The Crow
The Crow 1994
Katherine Courtney
ENG225: Introduction to Film
Renee Gurley
December 9, 2012
“People used to think that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes...only sometimes the crow brings that soul back to set the wrong things right (The Crow, 1994).” Who doesn’t love a classic and tragic love story with a lust for revenge and justice for all? Where the power of love gives hope even in the most desperate and darkest of times? The Crow, directed by Alex Proyas in 1994 and based off of the original comic The Crow by James O’Barr, is a powerfully, dark, emotional film teasing at the strings of our hearts every moment of the way. The Crow has been labled a bleak action flick due to the very depressing, dark, atmosphere; however with the excellent cinematography, superb acting, and spectacular sound, even in all of its darkness and despair from the constant pouring rain and dark tones it is complimented by layers of beauty and aspiring hope that made this film so much more. We might not yet see a rainbow, but the sky has finally cleared. The film is based off a comic so it obviously possesses a bit of a comic feel to it. Along with being based off the comic, it was also produced by Alex Proyas, who has a tendency to be dark and violent with his work, the perfect fit for this particular film, as it has a very dark and violent theme. It is set in the 1990’s in Detroit Michigan, surrounded by gothic cathedral buildings decaying in chaos and destruction and drowning in rain and sorrow. The film unfolds in a non-linear order, jumping from present to the past (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011) in order to mimic a memory. The non-linear method is very important to this film as it is useful in showing the audience the memories of the protagonist, or main character (2011), Erick Draven played by the late Brandon Lee. These memories are the fuel to Erick’s desire for vengeance as they
Katherine Courtney
ENG225: Introduction to Film
Renee Gurley
December 9, 2012
“People used to think that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes...only sometimes the crow brings that soul back to set the wrong things right (The Crow, 1994).” Who doesn’t love a classic and tragic love story with a lust for revenge and justice for all? Where the power of love gives hope even in the most desperate and darkest of times? The Crow, directed by Alex Proyas in 1994 and based off of the original comic The Crow by James O’Barr, is a powerfully, dark, emotional film teasing at the strings of our hearts every moment of the way. The Crow has been labled a bleak action flick due to the very depressing, dark, atmosphere; however with the excellent cinematography, superb acting, and spectacular sound, even in all of its darkness and despair from the constant pouring rain and dark tones it is complimented by layers of beauty and aspiring hope that made this film so much more. We might not yet see a rainbow, but the sky has finally cleared. The film is based off a comic so it obviously possesses a bit of a comic feel to it. Along with being based off the comic, it was also produced by Alex Proyas, who has a tendency to be dark and violent with his work, the perfect fit for this particular film, as it has a very dark and violent theme. It is set in the 1990’s in Detroit Michigan, surrounded by gothic cathedral buildings decaying in chaos and destruction and drowning in rain and sorrow. The film unfolds in a non-linear order, jumping from present to the past (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011) in order to mimic a memory. The non-linear method is very important to this film as it is useful in showing the audience the memories of the protagonist, or main character (2011), Erick Draven played by the late Brandon Lee. These memories are the fuel to Erick’s desire for vengeance as they
References: Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Most, Jeff & Pressman Edward (Producers) & Proyas, Alex (Director). (1994). The Crow [Motion Picture]. United States. Miramax films. Retrieved from Netflix.com