Movie-a-Day #323: The Crow

[Chaplin]

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Amazon.com Synopsis/Review:

The Crow set the standard for dark and violent comic-book movies (like Spawn or director Alex Proyas's superior follow-up, Dark City), but it will forever be remembered as the film during which star Brandon Lee (son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee) was accidentally killed on the set by a loaded gun. The filmmakers were able to digitally sample what they'd captured of Lee's performance and piece together enough footage to make the movie releasable. Indeed, it is probably more fascinating for that post-production story than for the tale on the screen. The Crow is appropriately cloaked in ominous expressionistic shadows, oozing urban dread and occult menace from every dank concrete crack, but it really adds up to a simple and perfunctory tale of ritual revenge. Guided by a portentous crow (standing in for Poe's raven), Lee plays a deceased rock musician who returns from the grave to systematically torture and kill the outlandishly violent gang of hoodlums who murdered him and his fiancée the year before. The film is worth watching for its compelling visuals and genuinely nightmarish, otherworldly ambience.

A great quote in the above passage stresses that The Crow was a worthy precursor to the huge superhero boom of today. Yes, the original Batman movies came out before this (not to mention Superman), but it certainly opened to door for movies like Sin City, V for Vendetta and even Constantine to come to the screen.

Also like above, the movie sadly will be known as the film where Brandon Lee was killed, who, IMO, was on his way to be the best action star we had seen since Schwarzenegger. The difference, though, with Lee versus Arnold, Stallone, Van Damme and Seagal was that Brandon could act--he had a lot in common with his famous (and also prematurely killed) father, Bruce Lee.

If one can discount the tragic circumstances of the film, the viewer and see a lot of mesmerizing things in the movie. Director Alex Proyas would later go on to improve on these things in his masterpiece, Dark City. But this film has it's great aspects as well, starting with Lee's performance, which was spectacular, especially when carrying out his revenge on the men that killed him and his fiancee. And while someone who has not seen the film might be turned off by the makeup, it really is very effective at hiding what he is. As the great character actor Ernie Hudson says, Lee is a "mime from hell."

Supporting roles are terrific, starting with Hudson and ending with 90s bad guy Michael Wincott. But a huge plus with the film is the soundtrack, both the score and the grunge music anchored by Stone Temple Pilots and Nine Inch Nails.

HIGHLY recommended if only for historical context, but it is an enjoyable (and very adult) action film.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I can't believe it took 323 movies to get to this film. Anyone who hasn't seen this movie is doing themselves a disservice. It is one of the best american action movies made in that the violence all fits within the plot and the context of the story. The dark visuals and central theme that love can't die makes the movie nearly equally appealing to women.

 

[Bada0Bing]

The soundtrack for this movie is just plain awesome. Awesome movie.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

The soundtrack for this movie is just plain awesome. Awesome movie.

It is probably the best soundtrack ever made. The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, The Violent Femmes, Helmet, Henry Rollins, Machines of Loving Grace, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, ect...