Dark City (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #37

This is an amazing science fiction film with aspects of film noir and added hints of German expressionism. Calling it science fiction is already a spoiler, because the film opens without revealing its genre. After the first 15 minutes the mystery could still go in any direction, and even when there are supernatural occurrences the viewer is unsure what to make of them.

Today I read the Wikipedia page and found some interesting thoughts that weren't on the page the last time I read it. I'll quote them in full:

Theologian Gerard Loughlin interprets "Dark City" as a retelling of Plato's "Allegory of the Cave". For Loughlin, the city dwellers are prisoners who do not realize they are in a prison. John Murdoch's escape from the prison parallels the escape from the cave in the allegory. He is assisted by Dr. Schreber, who explains the city's mechanism as Socrates explains to Glaucon how the shadows in the cave are cast. Murdoch however becomes more than Glaucon; Loughlin writes, "He is a Glaucon who comes to realize that Socrates' tale of an upper, more real world, is itself a shadow, a forgery". Murdoch defeats the Strangers who control the inhabitants and remakes the world based on childhood memories, which were themselves illusions arranged by the Strangers. Loughlin writes of the lack of background, "The origin of the city is off-stage, unknown and unknowable". Murdoch now casts new shadows for the city inhabitants, who must trust his judgment. Unlike Plato, Murdoch "is disabused of any hope of an outside" and becomes the demiurge for the cave, the only environment he knows.

Today I watched the original theatrical version, which is spoilt by an ugly voiceover in the opening scene. The director Alex Proyas has confirmed that the studio forced him to add the voiceover against his will. A Director's Cut was released 10 years later, removing the voiceover and making many small changes. I welcome the omission of the voiceover, but I have mixed feelings about the other changes. The additional 10 minutes footage is noticeable, but makes no difference to the film's quality. The musical score is different in places, and is definitely inferior in the Director's Cut.

My recommendation is: if you've never seen the film, watch the Director's Cut. You'll enjoy it. You won't be aware of any problem with the music, so you won't have anything to regret. Nevertheless, I consider the Director's Cut to be unnecessary. It would have been enough to add a second audio track to the theatrical version without the opening scene's voiceover.

I intend to rewatch the Director's Cut soon. Maybe next week. That's only a Maybe, so please don't hold your breath while you're waiting.

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