DarkmanWhat is the greater monstrosity: unbridled greed or revenge? Darkman is the story of Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson), a sharp, young scientist who is attempting to perfect a synthetic skin, likely for use with severe burn victims. His girlfriend, Julie (Frances McDormand), is an attorney investigating a massive urban redevelopment project headed by real estate mogul, Louis Strack, Jr (Colin Friels). When Julie discovers incriminating evidence about illegal payoffs, ultra-violent gangster Robert G. Durant (Larry Drake) savages Peyton's lab to locate it, and like everyone else, he believes that Peyton perished in the subsequent explosion. Peyton survives in body, but is severely scarred, and filled with the spirit of vengeance against those who ruined his life.
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Darkman is superficially a "superhero movie"; "Darkman" (Peyton) is a kind of vigilante, delivering his brand of justice against the most depraved and vicious criminals in the city, who just so happen to be the same ones who shattered his life and left him a devastated wreck. By that definition, he shares much in common with heroes like Batman, although Peyton is a far darker kind of antihero, who is not above torturing and killing these gangsters, since legal and moral methods of retribution have apparently failed. Peyton also wears a mask, which not only conceals his identity, but in an inversion of the superhero trope. Peyton's mask actually allows him to adopt the identity of his targets in Durant's syndicate. Like a doppelganger, he poses as members of Durant's gang to sow internal strife and fabricate events like an armed robbery to put Durant (at least temporarily) behind bars. Peyton operates best in the shadows and the dark--not unlike Batman, his most obvious inspiration--since his artificial skin and disguise suffers from a fatal flaw: it can only be exposed to direct light for up to ninety-nine minutes, at which point it breaks down and dissolves entirely. These two different elements combine to make Peyton's private war on Durant one which is executed through guerrilla skirmishes of deception, where his scientific smarts are a crucial ingredient in his success. Although "shapeshifting" and "smarts" are defining characteristics of many "superheroes", after the devastating explosion which left most of his body horribly burned, he also found himself subjected to an experimental treatment for burn victims, one where the goal was to eliminate the physical pain from the resulting burns by directly severing the nerves of the spinothalamic tract. But this "therapy" had the shocking side effects of causing mental instability, pronounced strength, and fits of rage. (And someone approved this?) The irony here is that while both processes are intended to aid those suffering from the wounds inflicted on Peyton, it is clear that the latter procedure came with the proverbial "devil's due" of corrupting his soul by depriving him the ability to control his emotions. Peyton is not a bad man--in fact, he's rather amiable prior to the attack--but his mind is completely unprepared for the heightened level of rage which assails him. This internal fire deprives him of agency, leading to moments where his perception is utterly warped and he lashes out in extreme ways, essentially making him into the monster he appears to be. These moments of crippling rage are depicted through exaggerated cinematography, with rapid zooms and close ups, sometimes coupled with unnerving backgrounds manipulated by greenscreen, giving them an even more unsettling appearance.
The parallels between Darkman and the "Caped Crusader" do not end with their brand of vigilantism and penchant for the shadows. Darkman was devised by director Sam Raimi in response to his inability to secure the rights to make a movie from the "Batman" comics; a year prior to the release of Darkman, Tim Burton beat him to the punch. Both Darkman and Batman (1989) share the same kind of backdrop--a cesspool of crime and greed, where underworld gangsters combine elements of modern organized crime with a dash of old-world mob goon aesthetics. For example, Durant is a sadistic enforcer, who viciously wields a cigar cutter to dismember his victims' fingers. Both films have a musical score by Danny Elfman, and a heightened color palette, similar to another vintage comic book adaptation, Dick Tracy. Years later, Sam Raimi would return to the realm of superhero cinema with the Spider-Man trilogy, and both Darkman and Spider-Man also share stylistic similarities. Both films deal with men who are unwittingly affected by instances of science run amok, leaving them floundering to learn how to control their newfound powers. (Both films also feature the namesakes literally dangling from ropes (or webbing), as they collide like ragdolls with buildings and other elements in the city.) Raimi has said that Darkman was also inspired by the classic monster movies released decades prior by Universal Studios, who also released this film. Peyton is inspired by the likes of The Phantom of the Opera or even The Hunchback of Notre Dame; he seeks to live a normal life with his beloved Julie again, but is forced to cling to the shadows and avoid her for fear of hurting her or being judged by her. The multitude of bandages which Peyton wears to conceal his scars also recalls The Invisible Man; this is ironic, in that Peyton's own personality is diminishing rapidly as he is gradually overtaken by his desire for revenge, the gentle scientist vanishing little by little. And while not a Universal Studios release, Peyton's synthetic skin and his struggles to maintain its stability--not to mention its identity-warping qualities--recalls the classic horror film, Eyes Without a Face. Watching Darkman today is more interesting in that Peyton's computers and holograms manage to effectively "3D print" the synthetic skin replicas he needs. Nowadays, 3D printing and augmented reality--like his projector--are quickly becoming the reality, and probably doesn't have a ninety-nine minute time limit in bright lights, either. Perhaps in this, Darkman proved to be a prescient inspiration for other scientists like Peyton years later; hopefully they don't run afoul of crooks like Durant.
Recommended for: Fans of a "superhero" action movie riding the wave of gritty, "gothic" antiheroes following the success of Tim Burton's Batman. Unlike many of its contemporaries, however, Darkman features a psychologically unstable--yet sympathetic--protagonist, who struggles to cope with his life being ripped away from him and how to exact his vengeance while safeguarding what little remains in the world that he still loves.
The parallels between Darkman and the "Caped Crusader" do not end with their brand of vigilantism and penchant for the shadows. Darkman was devised by director Sam Raimi in response to his inability to secure the rights to make a movie from the "Batman" comics; a year prior to the release of Darkman, Tim Burton beat him to the punch. Both Darkman and Batman (1989) share the same kind of backdrop--a cesspool of crime and greed, where underworld gangsters combine elements of modern organized crime with a dash of old-world mob goon aesthetics. For example, Durant is a sadistic enforcer, who viciously wields a cigar cutter to dismember his victims' fingers. Both films have a musical score by Danny Elfman, and a heightened color palette, similar to another vintage comic book adaptation, Dick Tracy. Years later, Sam Raimi would return to the realm of superhero cinema with the Spider-Man trilogy, and both Darkman and Spider-Man also share stylistic similarities. Both films deal with men who are unwittingly affected by instances of science run amok, leaving them floundering to learn how to control their newfound powers. (Both films also feature the namesakes literally dangling from ropes (or webbing), as they collide like ragdolls with buildings and other elements in the city.) Raimi has said that Darkman was also inspired by the classic monster movies released decades prior by Universal Studios, who also released this film. Peyton is inspired by the likes of The Phantom of the Opera or even The Hunchback of Notre Dame; he seeks to live a normal life with his beloved Julie again, but is forced to cling to the shadows and avoid her for fear of hurting her or being judged by her. The multitude of bandages which Peyton wears to conceal his scars also recalls The Invisible Man; this is ironic, in that Peyton's own personality is diminishing rapidly as he is gradually overtaken by his desire for revenge, the gentle scientist vanishing little by little. And while not a Universal Studios release, Peyton's synthetic skin and his struggles to maintain its stability--not to mention its identity-warping qualities--recalls the classic horror film, Eyes Without a Face. Watching Darkman today is more interesting in that Peyton's computers and holograms manage to effectively "3D print" the synthetic skin replicas he needs. Nowadays, 3D printing and augmented reality--like his projector--are quickly becoming the reality, and probably doesn't have a ninety-nine minute time limit in bright lights, either. Perhaps in this, Darkman proved to be a prescient inspiration for other scientists like Peyton years later; hopefully they don't run afoul of crooks like Durant.
Recommended for: Fans of a "superhero" action movie riding the wave of gritty, "gothic" antiheroes following the success of Tim Burton's Batman. Unlike many of its contemporaries, however, Darkman features a psychologically unstable--yet sympathetic--protagonist, who struggles to cope with his life being ripped away from him and how to exact his vengeance while safeguarding what little remains in the world that he still loves.