Arrow’s 4K UHD remaster of the visionary ‘Dark City’ is one of the year’s best releases
- Craig Shapiro
- 14 hours ago
- 6 min read
4K ULTRA HD REVIEW / HDR SCREENSHOTS
Ian Richardson is Mr. Book, leader of The Strangers, a subterranean sect that controls the city with a telekinetic power called Tuning, and Rufus Sewell stars as John Murdoch, who, in true film-noir fashion, is suspected of a series of murders that he doesn’t remember committing.
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“DARK CITY: LIMITED EDITION”
4K Ultra HD, 1998, Director’s Cut: unrated, violence, sexuality and brief nudity; Theatrical Cut: rated R, same
Best extra: Pick one - the new commentary with director/co-writer Alex Proyas, the hourlong feature with Proyas, the production crew, and star Rufus Sewell, the visual essays on the movie’s psychology and film noir connection, or the four essays in the 58-page booklet.
NO ONE can say Arrow Films didn’t pull out every, single stop for this definitive release of “Dark City.”
Besides the new features mentioned above, the UK distributor added another new commentary with the enthusiastic hosts of the “Film Versus Film” podcast, archival commentaries by Proyas, co-writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, and the late Roger Ebert (one of only six in his career), Proyas’ introduction, and a 2008 retrospective and feature on the film’s themes.
Not done: The Director’s and Theatrical cuts (2:39.1 aspect ratios) were flawlessly remastered in native 4K, graded in HDR10 and Dolby Vision and approved by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski (Proyas’ “The Crow,” “The Martian”). Arrow also sprung for a new Dolby Atmos (TrueHD Core) audio track to go along with the original DTS-HD MA 5.1 and stereo 2.0 tracks.
(1) Dark City goes through a radical transformation every night at midnight. (2&3) In the opening sequence, Murdoch wakes up in a bathtub with no recollection of how he got there. (4) A postcard from Shell Beach is a clue to Murdoch’s “cognitive map.”
Still not done: Also included are a foldout poster featuring newly-commissioned and original artwork, three postcard-size reproduction art cards, a postcard from Shell Beach, and the business card of Dr. Daniel Schreber, the memory architect played by Kiefer Suitherland (“The Lost Boys,” “24”).
So, you might wonder, why all the hubbub?
Yours truly asked the same thing. Either my radar was on the fritz in 1998 or, more likely, I was asleep at the wheel. Whatever, Arrow has provided a golden opportunity to immerse yourself in Proyas’ vision. Don’t pass it up.
It would be unfair to go deeply into the plot, so in the interest of whetting appetites, here are the nuts and bolts. Sewell (“The Illusionist”) plays John Murdoch, who, in the opening scene, wakes up in a bathtub in a fleabag motel with no recollection of how he got there or an explanation for the brutally murdered streetwalker lying on the floor. Is he a serial killer? Maybe.
In his new commentary, Proyas says that at its heart, “Dark City” is a mystery. As Murdoch pieces the puzzle together, he connects with Emma (Jennifer Connelly, “A Beautiful Mind”), a smoky lounge singer who may or may not be his wife; the skeptical Police Inspector Frank Bumstead (William Hurt, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”), who has a few questions for Murdoch, and Schreber. Sutherland’s performance would do Peter Lorre proud.
(1) Kiefer Sutherland gives Peter Lorre a run for his money as Dr. Daniel Schreber, the memory architect forced to do The Strangers’ bidding. (2&3) Murdoch comes across the body of a brutally murdered streetwalker in the bathroom of the hotel where the manager (Ritchie Singer works the front desk. (4&5) Murdoch starts looking for answers while staying a step ahead of Mr. Wall (Bruce Spence) and a Strangers hit squad.
He also crosses paths with The Strangers, a subterranean sect that, every night at midnight, brings the city to a halt, has Schreber inject its sleeping inhabitants with new memories and, through a telekinetic power called “tuning,” literally reshapes the city in a mind-blowing ballet of spectacular effects. Ian Richardson (“Brazil”) is Mr. Book, The Strangers’ leader, and, in one of the film’s most unforgettable performances, Richard O’Brien (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”) is his chief lieutenant, Mr. Hand.
As it turns out, Murdoch can tune, too. And that’s all you’ll get here.
So “Dark City” is a film noir/sci-fi mashup that draws on inspirations as varied as the German Expressionist Fritz Lang (“Metropolis”), novelist Raymond Chandler (“The Big Sleep”) and the American Realist Edward Hopper (“Nighthawks”). It’s also of a piece with “The Matrix” and “The Truman Show” as it examines the nature of identity.
VIDEO/AUDIO
The earlier 2K master was tapped for some sequences in the Director’s Cut, giving the nod to the Theatrical Cut for overall consistency, but only by a hair. By all means, watch The Director’s Cut first. As another review noted, Arrow’s 4K UHD transfer maximizes “the depth of this darkly lit film while also bringing out the full range of its sickly greens and alien blues.” Everything pops from the Strangers’ ghostly faces to the bursts of red. Detail could not be sharper; grain is evenly distributed.
Everything was encoded onto a 100 GB disc with the video bitrate running consistently in the upper 80 Megabits per second, while the HDR10 brightness peaks at 915 and averages at 690 nits.
The new upgraded Dolby Atmos audio is also up to snuff, mixing the grinding sounds of the city with the droning score by Trevor Jones (“The Last of the Mohicans”). The sometimes hushed dialogue and myriad ambient effects get equal play.
(1) Jennifer Connelly is Emma, the sultry lounge singer who may, or may not, be Murdoch’s wife. (2) Murdoch’s quest leads him to an automat that serves only generic food. (3) The late William Hurt, right, is the skeptical Police Inspector Frank Bumstead. (4&5) Murdoch eventually comes face-to-face with Mr. Hand. Richard O’Brien gives one of the film’s most unforgettable performances as Mr. Book’s chief lieutenant. (6) Murdoch and Emma finally connect. (7) While the city is being reshaped its inhabitants falls asleep at the same time.
EXTRAS
You already know about those, so here are a few highlights:
Proyas commentary Where the Theatrical Cut gave everything away quickly, thanks in no small part to a studio-mandated voice-over, “here you’re born into this world with Murdoch” and have to put the puzzle pieces together, he says. Most studios don’t like to ask that of multiplex moviegoers, he adds, but “when a filmmaker can fulfill his original vision, there’s always an audience for it.”
Return to Dark City The participants in this thoughtful, insightful feature include Proyas, Wolski, Sewell, producer Andrew Mason, the production and costume designers, storyboard artist, and visual effects creative director, and they cover every facet of the production. It’s also clear that everyone shared Proyas’ vision. Good stuff.
Dark City: Rats in a Maze In her engrossing visual essay, film scholar Alexandra West cites the groundbreaking 1948 study by the psychologist Edward C. Tolman that concluded that we employ a “cognitive map” to navigate our personal journey, one that’s imbued with our own imprints. Living creatures, he found, are more than the sum of their circumstances. The connection West makes to Murdoch, who has no cognitive map at the outset, is fascinating.
Dark City: I’m as Much in the Dark as You Are In his visual essay, film scholar Josh Nelson touches on film noir and identity, pointing out the cheap motels, nightclubs, police stations and other noir touchstones. Case in point: Murdoch, he says, is a stranger in a hostile world, an alienated man trying to make order out of chaos. “He’s both Everyman and no man.”
Guess that about does it. Wait, one more note: Folks, “Dark City” is an absolute must.
UPDATE: The Limited Edition is nearly sold out with every distributor.
— Craig Shapiro
(1&2) Mr. Book addresses The Strangers as the nightly ritual begins. (3) Dr. Schreber injects Mr. Hand with memories intended for Murdoch.
(1) Colin Friels is Walenski, the police inspector driven mad by the mysteries of Dark City. (2) The city grinds to a halt. (3) A young girl’s drawing implicates The Strangers. (4) Among director Alex Proyas’ inspirations was “Nighthawks,” the painting by the American Realist Edward Hopper. (5) Murdoch presses one of The Strangers for answers. (6&7) Murdoch meets with Bumstead then talks with Emma from jail. (6) “Dark City” was shot almost entirely on massive sets built in Australia. (7) Murdoch and Bumstead come to a dead end.