It can't rain all the time (The Crow (DVD))

Member Name: MorganaDQ

Product:	The Crow (DVD)
Date:	08/12/01 (278 review reads)
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Have you ever sat down to write about a favourite book, or game, or film, and found you had no idea where to start?

Have you ever tried to map out in what order you’re going to tell your reader about something, only to find that you can’t pick the right words to start with?

Have you ever really thought about the impact your little review of something could have on even just one person, and know that no matter what you say, you’re never going to do that ‘something’ justice?

Well, that’s been me over the past few months. And with just one little review, too. To some of you, this film may not even earn a second glance, but to some it may just be the most inspiring, most enjoyable film you’ve ever seen.

I’m not going to try and tell you that The Crow is the best film that’s ever been made, because I don’t think it is. But it does come close, for me if no one else. I won’t apologise for being one-sided here, because I can’t find fault with this movie at all.

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It was the night before Halloween, known as Devil’s Night. Eric Draven and Shelly Webster were due to be married on Halloween night, but a gang of men with weapons and bad intentions broke into their apartment, and the wedding was never to come about.

Shelly was gang-raped and left for dead, to die in a hospital thirty hours later, and Eric was murdered in his vain attempt to save his loving fiancee when he returned home to find the men attacking her.

One year later, to the night, a crow sits atop Eric’s gravestone, tapping at it, calling him back to earth, ultimately to avenge his lover’s death.

~~~~~~~

And this is the basis of this fabulous movie. It doesn’t sound so special laid down to the basic, core story, does it? So what makes it so good?

Well, for one, it’s dark. This is an extremely dark film
, the story unfolding over just a couple of nights. And although it may sound like it’s going to be dull and dreary, it isn’t.

It’s meant to be very black, to feel the contrasts. It’s a film of justice, throughout all the violence. For the first time, on originally seeing this film, I could watch violence and know it was justified, because without the violence there’s no film to speak of.

The light and dark of long nights and small snippets of day mirror the light and dark within Eric. The love, the pure, unadulterated happiness of his life with Shelly, the compassion towards the young girl they’d both look out for and ultimately leave behind, and the murderous intent, the hate, the rage felt towards the men who not only killed them, but made his beloved fiancee suffer first. Day and night, love and hate, compassion and revenge. It’s all there and it’s all, despite being charicatured to seemingly ridiculous proportions, realistic.

I defy any one of you to watch this film and not empathise. The actions, the settings, the characters are all exaggerated, but they’re all true, too. Watch it with an open mind and heart, and you’ll understand the lessons contained within.

Brandon Lee as Eric undoubtedly made this movie what it is. I can imagine no other person able to fill the role so successfully as he did. Yes, he was gorgeous, but that’s not all for me, really it isn’t. He put everything he had into the role. You can see the passion in every scene. His eyes tell the story where it’s required, and also when it’s not.

His death towards the end of filming, a freak accident in one of the earliest scenes, saw the untimely demise of a great actor. This was the first film, from all accounts, where his true potential could be seen. Some people think his talent was over-exaggerated simply because of the events which unfolded, implying h
e’s been idolised, and the film itself being a bigger hit due to his death. I disagree. He was a previously untapped talent, and this movie should have just been the beginning.

Top Dollar is the man behind the gang. He was the man Shelly and Eric rented their apartment from. He’s also the one who ordered Shelly to be warned off from her petition to stop eviction. From appearances, their deaths weren’t intended, more a bonus for the men who carried out the attack.

Michael Wincott as Top Dollar is excellent. He’s mean and moody. His long, straight, flowing black hair and sharp chiselled features, along with the deep, throaty voice, scream baddie. He’s one of the coolest, unfeeling villains I’ve seen on screen for a long time, and he’s just wonderful.

Officer Albrecht was the one to carry out the initial investigation. He’s the kind of cop anyone would be proud to know. But thanks to continuing his own trail when the case was closed, he was put back on the beat. He’s down to earth, compassionate, and just wants to help. The actor, Ernie Hudson, played this role perfectly. Never once did he play it too much. Very believable, and very entertaining, providing a couple of the lighter moments with the occasional one-liner to make you smile.

Bai Ling played Top Dollar’s half sister, Myca. As cold and calculating as her brother, she was that little more disturbing thanks to her love of eyes. Be they a part of a living, breathing person, or dug from the skull of a girl they recently ‘broke’, they’re a constant source of fascination for her. Bai Ling is great in this role, too. If she had to show any kind of real emotion, it’s entirely possible she’d have let the film down a little, but playing someone so cold, unfeeling, and sadistic, she was faultless.

Sarah was the young girl Eric and Shelly looked out for. A tomboy with he
r skateboard and hooded sweatshirts, riding through the streets of Detroit, she had no other person to really take care of her. Her mother is a drug addict, waitressing in a bar and sleeping with one of the gang who murdered Eric and Shelly, and Sarah appears to be nothing more than a nuisance to her.

Rochelle Davis as Sarah was a good choice. Not a great choice, just a good one. She’s believable in the role, if a little forced in her lines on occasion. But I’d say that had more to do with the script writers than the actress herself. Hers is not a name, nor face, that I recognise, and I’ve not seen her appear in anything since, but nevertheless, she’s more than acceptable in the role.

Everyone else here was convincing and believable. From the cool, collected Tin Tin (Laurance Mason), to the rambling Skank (Angel David) who spoke faster than his brain could think, T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly), one of the more astute gang, to Funboy (Michael Massey), the constantly high and seemingly highly-sexed blond. Even the bartender was convincing.

Details are all important in this movie, and that’s one of the reasons I believe it’s worked so well. The bit parts are as crucial to the film as the main actors are. The special effects, though not awe-inspiring, are wonderful. The blazing fires inject more mood into the night, flickering on faces and silhouetting bodies. The sunset fills the sky with vibrant orange and red, as though to herald the continuing blood-letting when darkness falls. The red lighting during the flashbacks of events from a year previous symbolising the pain and suffering. Such beautiful details.

The few scenes that needed to be shot with a body double for Brandon Lee worked well. Without finding out details of exactly which scenes these are, it’s impossible to tell which they are, and even when you do know it’s still not easy to see. Needless to say, to my untr
ained eyes it was seemless. There are the occasional continuity questions that may crop up while you watch, but I’ve learned to ignore them. Under the circumstances, you can forgive such tiny details being left hanging, and to be fair, they’re probably not even noticable until you’ve watched the film for the tenth time ;)

The music was atmospheric to say the least. Haunting melodies, screaming guitars, pounding drums all added to the score, and it was perfect. Bands playing in the bar in some scenes added that little extra to the film, too, especially seeing as some of the biggest action took place just above everyone’s heads while they were rocking away downstairs.

The soundtrack can boast many recognisable names (The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against The Machine, Pantera, Nine Inch Nails, etc), but not once did the music overshadow the storyline. It only served to enhance the viewing. And rightly so.

This is rated 18 for a reason. It’s violent. You’ll not see everything played out in front of your eyes, because you don’t need to. There’s a great deal of swearing, too, but it’s to be expected in a film such as this. None of it appears gratuitous, it just is.

This is a film to be watched with the lights down low, and a bottle of red wine by your side. Drink it in the biggest wine glass you can find. Savour it’s scent and it’s taste as you savour the film’s storyline, acting, and score. Take time to let the scent of the wine fill your nostrils as you sip, just as you take time to heed the lessons to be learned while watching and listening to every detail.

The Crow is, indeed, a cult classic now. And so it should be. It’s beautiful in it’s darkness and simplicity, and should be enjoyed for it’s lessons, as well as it’s entertainment.

I’d tell you what I took from watching this film, but I think
every person should find it for themselves, within themselves.

Open yourself up, let yourself be consumed by it, and you’ll not regret it. Or, I hope not, anyway.

But if you can’t do that, watch it anyway and simply be entertained. You’ll be glad you did.


“People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it, and the soul can’t rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right.”

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