Spoiler Warning: The following content discusses in-depth details about the storyline of “The Crow,” now showing in cinemas.
Rupert Sanders, the movie’s director, is all too aware that his third film, “The Crow,” will have to contend with the nostalgia associated with the 1994 fan favorite.
“Creating something new was my main objective,” he shares. “I was conscious of the fact that not everyone might welcome a remake. However, the original film is still intact — it wasn’t overwritten on anyone’s VHS. Fans of the first movie can still enjoy it the same way they always have.”
Sanders, however, is excited about his fresh take on the protagonist. In his version, Eric (played by Bill Skarsgård) and his fiancée Shelly (portrayed by FKA Twigs) are killed by mafia boss Vincent Roeg (Danny Huston). However, Eric is given a unique opportunity to return to earth as the powerful and haunting vigilante The Crow and avenge his and Shelly’s deaths by annihilating Roeg’s entire crime syndicate.
For the reimagination of the 1989 comic book, Sanders drew inspiration from various sources.
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“I’m particularly fond of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ and ‘Angel Heart.’ Both films present visually stunning narratives that delve into the human psyche’s understanding of realms that exist beyond our own. I’m captivated by the idea of a hauntingly romantic love story, much like a Cure song steeped in melancholic beauty. It’s a story of love, loss, and mourning. I wanted to convey the same emotions to the audience through this film. .. Our aim is to create a movie that resonates with audiences in this genre on an emotional level.”
Sanders emphasizes the need for achieving parity by crafting an awe-inspiring romance that matches the magnitude of the action sequences and ensuring that the fights aren’t merely an impressive visual treat.
“The main challenge is to ensure the protagonist is not only physically involved in the action scenes but also emotionally invested in them,” he explains. “Bill has done a commendable job, especially in the final scenes of the movie. He is drenched in blood, panting from exhaustion, yet when he takes a moment to rest, you can see the tears welling up in his eyes. He doesn’t relish the act of killing. Each action scene is almost infused with dialogue, except the dialogue is expressed through carefully curated movements. In a way, he could have been delivering lines in all those scenes. Nevertheless, the first action sequence portrays him as someone unfamiliar with causing harm, reluctant to hurt anyone. However, he is forced to execute 20 people and is left shattered by the carnage.
“There’s a certain weariness about seeing bodies being flung around and exploding in a repetitive sequence,” he adds. “This is where our film can outshine those more massive films. I hope audiences emotionally connect with the characters, thereby making the action sequences more impactful. We haven’t done something revolutionary — with the budget at our disposal, blowing up the White House wasn’t an option. We focused on being inventive and having a terrific actor.”
Adam Horton, the movie’s stunt coordinator, concurs about the importance of embedding heart and emotion in action scenes.
“We took a different route during our initial meeting,” Horton recalls. “We soon realized, ‘Hold on. This guy is just an ordinary person who, after transitioning from Eric, has just come back from the dead. He hasn’t attended any martial arts classes. He has returned in a wrathful state. So, we decided to take a more relatable and grounded approach, thanks to Rupert’s creative direction and Bill’s valuable input. We haven’t turned him into a martial arts expert overnight just because he’s become The Crow. He is still the same person. He still feels pain. We want that pain to be felt and his journey to resonate emotionally with audiences. What would an untrained person do if they were given a sword? We crafted the action sequences with a brawling style.”
Portraying a character who is not adept at combat is an unusual requirement in most action films. Thus, Horton found inspiration in an unlikely source: the 2004 romantic comedy “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.”
“I’m not sure if many are aware, but there’s an exquisite fight sequence in ‘Bridget Jones’ where the two lead characters indulge in a scruffy street fight that ends in a fountain,” he points out
Credit: variety.com
