Night Watch
Director: Timur Bekmabetov
With: Konstantin Khabensky
Runtime: 114 min
As a film that has been raved about by the likes of Quentin Tarantino and managed to beat Return of the King at the box office in Russia last summer, Night Watch certainly has had a lot to live up to on its Western release, and let’s just say it didn’t disappoint.
The film is the first part of a trilogy depicting the constant struggle between the forces of good and evil. Set in Moscow, it revolves around the Night Watch and Day Watch, two undercover agencies battling to maintain the truce called between the two forces a thousand years before. Both of these factions are in constant fear of an ancient prophecy, saying a ‘Great One’ will come and make a choice between light and dark, obliterating the carefully constructed balance that that has been maintained for so long.
So far, so standard but although it may seem to fit the Hollywood conventions of a sci-fi flick, Bekmabetov takes Night Watch somewhere new and fresh. It isn’t just a gore fest of raging vampires but a psychological battle of manipulation between the two sides, who have by all accounts reached stale-mate a long time ago.
It provides all the entertainment you could want; people morphing into animals, gore of titanic proportions, beautifully choreographed vampire fights and a spectacular shot that follows a bolt falling from an aeroplane 30,000 feet up into a coffee mug in a first-floor kitchen. At certain points it is absolutely terrifying, with even the subtitles feeling unsettling as the screams of the victims fill up the screen and the words of the vampires drip blood-red: an extra dimension through which to portray the horror of unfolding events.
At times the CGI effects are a little too visible (doubtless the result of being produced on desktop computers as opposed to the hugely powerful industry standard), giving the film a video game feel. The narrative, although engaging is more than a little confusing, falling into chaos by the final third of the film and although it must be remembered that this is part of a trilogy there seems to be one too many loose ends by the time the credits roll. However, this film benefits a great deal from the underdog effect, competing with the big studios despite a shoestring budget and allowing us to forgive it many of its sins.
Not for the faint hearted, but if you want action, gore, horror and a confusing plot, Night Watch is the film for you. Heralded by Total Film as “this year’s Donnie Darko” it is a must-see for any serious cinema goer
Reviewed by Rose Baker
Loading ...
