The Crow

Plot - On the night before their wedding, rock singer Eric Draven (Lee) and his fiancé Shelly are brutally killed by a gang of thugs on Devil's Night. Exactly one year later, Eric Draven rises from the dead with the intention of getting revenge on those responsible for his death and the death of the woman he loved. Guided by a crow and blessed with supernatural powers, he begins to track down the killers one by one. While he is able to pick them off with ease, he faces a tougher task when it comes to their boss, crime lord Top Dollar (Wincott). If he is to complete his task and gain his vengeance he will need to rely on the help of a young girl he befriended when he was alive, Sarah (Rochelle Davis), and a cop who looks out for Sarah, Sergeant Albrecht (Hudson).

One of the reasons I love this film so much is due to the numerous different levels that it works on. On the one hand it's a great, bad-ass vigilante flick full of righteous vengeance and gruesome violence. It's also a damn good action film with some excellent set-pieces. As well as a pitch black romantic fantasy.And it's also a deliciously gothic slice of the supernatural. I just adore the whole look and feel of the film. It's just so damn atmospheric, brooding and gloomy. The Detroit presented here is a hellish, almost otherworldly place. One of the most iconic lines of dialogue in the movie is Eric Draven's “it can't rain all the time.” Well apparently no-one told that to Detroit! With its forever rain-lashed streets, seemingly eternal nights, dark and grimy aesthetic and the billowing of smoke from fires all over the city it is a tremendously evocative and fitting setting for the story. The film's frequent fly-over shots of the cityscape are excellent, taking great advantage of an impressive mix of sets, miniatures, special effects and visual tricks to create a convincing world populated by dark, grimy streets and exaggerated, impressionistic architecture. Also impressive is the entire production design of Alex McDowell, with the set and art departments coming up with some wonderful creations. And that work is brilliantly captured by the cinematography of Dariusz Wokski. There's something of Gotham city about the look of the place, although by comparison it makes the Gotham presented in Tim Burton's Batman films look like a decidedly cheery place. It's terrifically noirish. In terms of bringing its comic book source material to life I'd have to put this up alongside the likes of Sin City as being one of the closest translations from page to screen ever produced. Oh and I almost forgot the character of The Crow himself. With his painted face and draped all in black, he is a fantastically vivid and powerful visual. It's no wonder you still see people breaking the look out at Halloween for costume parties.

In the lead role Brandon Lee is excellent, bringing a real charisma and a poetic, mysterious presence to the character. He also has a real aura of sorrow and tragedy about him that is perfect for the character, and is undoubtedly heightened by the tragic accident that befell him on the set. The knowledge of that adds an additional weight and pathos to the film. With the film's comic book roots, the white painted face of the character and the tragic death of Lee there is an unavoidable link to Heath Ledger and his portrayal of the The Joker. And just like Ledger, we are sadly left to only imagine just how much this film may have elevated Lee's career. At the very least this film exists to serve as a wonderful epitaph to Lee and what may have been. It's an amazingly tragic coincidence that the exact same fate befell Brandon's father Bruce, who passed away all too young but also left an indelible reminderof his talents with Enter the Dragon. Also proving to be tragically ironic is just how closely the character of Eric Draven mirrors that of Brandon Lee himself. Like his character, Lee was just weeks away from getting married when he sadly died. And his death actually occurred while filming the death scene of his character. It really does give the film an inadvertently haunting quality.

As his main nemesis, Lee finds a wonderful counterbalance in the form of Michael Wincott as Top Dollar. He hams it up to a wonderfully nefarious level, creating a spectacularly evil and despicable villain. In fact there's something almost Satan-esque about him, bringing to mind the suited businessman-Devil creations of De Niro and Pacino in Angel Heart and The Devil's Advocate respectively. He is also able to generate a few laughs with his deliciously deadpan delivery. While he is the undoubted stand-out amongst the villains that Eric faces, there are also a series of very colourful characters surrounding him. In the role of Top Dollar's twister lover/half-sister, Myca, Bai Ling may not got much in the way of dialogue but certainly makes an impact thanks to her character's depraved nature and tendency for sadistic violence. And the fact that's she damn sexy in a scary kind of way certainly doesn't hurt! Also making a memorable impression as Top Dollar's henchmen are David Patrick Kelly (T-Bird), Angel David (Skank), Laurence Mason (Tin-Tin) and Michael Massee (Funboy). There are also some highly entertaining performances from some great character actors. Ernie Hudson of Ghostbusters fame is very likeable as Sgt. Albrecht, the beat cop who looks out for Sarah and comes to aid Eric. While as Gideon, the piece of trash pawn shop owner, Jon Polito is as entertaining as always. Oh and in the role of Sarah there is Rochelle Davis. She may not come across as the most skilled of actresses (though to be fair it was only her first performance, and her last until 2009) but she makes the character a sympatheticand strong character with bravery and street smarts.

Re-watching this film I was really impressed by Alex Proyas' direction. His compositions and sweeping camera work make for a very grand, operatic experience. He just gives it such an epic feel at times, particularly in the final face-off between Eric and Top Dollar up on the rooftop. With the camera swooping high over the city, or dropping down to give shots at extreme low angles, Proyas' direction really does seem to strive to create images that could live just as comfortably on the pages of a comic book as they do up on the big screen. There is also some striking use of shadows throughout and Proyas keeps the whole thing flying along at a breakneck pace. Also adding to the overall atmosphere of the film is its terrific soundtrack. When James O'Barr was creating the original graphic novel he would constantly listen to songs by the likes of Joy Division, Iggy Pop and The Cure for inspiration. Therefore it feels very fitting that the soundtrack is composed exclusively of hard rock and heavy metal, featuring amongst others The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine and Pantera. Alongside these songs there is Graeme Revell's excellent score; a terrifically intense, edgy and eerie creation. Together they create a soundtrack for the film that perfectly reflects its dark mood.

In terms of flaws I know that many people who don't like the film would likely point out the simple, superficial story and its one-dimensional, stereotypical characters. While I'll concede that there may be something in that, for me its style and striking visuals more than make up for it. And while The Crow is a film that undoubtedly revels in how stylish it is, I certainly don't think it's a case of just being style over substance. The film has a real degree of heart to it, as a result of both the romance between Eric and Shelly, and the story of the young girl Sarah. The Crow presents an immense love, one for the ages, where not even death proves to be an obstacle that cannot be overcome. Though one thing that I would have liked to have seen more of were flashbacks of Eric and Shelley together in happier times. Also bringing some emotion is Sarah's quest to survive on the tough streets with a junkie mother. Her voice-over which both opens and closes the film talks of preserving the memories of those that you have loved and lost, and was added after Lee's death in a bid to soften the film. People who aren't great fans of the film may also accuse it of being dated, but as an admirer I prefer to think of itas a time capsule of the early 90s, capturing much of what was considered cool at the time - gothic stylings, the grunge movement, black leather being the height of fashion etc. And the film does at times resemble the music videos that dominated the likes of MTV and VH1 in the early 90s.

One thing I will say is that it perhaps helped that I first saw this film when I was a teenager. I think it really is a film that appeals to a younger demographic, particularly those of an adolescent standing. It will obviously be one of the go-to films for those of the goth and emo persuasion but I think in general it will just appeal to people of that age. It seems that at that age, more than any other, we are more prone to feeling dark, troubled and rebellious, with this film suitably tapping into that. Had I come to the film for the first time when I was older there's a chance I may have seen it more silly and campy.

Conclusion - A visceral and lurid revenge fantasy that is directed with style and flair by Alex Proyas, features a fantastically vulnerable and mesmerising central performance from Brandon Lee that is set in a world created by some tremendous production design. When I originally saw this film as an impressionable teen I thought it was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. Even now, more than a decade later, there is still a great deal of truth in that for me.