“Staff Picks” is a deeper look into movies that we love here at Video CULTure. Each edition of this column will focus on a single film that we think you should check out, either for the first time or for a long-overdue revisit
By Patrick Bartlett (Twitter: @alleywaykrew)
As much as I hate to talk about Brandon Lee only in relation to Bruce, people can and do talk about “Enter The Dragon” or “Game Of Death” without explicitly addressing the fact that Bruce Lee died shortly after starring in them. They’re celebrated films on their own merits. However, it seems that people are completely unable to talk about Brandon Lee’s work without talking about his death. It’s bizarre but I guess I can’t say I don’t understand. His death was immeasurably shocking and tragic. He had seemingly limitless potential. The work he was able to create in his lifetime is worth celebrating all on its own though. Every movie he made was better than the last and every performance of his was stronger than the one that came before. That is valuable. Even the movies that he was in that weren’t good… he was good in those movies. He was a star before even being given the opportunity to really be one. It all ultimately culminated in a role perfect for Brandon. It all led up to “The Crow”.
“The Crow” will always have a special place in my heart. Before it was one of my favorite movies, it was a movie that I was desperate to see. I was a really big fan of Brandon Lee’s work in “Showdown In Little Tokyo” and “Rapid Fire” previously, so I was following its creation in magazines as closely as I could while it was being created. The graphic novel the film is based on was the first proper graphic novel I ever read. The first time I read a comic that wasn’t your standard superhero fare. It was one of the first times I remember really being touched by art as well. Subsequently, the adaptation’s eventual release was thankfully everything that I wanted it to be and more. It’s rare that something not only meets high expectations but exceeds them. I watched “The Crow” over and over again God knows how many times. Now I watch it every year on Devil’s Night. “The Crow” also manifested in various other aspects of my life. I’ve done Crow makeup for Halloween both as a kid and an adult. I bought the soundtrack on tape and wore it out. I still stream it every so often. Nothing about “The Crow” has ever been just a simple piece of art to me. It all meant so much more than almost anything else.
The plot of the film isn’t terribly different from the comic series it was adapted from. On Devil’s Night (the evening of October 30th), a man named Eric Draven is murdered. His murderers also rape his fiancée before ultimately beating her to death as well. A year later to the day, Eric mysteriously returns from the grave for justice, to kill the men who murdered himself and his wife-to-be. He’s aided by the officer that was on the scene that fateful night, Sgt. Albrecht and Shelly’s surrogate little sister Sarah. Eric doesn’t ultimately need that much help for most of the movie though because it turns out that whatever brought him back from the dead also made him a practically invincible engine of vengeance. He heals almost instantly from any wound, barely slowing down when his targets try to defend themselves. As a result, we watch as death comes for a group of villains that truly deserve it and it’s incredibly satisfying. As entertaining as the bad guys here are, it’s not a situation where you’re rooting for the villains at any point in the story. They’re not remotely sympathetic. The film (and the comics) are essentially structured like a slasher film in reverse in that sense. Eric returns from the grave and starts taking out each member of the gang one by one in totally different and gradually more visually impressive ways. It’s majestic and to be perfectly honest, if you have any questions about anything that’s happening while it’s happening, it’s such a lean movie that you basically just learn what you need to as needed from moment to moment. It’s a hell of a ride and the events that occur only slow down enough for you to catch up and catch your breath once in a while.
It is a very action-packed, sometimes funny, and even touching movie but it also has this perpetual feeling of melancholy baked in that makes it stand out among other films in the genre. A large part of that comes from the comic series that inspired the film. The creator of said comic, James O’Barr wrote and drew the comics to help deal with the loss of his own girlfriend to a drunk driver. All of that pain and anguish that he dealt with was poured into his words and art, which is why I believe the movie would still feel as it does whether Brandon Lee had survived the production or not. It’s also why attempts to make it into a franchise have been differing levels of unsuccessful. It’s a story born of and forged with intense pain. In that sense, it’s capturing lightning in a bottle. I guess the best way to put it is that “The Crow” came about in the right place in the right time, despite the circumstances being horrible. That’s not really something anyone can duplicate and it’s a mistake to continuously attempt.
One thing that can’t be duplicated is the performance by Brandon Lee. In a lot of ways, it feels like the films he made before this were almost a training ground for what would ultimately be this, his magnum opus. He ultimately wanted to do action-oriented stuff until he could get different acting opportunities and flex different muscles. In “The Crow”, he’s able to be convincing as a threat but also being very funny while simultaneously giving the impression of carrying terrible sadness. All of this often in the same sequences. It’s a legitimate tour-de-force performance that shows off his range, his charisma, his athleticism. Everything that made him such a unique performer. There’s no one else who could have done what Lee did, which is why “The Crow” is endlessly discovered and rediscovered even decades later. Sure, it’s worth pointing out that the whole cast is great. Ernie Hudson as Albrecht, truly getting a chance to stand out in a way that avoided him in a lot of his other work. Michael Wincott as crime boss Top Dollar and David Patrick Kelly as his chief lieutenant, T-Bird, deliver incredibly memorable villainous performances that people like Jack Nicholson should be jealous of. One and all rise to the occasion and there really isn’t a weak link in the bunch…but Brandon Lee was simply operating on another level. A once in a generation (maybe once in a lifetime) talent.
Another reason the film is as successful as it is- is in no small part due to the contributions of visionary director Alex Proyas. He brings the comic book to life while even managing to improve upon it from the ground up in an incredibly reverent and respectful manner. The world he creates and the look of the film is less indebted to other comic book adaptations of the time like Burton’s “Batman” than it is to a film like “Blade Runner”. Everything feels grounded and real while also feeling mythic and operatic. It’s a tricky thing to pull off. Proyas only really managed to make two truly great films with this and his follow-up, “Dark City”, but what he was able to do in those two is truly something special. Much like the comics but even more so, everything is very gritty and grimy while also being utterly lush and beautiful to look at. What Proyas accomplished here influenced things that followed (such as “The Matrix” and countless other examples) in ways that are not nearly as recognized as they deserve to be.
I sincerely wish the tragedy of “The Crow” was something that only existed within the core story of the film itself and not its creation. The film is so special and wonderful that the fact that it can’t be spoken about without addressing the fact that Brandon Lee didn’t get to completely finish making it adds yet another layer of tragedy to the whole enterprise. It would be great if we could talk about the great work Brandon Lee did instead of all the potential he had. However, at the very least, “The Crow” should be looked upon as a great film even removed from its tragic origins. An achievement in cinema as well as a landmark piece of art, “The Crow” is absolutely timeless. It stands on its own and stands apart in the best possible way.
To find out where this film is available to stream, click here: Just Watch