Dark City (1998)

  I was required to watch this film for my class on film noir, otherwise it’s not something I would’ve picked as I generally try to avoid Sci-Fi. It was actually a blessing in disguise; part of my thing with this whole project is trying to push my boundaries and watch things outside my comfort zone. Dark City is definitely the most, shall we say, unique film that I’ve watched so far this semester in my noir class. It is highly stylized and recalls classic noir films with its use of lighting. The city is always dark (hence the name), the Strangers have actually done away with sunlight and daytime; thus, what little light there is in the film throws the characters and surfaces into high contrast. The immense darkness of the film was almost overwhelming at times, I felt as if I had to squint to understand what was going on.

Classic noir hat

Stylistically, the film is making a nod to the classic noirs of the 30s and 40s, as well as the neo-noirs of the 80s and 90s. This is also accentuated by William Hurt’s role in the film, paying homage to Body Heat (1981).

Emma/Anna: Vintage Hollywood Glamour

Another stylistic element that really stood out to me was the style and costumes that seemed simultaneously futuristic and retro. The film clearly has a very futuristic, sci-fi feeling to it but it also at times gives off a vintage-y, old Hollywood feel. This was most notable to me in the scenes with Emma in the bar; her costumes and hair/make-up all seemed to harken back to older times despite the blatant futuristic setting.

Stranger Time

This, in conjunction with the clock motif at hand and the time manipulation produced by the Strangers, made me think about the strange relationship the film has with time and what that relationship is saying. The melding of the future and the past could be denoting the cyclical nature of time and how the developments in technology and science, while progressive from an intellectual standpoint, really represent a regression as a human race, particularly in the areas of morality and ethics. The film begs the question of if the human race can maintain some degree of goodness alongside an increasingly technologically advanced world. Can our humanity handle the moral and ethical responsibility and power afforded by new technological discoveries?

Another stylistic contradiction that I noticed was the soundtrack. Rather then presenting a modest soundtrack with subtle use of music like the more classic film noirs, Dark City’s soundtrack is incredibly aggressive. The orchestral score is constantly attacking your senses, producing feelings of fear and agitation. The extremely present soundtrack is almost an additional character in the film, and its constant presence within the film seems more on par with what we have come to expect in modern mainstream films.

The setting of the film itself lends to the darkness depicted in the plot; the harsh, angular architecture is a character itself as it grows and morphs at the will of the strangers. The intensely urban cityscape is often seen via shots of dark streets, slick with rain like a classic film noir (despite the Strangers’ aversion to water).

Thematically, the film exhibits many qualities of the tech-noir or “black tech” genre. The surrealism produced by the dream-like bursts of memory is further emphasized by the revelation that the reality lived by the humans in the film is entirely false and constructed; reality is revealed to be an illusion, and John Murdock has to accept that and come to grips with it rather than long for the past that he has lost.

The use of the amnesia plot device works on two levels; first, it allows the audience to experience John’s journey to discovering his identity with him and making you wonder what his genuine character and identity is like. Second, it forces you to go through the process of discovering an identity and then reveals the twist, further forcing you to go through the frustration John feels in finding out that all his efforts in uncovering who he is was futile because who he “is” has been so manipulated that it doesn’t even matter anymore.

The premise of the film definitely demonstrates a distinct anxiety about medical experimentation, psychology, and technology. I think that perhaps the most poignant aspect of the film is the way it forces you to consider the meaning of memory and identity. If the reality you are living feels genuine and you truly believe that your reality and memories are real, what difference does it make if there are your genuine memory and identity?

My biggest problem with Dark City was its ending. Murdock ultimately defeats the Strangers and retains the power to restore humanity, and yet his first choice that he makes is a selfish one; he creates Shell Beach to fulfill his own desires, never mind the fact that the rest of humanity is in a state of chaos and he’s the only one with the power to restore it. Furthermore, Murdock approaches Emma on the dock and, rather than explaining to her about the memory manipulation, he plays along with her new identity (‘Anna’) and pretends as if they’ve never met. This seems not only dishonest, but also as if Murdock is accepting the rules of the game laid down by the Strangers in going along with this assumed identity.