john murdoch ( rufus sewell ) wake up in an eerie hotel and naked and in the bathtub and with no memory and blood on his forehead . ( i couldn not imagine a more strange and frightening experience . ) the ring of the hotel phone break the silence a strange man on the other end tell him he must leave because there be people look for him . many event such a this one unfold in dark city and where man have no past . and humanity have no future . dark city have be pass over by so many critic it depress . i think that it should at least have be up for original screenplay or something at the oscar to reward alex proyas for his fantastic vision . i fail to see why so many people label this movie noir like it bad or something . be dark and twisted be not a crime and and despite some other people comment and this movie be not just for the trenchcoat wearing mass ( or if it be and maybe the rest of you can learn something from goth ) . if you like sci fi and dark plot and have reality be so well distort that you do not realize it be and so you will love dark city . ( people who have see the matrix before this movie must see it and it be very similar in these three respect ) . i give it a positive only because i think the end fight scene be a bit weak . great for a fight scene and but because the rest of the movie focus on john murdoch quest to discover his past and the eerie and ominous happening in the city and the climax seem hastily throw together and a if the crew all of a sudden remembered they have a deadline to meet and could no longer continue the plot in the previous fashion . the visuals in this movie be absolutely stun . the effect be not use to substitute for the plot and like other movie such a starship trooper and lose in space and alien represent resurrection . they be use only a need and be breathtaking . the editing be not as choppy a be rumor and it only lend to the power of the movie . there be some heart stop image in dark city . watch for the stranger clock and view of the city and john memory . proyas take idea and ambience from many other movie but integrate them all neatly into dark city . gotham city be clearly see a be metropolis and other influence such a ed hopper nighthawk dominate in the diner scene . the forty ish era ( yet strangely futuristic ) city be know to be populate and and yet it be ominously empty ( hence one of hopper main theme and isolation in large city ) . ( it especially quiet at midnight and hehehehe . while d ) this 40 era ambience together with the sci fi fantasy undercurrent make for a very interesting feeling while watch . i be happy that kiefer sutherland and richard obrien ( of rocky horror fame ) and william hurt agree to do this movie and it give dark city just that much more validation in the usa ( i wish thing weren not like this and but they be ) . kiefer sutherland be absolutely wonderful and convincing a the doctor or scientist dr. schreber and and rufus sewell be a properly confuse yet determine john murdoch . many critic say that william hurt character and the detective and and jennifer connelly emma murdoch could have use a little more development and but i think part of the point of dark city be that you do not really know who people be ( not to mention yourself ) . richard obrien and his character whole race creep me out every time i see the movie and but he especially frighten and a strange character . i have to resist the urge to talk like a stranger after see the movie a few time . trevor jones and one of my favorite movie composer and do the score for dark city and and i must say it very apropo . the deep and bass vocal and frantic theme be some of my favorite aspect and but memory of shell beach be a haunting and beautiful song as well . some of my other favorite score by him be the dark crystal and last of the mohican . altogether and i think alex proyas have a stroke of genius in the making of this movie . one of the most original dark sci fi movie i have see in a long time . it deserve it place with the matrix and 12 monkey and others and pioneer in a field so change ( usually for the worse ) since star war and since early sci fi classic . i hope these would not be the last of a ( dare i say it . ) die race of movie that have true creativity and originality .