The Crow (1994)
Director: Alex Proyas
Starring: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Ernie Hudson, Rochelle Davis
Primary genre: Superhero
Secondary genre: Supernatural
Alex Proyas’ “The Crow” is a cult gem, a stark reminder when American cinema was willing to take ambitious artistic gambles. However, looming over this motion picture’s post production and release was the sudden death on set of twenty eight year old Brandon Lee. With only a few scenes left to shoot, “The Crow“ became unfortunately one of these rare instances where art and life intermingled together blurring the lines of fantasy and reality. Similarly to how the protagonist Eric dies at the eve of his wedding day, Brandon suffered the same fate (just before his own wedding); his infamous Paul Bowles quote now engraved permanently on his tombstone.
If someone can bypass these devastating aspects (and the carefully used CGI to bring back to life Lee through Chad Stahelski’s (the director of the “John Wick” (2014-2023) franchise) body, “The Crow” is a film synonymous with style over substance. Taking cues from Ridley Scott’s futuristic LA in “Blade Runner” (1982) and Tim Burton’s Gotham in “Batman” (1989), Proyas’ vision for a never named but carefully implied Detroit makes the aforementioned cities look like a Venice cruise in comparison. Elevated by the spectacular production design of Alex McDowell, this Detroit is an absolute s***hole. Between captivating shots of the crow flying throughout brick-layered buildings, scattered Gothic architecture, rain soaked and garbage littered streets populated by every scumbag type you can think of, this is a neighborhood that would make the Punisher crap his pants.
In a city where the sun never rises and its socioeconomic decline is evident in each frame, Dariusz Wolski’s slick but depressing cinematography absorbs all colors except crimson red and orange flame. The shadows take over the celluloid and only minimal light sources (candles, single bulbs, club lights, explosions) reveal the extend of decadence in a metropolis where hardly anyone is out. Proyas blends complex shots of models and sets displaying Scott-esque eye for composition making his Detroit a filth centered concrete jungle with room for (limited and unexplained) supernatural shenanigans. Eric Draven is brought back from the dead guided by a Crow in the world of the living to deliver divine justice on a quartet gang of one dimensional yet utterly memorable sleazoids, each one with their own set of skills and nicknames (i.e., Skunk, Funboy, Tin-Tin, T-bird).
Despite a few explosions, shoot outs and fist fights, “The Crow” primarily relies on R-rated atmosphere and sudden bursts of violence as opposed to a 90s John Woo/Michael Bay take. Make no mistake: this superhero tale is not easily digestible: profanities, rape, incest, theft, battery, gang rape, drug abuse, intimidation, coercive control, murder (“it’s fun, it’s easy”) and nudity (“I think we broke her“) occur at an alarming rate next to the indifference of police and bystanders alike. This is not a Marvel cookie cutter product but comes from a time when superhero flicks bore a strong visual medium; in its extended climax alone inside the Goth-iest cathedral you will ever see, there is so much visual panache enough to lay down the foundations of specific art styles to newcomers.
“Here is a quick impression of you. Caw, caw! Bang! Fuck! I am dead!”
Kiwi composer Graeme Revell excels in orchestrating a combination of hard edge guitar riffs, throat monks, haunting female choruses, vocal solos, duduk, flutes and ethnic drums among a variety of ambient electronic synths. This distinct audio identity gave birth to a fantastic complementary soundtrack reflecting the sound of the on-film Detroit (e.g., Nine Inch Nails, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Violent Femmes, Stone Pilots) in an era that songs could still propel a movie’s popularity.
Nevertheless, this straightforward tale of revenge is not all bang and no chat. There is an elegant and subtle Alan Edgar Poe melancholia when people are not dropping like flies. The return of Eric haunts those he left behind, in particular Sarah, a street rat whose mom (on a nice twist) is emotionally controlled by one of Eric’s targets (Funboy). Filled with genuine moments of sadness (“I thought I’d use your front door”), the audience will find themselves resonating with Eric and his mission under a screenplay that never attempts to use gratuitous violence or cheap sentimentalisms to manipulate movie goers.
The cast is superb and Proyas offers hints of visual storytelling to indicate their skills and half-explored pasts particularly the film’s villain Top Dollar. Although never introduced by name, this gruff voiced gang lord is imposing, menacing, composed and cunning, one of those bad guys who do not have necessarily a personal score or vendetta to settle with the hero; he even considers to let Eric go for a moment. Michael Wincott plays him straight, stoically mattering anarchic philosophy under a taste for incest, the mystical, drugs, swordplay and black humor amidst a gazillion of quotable lines serving as a clear inspiration for Christopher Nolan’s Joker in his “Dark Knight” (2008). His banter with Lee is great and it is a shame that these two did not have many scenes together.
Yet, it is a film (rightfully) dedicated to Lee; his towering performance elevating every single scene he is in oozing natural charisma. Switching from a menacing presence to a prankster, from a sad rocker to a rageful and death-welcoming maniac, Eric is a man broken physically and emotionally driven mad by the hows and whys of his supernatural trauma. Championing a sole purpose of vanquishing those who wronged him, Lee relishes in a range of emotions, mannerisms and line delivery shifting as the occasion calls for it all the while sharing simultaneously good chemistry with Rochelle Davis and Ernie Hudson’s honest cop. It is an impressive feat demonstrating a talent that vanished before our eyes way too early.
Words cannot describe how influential “The Crow” was and remains three decades later; its unique and dark visual style, soundtrack, score, amazing villain and acting from the late Brandon Lee keeps it among the best graphic novel adaptations and one of the best films of all time. If cinema could be represented as an art medium only a handful of films could be selected. “The Crow” would be one of those chosen ones to highlight humanity’s imagination for novel and unique tales despite its troubled and unfortunately tragic production.
Mesmerizing comic adaptation
+Spectacular production design
+Fantastic cinematography
+The villain
+Lee is incredible
+Tone and atmosphere
+Visual style
+No melodrama
+Hard R-rated approach
+Music, soundtrack