in FALLEN ANGEL (1945), which I saw in 2006-2007.
In 2007 my dad sent me a softcover edition of the original 1998 edition of DARK CITY to support my developing interest; I know the exact year because the Amazon packing slip remained in the book as a bookmark! I was later able to have Eddie sign my copy in 2011.
From those early years I watched more and more of the noir genre, attending my first Noir City Hollywood Festival in 2010 -- and every year since! I've also attended several editions of the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs and additional screenings at venues such as UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater and the late, lamented Leo S. Bing Theater at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
DARK CITY was there with me every step of the way, the first reference I turned to as I became acquainted with dozens of new films over the past decade and a half.
Twenty-three years after the book's original release, a revised and expanded edition of DARK CITY: THE LOST WORLD OF FILM NOIR has been published by Running Press and TCM.
The first question anyone is likely to ask is: "Do I need the new edition if I own the original?"
The answer is a resounding "Yes!" The new version is a beautiful hardcover with glossy pages, more photographs, and four additional chapters. Previous chapters have also been supplemented with discussion of more films; for instance, the chapter "Sinister Heights" incorporates a new discussion of I WALK ALONE (1947).
As Eddie writes in his author's note for the new edition, the 1998 book was written in the waning days of repertory theaters, and it was difficult to hunt down many of the titles he needed to see when researching that edition.
Since then, thanks in part to the Film Noir Foundation he founded, many films have not only been rescued, they're now readily available for home viewing. Titles included for discussion in the new edition include WOMAN ON THE RUN (1950), TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1949), and THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (1950), to name just a few.
There are other additions to this version as well; as a huge fan of THE HUNTED (1948), one of my favorite things in the new book is a two-page spread on "Belita, Ice Queen of Noir."
Readers will recognize much of the original book within the new edition, but a close comparison shows that the book has been rewritten/re-edited, not only to include more content but to improve and update the writing.
In terms of the actual content, I think most film fans are already aware that Eddie Muller is second to none in his knowledge of film noir; he also excels in sharing that knowledge and drawing new audiences to the film noir genre.
I know from personal experience that the book will be enjoyed by those new to the genre as well as those familiar with most of the titles he discusses; I've been each type of reader myself over the last 14 years!
The book retains its original rectangular shape, which Eddie told me in a recent discussion he felt was very important, allowing a more "cinematic" presentation of the photographs. And the photographs in this book are absolutely spectacular! Those familiar with the original book will notice that the new edition retains many of the photos, but presents them this time around in much more impressive fashion, on heavy, glossy paper.
For instance, this photo from THE BIG SLEEP (1946), which takes up roughly a quarter of a page in the original...
...becomes a full-page glossy spread in the new edition:
The book also improves on the original with its inclusion of color photographs, as well as beautiful color posters on the inside of each cover. A sample of an inside cover is below.
DARK CITY: THE LOST WORLD OF FILM NOIR (REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION) is most highly recommended.
DARK CITY is 272 pages including a bibliography and index. As mentioned, the book utilizes heavy, shiny paper, which shows off the photographs to great effect. The book weighs in at a little under three pounds.
Thanks to TCM and Running Press for providing a review copy of this book.
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Although I've read lots of books on film noir for reason I've never read this one. I guess I'll just have to grab this new edition.
It was the Alain Silver-James Ursini Film Noir Readers that really got me into the film noir thing.
The author's reasoning for a new edition is very convincing and it must have been a labor of love for him to update it, albeit time consuming.
I looked up the definition of film noir: a style or genre of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace. I took a film class when I lived in NYC that was called something like "Hitchcock's Influence on Later Directors" and I wish I could remember all the movies we saw. I liked the Hitchcock we saw the best but some of the more contemporary movies were very good.
Anyway, I assume The Maltese Falcon is film noir? A group of lawyers I'm in is supposed to read the book and watch the movie for our August discussion. I suspect this book would be handy!
Westerns and films that have become known as Film Noir have been my favourite viewing most of my life. I would love to get this book from Eddie Muller but its weight is undoubtedly going to make it very expensive to send for. I shall make every effort to seek out a copy though.
Thanks for the tip, Laura!
This is one of my favorite books about Noir. I adore Eddie's style. I have the old edition, guess I have to fork over the money for the new one then if Laura thinks it's necessary.
Jerry, this book is a must have. I just checked Amazon UK, they seem to have the new edition. Put it in the basket. :)
CLM, I would call The Maltese Falcon proto-Noir. It's usually considered one of the (American) first, but it doesn't quite descend into doom, gloom and fatalism.
Hi DforDoom! I really encourage you to get this book. I think you'll enjoy it!
I'm glad to know that Silver-Ursini got you into noir as one of my experiences with their books was kinda painful; I bought their FILM NOIR ENCYCLOPEDIA and it was so unedited/unproofed as to render it close to unreadable. I reviewed it back in 2010:
-review-film-noir-encyclopedia-4th.html
Based on your experience perhaps I should give their books another try and hope that was a "one-off" issue.
Constance (CLM), great to hear from you! I had the chance to speak with Eddie a few days ago, along with several other bloggers, and he definitely put a great deal of time into this new edition, basically rewriting it. The increased availability of many titles was definitely a great impetus.
I would agree with Margot, THE MALTESE FALCON is generally considered "proto noir," although many do consider the genre began in the same time frame with titles like STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR (1940) or I WAKE UP SCREAMING (1941). It's always a fun topic for debate among film fans: What is "true noir"? "proto noir"? "neo noir"? I hope you enjoy the book and movie discussion, that sounds like a lot of fun!!
Jerry, I'm so glad you can get the book from Amazon UK! Thanks to Margot for looking that up and passing on the info, hopefully other UK readers will take advantage of that opportunity as well.
Margot, as I wrote in my review, I think you will find the "double dip" on this book worth the while!
For those looking to read more on film noir, a couple of my other favorites are Foster Hirsch's THE DARK SIDE OF THE SCREEN and Arthur Lyons' DEATH ON THE CHEAP: THE LOST B MOVIE OF FILM NOIR. (Some of them are no longer quite so lost thanks to Eddie Muller's Film Noir Foundation!) I've had the pleasure of hearing Hirsch speak many times at the film noir festival named for Lyons.
Best wishes,
Laura
This made me chuckle:
The first question anyone is likely to ask is: "Do I need the new edition if I own the original?"
My husband will attest to the fact that, if a book is a huge favorite for me, I probably have at least two copies. And if it's a reference book that I have referred to endlessly over the years, and possibly worn out, there's definitely a second copy on my shelves. Especially if a new edition becomes available.