Dark City (1998)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Alex Proyas

Writers (WGA):

Alex Proyas (story)
Alex Proyas (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 February 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

They built the city to see what makes us tick. Last night one of us went off.

Plot:

A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans.

Plot Keywords:

Memory | Murder | Soul | Hotel | Night

Awards:

6 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Rufus Sewell	...	John Murdoch
William Hurt	...	Inspector Frank Bumstead
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Dr. Daniel P. Schreber
Jennifer Connelly	...	Emma Murdoch / Anna
Richard O'Brien	...	Mr. Hand
Ian Richardson	...	Mr. Book
Bruce Spence	...	Mr. Wall
Colin Friels	...	Det. Eddie Walenski
John Bluthal	...	Karl Harris
Mitchell Butel	...	Officer Husselbeck
Melissa George	...	May
Frank Gallacher	...	Chief Insp. Stromboli
Ritchie Singer	...	Hotel Manager / Vendor
Justin Monjo	...	Taxi Driver
Nicholas Bell	...	Mr. Rain

Also Known As:

Dark Empire (USA) (working title)
Dark World (USA) (working title)
Dark City (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Cidade Misteriosa (Portugal) [pt]
Cidade das Sombras (Brazil) [pt]
Cité obscure (Canada: French title) [fr]
Dark City (Spain) [es]
Dark City (Germany) [de]
Dark city - Varjojen kaupunki (Finland) [fi]
Gizemli sehir (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Pimeduse linn (Estonia) [et]
Skoteini poli (Greece) [el]
Smrtihlav (Czech Republic) [cs]

MPAA:

Rated R for violent images and some sexuality.

Runtime:

100 min | 111 min (director's cut)

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Spain:18 | South Korea:15 (original rating) | South Korea:18 (DVD rating) | USA:Not Rated (director's cut) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #34966)

Filming Locations:

Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Mystery Clock Cinema

Trivia:

The name of Kiefer Sutherland's character, Daniel Schreber, is the same as that of a man who wrote a book titled "Memoirs of My Nervous Illness" during the heights of a period in which he was institutionalized for schizophrenia. The book has become a standard reading for many psychiatrists and psychologists, and many of the theories of both Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung were based on it (Freud never actually met Schreber, though). "Dark City" borrows heavily from the concept of "fleetingly-improvised men" which are found within Schreber's "Memoirs".

Goofs:

Continuity: After John uses his 'tune' to force the Automat slot open to get his wallet, the broken spring and lever for the food slot fall in. When it cuts to a close-up of his hand taking the wallet, the broken spring is gone.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Schreber: [voiceover] First there was darkness, then came the strangers.

Movie Connections:

References Repo Man (1984)

Soundtrack:

Sway

One of the best science fictions ever made...

Dark City is the best film of Alex Proyas. He uses the Gothic and claustrophobic themes commonly and dark colors prevail during the film like "The Crow" .The story doesn't follow a certain order of rule, instead there is some mind games and puzzles in the film, that causes watchers to be active in each minute and motivate to the movie..

The topic is about a man who loses his past and first finds himself in a bath tub, doesn^t know about himself and his life, but he has one ability that no one has, he can be alive when the evil forces stops the time and reshapes the world according to their own demand. The story is so fantastic and Proyas' nightmare world come true in that movie.

I can basically say that it's one of the best science fiction movies ever made, it opens doors to different dimensions and force human brains' capability....

"Mutlu Bahar"