Revenge is at the heart of the dark fantasy romance, The Crow. This is a remake of Australian Alex Proyas’ 1994 film of the same name. Both movies are based on the comic book series by James O’Barr. This time, Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) is in the director’s chair.
Eric (Bill Skarsgård) has been traumatised by an experience in his childhood. Years later, as a young adult, he’s become something of a misfit. While incarcerated,t he meets and is immediately drawn to livewire Shelly (FKA twigs) . She’s in a whole heap of trouble, trying to escape the evil Vincent Roeg (Danny Huston). Roeg has been gifted eternal life thanks to a pact he made with the devil. And he in turn has done deals with others who work for him, to ensure everyone tows the line. Recently though, a video has been leaked implicating Roeg in his dastardly deeds. Shelly’s friend Zadie (Isabella Wei) has already been caught and dealt with and Shelly is next on the list.
Eric doesn’t know any of this when he meets Shelly. But they’re crazy about each other, so Eric arranges an escape from the facility. Shelly continues to try to escape Roeg’s clutches. But when she and Eric are tracked down, he gets the chance to be her saviour. From the depths of despair, he re-emerges with superpowers that can see him hurt, but never die. Eric’s guide in his odyssey to bring Shelly back to him is Kronos, a character who exists between heaven and hell, both Machiavellian and benevolent.
The Crow builds tension, leading to a bloodbath of orchestrated destruction, a cacophony of operatic grandeur. Trauma is prominent in the narrative, a story about darkness and light.
Bill Skarsgård brings brooding intensity to the heavily tattooed adult hero. While FKA twigs generates fear as Shelly, she also leans into the possibility of a new life with Eric. Danny Huston plays Roeg as the personification of entitlement, aided by his loyal sidekick Marion (Laura Birn).
I appreciated the picture’s production values. The Crow features a powerful soundtrack from Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front) and a look that counterpoints grunge with high society. The cinematographer is Steve Annis (Color Out of Space).
The Crow has a haunting quality that straddles many genres, including crime, action and superhero. So, suspend belief and strap yourself in for quite a wild ride.
Alex First
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Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.