In Defense of The Crow: City of Angels

Before I get started on this defense piece of Tim Pope's The Crow: City of Angels, let me start of by saying that I don't think this film is really "good." I don't think its a cinematic masterpiece by any notion. I still think the original Crow with Brandon Lee is the best in the series and one of my favorite films of its decade.

But, after revisiting it and really seemingly to feel drawn to it (I will not say if I have or have not seen the "Second Coming" edit because I really don't want any legal implications put on me, but I will say I've heard of it, heard of the edits that were made, and heard that the changes that were made to the theatrical edition were horrible.). I can't describe this feeling as one of enjoyment or excitement, but it's almost hypnotic.

First of all, I know this was not the sequel that was intended to be made. James O'Barr was supposed to write a comic sequel to the Crow called "Dead Time" (which, as a graphic novel, is one I'd personally love to make into a feature, just because it is so edgy, emotional, and different compared to any other story, along with being entirely unique). Unfortunately, the studio had other plans, and went ahead with this sequel.

And, I'd dare say that from the very get-go, this film was hexed. Legitimately hexed, like Don Quixote by Terry Gilliam, except it didn't get the honor of getting stopped during production (or pre-production for that matter). The problem is, when you follow a film like the original Crow, with a great script, great direction, and a great, final performance by the late Brandon Lee, how can you legitimately say that a sequel would succeed? Especially because it didn't even have the budget that the first film had (23 Million vs. 13 Million according to my sources). As well, Miramax brought on Tim Pope, who, as a music video director, is respected and loved in the industry; a bit problematic though, because this was Pope's first major film and it was doing a sequel to an instant cult classic with almost a ghastly presence to it.

They brought on an international star in Vincent Perez, who, when he had the makeup on, looked a lot like the Eric Draven character from the first film. But, don't let that fool you: Perez made a character that was very different from Draven, and Ashe was a much more volatile character than the Draven character.

Mia Krushner, who plays the adult version of Sarah, truly got a big break like Pope did, because if you look at her credits prior to 1996, she was basically just getting started. Her rendition of Sarah is haunting. The emotional scars her character has seem to pour out of her in every shot they got of her. It's a beautiful acting choice for her that really gives the viewer a bittersweet feeling of melancholy every time you see her on screen.

Then, there is the rest of the cast... Iggy Pop (O'Barr's basis "look" for his original Crow graphic novel) plays a drugged out, crazed lunatic. Thomas Jane plays a masterbating, weird, and voyeuristic criminal. And, the rest of the cast kind of falls somewhere out of the park. You get good performances, you get bad ones, and you get others that are in between.

To round off my character look-see, Richard Brooks' portrayal of Judah Earl is rough. His monotone voice, muscled presence, and intricate nature seem to be a bit too much smarts for such a crazy group of people. To be frank, I found his character the weakest of the story. His performance goes hand-in-hand with that. And yet, I couldn't help but feel like he was being held back, maybe not by choices he made, but by something else. More on this later.

Pope's cast obviously was a mix-mash of good and bad performances. Perez, as great as he is when speaking French, just seemed like he was having trouble with certain words, phrases, and lines. Clearly, he didn't seem like he had enough time to prepare. The dialogue in the script is quite horrible too. While it does hinder the movie, it's easily forgivable just due to the nature of the beast.

Where I will absolutely defend this movie is in one thing: the cinematography. Say what you will, but I read an interview by Pope on the yellow hue throughout the movie, and he made mention (paraphrasing here) that he wanted to create a world that felt drowning, clogged, and hopeless; a piss-color world that he himself felt trapped in. The vibrate blues and greens in the flashbacks, along with oranges and reds, really stand out and give the viewer a sense of hope from all of the entanglement. The set design is a bit shoddy, but intended to be. I love the way LA looks: its dilapidated, broken, and miserable. Even when there are shots of the main building used throughout the piece, one of my favorite screenshots is the Jesus Saves with the US and SAVE illuminated and the JE and S broken, to give us the "SAVE US" mantra that the film is basically crying out for.

Pope's brilliant usage of this makes the film take on another meaning entirely.

It's the struggle of a man dealing with a studio, destroying his film, and forcing things to go a certain way. It's also the struggle of a man, in a world where humanity seems to be destroying themselves with drugs, losing control of its own nature, and dealing with the loss of the one thing he cares about. These go hand in hand when you watch the film.

Ashe is in a piss-colored world of crazed violence, sheer insanity, and drugged out criminals. No cops are there to help him. Only a haunted girl in Sarah is able to really be there for him. She even paints his face with the markings of her tragedy mask.

Yet, we never see them really have a special moment after that.

Blame this on editing. Blame this on the script. Blame this on whatever you want, but the way Mia looks at Vincent is beautiful in every scene. There is no need for words; the actors tell the story with their eyes.

For a moment, the hopelessness of the film itself seems to be put aside whenever Ashe has a moment with Sarah. A man with his duty and his life already passed by, yet he feels like he has never grasped the one thing he ever had: a woman to love.

That is why it is such a tragedy that Miramax has never fully released a REAL version of this film.

Again, like I said before, I do not think this movie is "good," but I credit it with it's effort. It really did the best it could with what it had. It really tried to bring together a cast from all backgrounds, a director with a horrible studio experience on his first film, the difficulty of following up a cult classic, and the poor editing to try and replicate the original.

Needless to say, I do not like Salvation. And I hate Wicked Prayer. I didn't like the TV show. And, I have a feeling I'll hate the remake of the original Crow.

But, make no mistake: if you appreciate film, you can really feel mesmerized by the sheer misunderstanding and wretched beauty of this piece. Called it Avant-Garde, call it crap, and call it nothing more than another Hollywood mishap, but at least give it a shot, and you'll see why.