word can not begin to describe the admiration that i have for this movie . even to this day and six year after see it for the first time and i can not get over the freshness and originality and and overall boldness of alex proyas visionary masterpiece . now that proyas be get a large budget for i and robot this year and i felt that it would be time to credit proyas earlier science fiction masterpiece in anticipation that i and robot would only live up to this film . from the open shot of this film and the viewer be instantly plummet into a bold and grand setting of an indistinct city that seem that this be how noir film of the forty would look if they be in color . after a display of the bizarre occurrence that happen to the city around midnight and we be introduce to the film protagonist and a man name john murdoch and who awaken in a bathtub and with no memory of his life or how he get where he be . needless to say and what happen to the dead woman next to his bed . after a few clue that seem to trigger brief glimpse of his childhood and he be chase from his room by three odd look figure and look for him . a murdoch wander the city and try to find his identity and we learn that not only be the strange people ( who be appropriately name the stranger ) look for mr. murdoch and but a police officer name bumstead be as well and search for the killer of not just the woman in the apartment and but six other woman who be murder in the same manner a the woman from murdoch room . also be murdoch estranged wife and who be try to make a reconciliation with him after a fall out . even a therapist that murdoch have be see because of his wife infidelity be search for him as well . everyone seem to have their own reason to be search for murdoch and and murdoch be try to figure out why and since he have no clue a to who he be . in a sense and murdoch quest become a search for identity in a world that be try to label him . be he a murderer and be he a jilted lover and be he psychologically damage person and or be he a like the stranger who be pursue him . but that become the center question of dark city itself and do we make up who we be or be we make up of experience and memory . we realize this question when we realize the purpose of the stranger inhabitance of the city . they be actually alien and whose race be die out and they need to observe the human race to see what have make u thrive so much . so and we enter their experiment and which revolve around make the inhabitant of the city fall asleep at midnight while the stranger give them new life by implant new memory in them and change the environment around them . murdoch also discover that the reason the stranger be come after him be because he have develop an immunity to the experiment and not fall asleep when everyone else do . he have also begin to take on the trait of the stranger a well and gain their power to tune and which be the ability to alter their environment by will alone . this whole concept suggest two thing and the first be that humanity have the ability to adapt and thrive in a new environment and the other be that a an individual and human have the ability to shape their world to their own desire once they be fully aware of themselves and their desire . the movie in itself be a brilliant commentary on our society a a whole which be display in the beginning with dr. schreber rat experiment in the lab and which come to symbolize a small scale version of the stranger experiment for u and put rat ( human ) in a maze of a city ( life ) and see if they can find their way . which also seem to suggest that a a society and we be merely just rat in a maze and wander around until we come to the end . the stranger insistence on do everything a a group also bring up another interesting point about the human race be that our ability to be individual be what make human thrive rather than conformity and similarity . dark city take such bold and brilliant concept and suggest so much about our society a a whole and even the importance of individuality over conformity . the theme and once read into and take on such a strong and complex turn and unheard of in most science fiction film of recent year . then there be the matter of the set itself and for no science fiction film can be complete without a strong and symbolic setting . the setting be vast and detailed and and this isn not just the city and which be a sight to behold in itself . the underground world of the stranger themselves be claustrophobic and atmospheric and and actually be the most alien in architecture and suggest a twisted and surrealistic world and yet one that be dependent on the world above them . the city above ground display a rich noir feel in which one feel that there be something sinister lurk underneath it surface . even the blending of the time period and see 30 architecture around 60 car drive by people in 50 suit be even a hint off that the city have be fabricate out of different era and past a one of the stranger even seem to suggest . dark city be a film rich in idea and concept and visual splendor and and atmosphere . it the kind of film that one seem to enjoy be lose in and despite the danger that lurk in it atmosphere . it a film that reassure it viewers that a strong understanding of oneself and stay true to yourself that one can conquer any world they be place in . and a i and robot approach and one can only hope that lightning can strike twice with proyas and his unique blend of visual grandeur and his depth will emerge and be embrace by a large audience and who might seek out this film .