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With: Brandon Lee, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Levine, David Patrick Kelly, Angel David, Laurence Mason, Michael Massee, Tony Todd, Jon Polito, Bill Raymond, Marco Rodríguez
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Written by: David J. Schow, John Shirley, based on comics by James O'Barr
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Directed by: Alex Proyas
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MPAA Rating: R for a great amount of strong violence and language, and for drug use and some sexuality
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Running Time: 102
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Date: 05/11/1994
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It Can't Rain All the Time
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Based on the comics by James O'Barr — who apparently created them to deal with the untimely death of his fiancée — The Crow has a surprisingly thin story. Rock musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his girlfriend Shelly (Sofia Shinas) are brutally murdered on Devil's Night (October 30). A year later, Eric is brought back to life by a crow. The crow shows Eric to a spiffy black outfit with a long, flowing coat. (Eric decorates his face with spooky clown makeup for no particular reason.) Then the crow helps Eric avenge himself and kill all the people responsible for his and his girlfriend's deaths. It starts with the lowest henchman, and ends with the Big Boss. Couldn't be simpler. But what makes The Crow work so well is its sheer intensity. It pulses with gothic energy, inky black nights and driving rain, long black hair and long black coats. The soundtrack thrums with brooding music by The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Helmet, and Rage Against the Machine. Despite the by-the-numbers pot, the movie makes an emotional impact. It was the debut of director Alex Proyas (Dark City), a maker of music videos and TV commercials, who brings a runaway visual style that fits. The film is forever entwined with the accidental death of Lee, who was shot with a prop gun during filming. (The footage was reportedly destroyed.) As a result, the film was slightly re-written and completed with stunt doubles and digital FX. Several sequels followed and a reboot will be released in 2024.
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