The Crow (1994)

 

Just to get it out of the way: this film will always have the accidental death of its star Brandon Lee hanging over it. Nevertheless, let's judge the film on its own merits, right?

Glad we got that out of the way.

In a time when comic book adaptations were rare (and often abysmal), there were a few genuine and heartfelt attempts at creating something akin to the printed pages on screen and as far as adaptations go, this one isn't half bad. It has a (for the time at least) distinct aesthetic and I won't even begin to guess how many goth bands have modelled their entire appearance on things you see in this film. 

I'm sure it's a lot, if not nearly all since then.

In an unnamed city, where crime is fairly rampant, a young rock musician and his fiancée are brutally killed. One year later, the musician emerges from his grave as a nigh invulnerable wraith accompanied by a crow and he soon sets out to get revenge on the criminals that so brutally mistreated the love of his life. He dons a black outfit and clown make-up and sets out on his quest.

Clown as in: Pierrot, not clown as in Bozo. Although that would probably make for an interesting, albeit rather different type of film. 

On his path to justice, he reacquaintances himself with a friendly police officer and a young girl who were his friends back when he was still alive, but people are starting to notice the henchmen of a shady and occult crime boss known as Top Dollar disappearing in violent ways. Of course this all builds to a final confrontation on the roof of a dilapidated church. In the rain. Because of course. 

Nowadays, that might all feel incredibly clichéd, but during the 90s, they just started to do this type of thing for a climax. Compare it to early 2000s, whene every superhero film had to end with some beam shooting in the sky. 

Director Alex Proyas wanted to keep the colourscheme close to the comics, but he wasn't allowed black-and-white, so he shot most of it fairly monochrome, with some colour accents. It helps set the tone and mood. Yes, it's dark and brooding, but it fits with the story and the overexaggerated angles and set design captures something quintessentially doomy gothic. It works. The film relies more on atmosphere and visuals than actual storytelling, but this stylised approach works wonders. 

Most of the characters are larger-than-life, which goes double for the villains of the piece, who are all weird and cooky. The cast - for the most part - is good. Brandon Lee has a commanding presence and his menacing stance fits the wraith character to a T. Ernie Hudson as the sympathetic officer is okay, but he doesn't have a lot to do. 

But when we get to the bad guys, there's a nice selection of well-known faces: Michael Wincott, Tony Todd, David Patrick Kelly? That's some quintessential 'bad guys' right there. Who cares if no one has any idea what their exact motivations are, except courting chaos? 

If you want a comic book adaptation that is gloomy, stylish and better than you might expect, then this is the one for you. It has ripened like a fine wine with age and it does get better with repeated viewings. So give it a chance.