Dark City 4K 1998 Director's Cut

I really love metaphorical, ambiguous, profound films. One such film is Dark City. Of course, it is not without technical flaws and bugs, and the special effects from the last century sometimes remind you that this is just a film, but still... Still, I like to focus first on the meaning of the film, and then on everything else.

Have you ever thought that the world you live in is limited? Limited by the same city, the same faces, the same activities. Of course, there are many different images, but for some reason, the essence of everything is the same, and rarely does anything change fundamentally.

Have you ever thought that your life is a vicious circle, and that you are following a predetermined path and always end up in the same place?
Have you ever wondered why we remember so little from our past lives? It seems so simple — just remember something — but at the same time, it's so difficult... And when you try to remember something at random, vivid, extraordinary, important events that happened in your life come to mind. And something else appears... No, it's not memory, it's something completely different. Feelings. It's funny: we remember best what is associated with strong feelings and experiences.

But what about all the other memories? They are vague, faded, routine... And there are no feelings there. It turns out that for most of our lives, we don't live, we just exist on autopilot. How awful: many people live exactly as Alex Proyas grotesquely showed in his film. Robots existing in a dimly lit world, mindlessly grinding through everything that happens, only rarely enjoying their existence...

But it's true: it is precisely the enjoyment of life, the awareness of life, the permeation of every moment with Feeling that makes our existence LIFE.

Subconsciously, I kept waiting for Zamlya to appear in the film, that familiar round ball, familiar countries, cities, people. At first I was disappointed, but after watching it, I appreciated the genius of the director's idea. Man creates his own world. If his heart is dead, no thoughts can influence reality. But when feelings and love are awakened, man becomes a Wizard, a Creator... And that is wonderful.