The Crow
Dir: Alex Proyas
1994
****
In 1989 James O'Barr wrote and published quite an astonishing
and personal comic. After the death of his fiancée who was killed by a drunk
driver, O'Barr joined the marines to get away from his life and ended
up illustrating combat manuals for the military. He began to draw and develop The Crow as a coping strategy, and
would continue to do so for the best part of a decade until it was finally
published after sitting on a shelf for seven years. O'Barr
admits that his comic was far from cathartic, with each page as full of rage as
he has been since he lost his loved one. It was a phenomenal graphic
novel that deserved a suitable adaptation. Alex Proyas was
easily the best choice of director and his 1994 film was an instant cult hit.
Its darkly Gothic noir style sparked a trend within the comic book
and superhero genre. Tim Burton's Batman, made
only a few years before, was seen as a noir masterpiece but The Crow made it
look like a cartoon. It's far from perfect but it was heads above other comic
book/superhero films of the time (see 1994's The
Fantastic Four) with a much darker edge. Thirteen year old Goth girls went
nuts. It was incredibly enjoyable, with some beautifully impressive special
effects and creative characters. It's a tragedy that the film is
and probably always will be, overshadowed by the fact that its star,
Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, was accidentally killed during
filming. The film gained notoriety for Lee's death but the film was seen
as a fitting tribute and its success at the box office and popularity since
isn't just down to morbid fascination. One of the best films of 1994 and
it also remains one of the most faithful comic adaptations of the genre.
