The Crow (1994) is a powerful, dark, sad film, and a testament to grief, anger, revenge, and ultimately… LOVE. This is a film that impacted my life in so many ways. But first I have to start with the incredible graphic novel by the singular talent, James O’Barr.
The Graphic Novel
This is one of the finest graphic novels of all time. In terms of emotional teleportation, and depth of feeling, it ranks up (and over possibly) Watchmen. Because, while this is a great story, it is hard to connect on an EMOTIONAL level with it. I say this because if you read this novel and have experienced loss, you WILL be moved.
Sadly, I came to the graphic novel many, many years after seeing the movie. It was through this marriage of the Gothic, Amazing Music, and Grief that I discovered the power of James O’Barr’s masterpiece. If you have not read the graphic novel (and I do mean “graphic” as it does not shy away from violence), I encourage you to purchase the Special Edition copy. It is beautiful, melancholy, and filled with unforgettable imagery that will break your heart while also making you believe that LOVE can and will transcend our physical bodies.
The Talent Who Was Brandon Lee
The movie The Crow came to my attention because of one reason and one reason only Brandon Lee, son of the late Martial Arts Master Bruce Lee. I have studied different styles of Martial Arts over the years, and like many other practitioners, followed all the Martial Artists-turned actors. But there was something about Brandon Lee that I identified with more.
We were the exact same age; our body types were similar; long and lean. Brandon moved with a beautiful, athletic grace that was more wonderful to watch than his father. I watched all his movies, even the ones that were not so great.
But, I knew he was destined for greatness, and then came The Crow.
Alex Proyas and The Gothic Aesthetic
While not quite a horror film, The Crow is awash in the Gothic aesthetic that seeps from every pore and fiber of the frame. Detroit, MI, home of Devil’s Night where the criminal element sets fire to the city, is like a descent into Dante’s Inferno, as each reel of the movie brings us closer and closer to Hell for Eric Draven.
The constant, darkened, overcast skies, and relentless rain are right in line with the Gothic elements in the Hammer films of the 1950s and 1960s. The propulsive music soundtrack is filled with 90s Goth artists like The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, and others.
Director Alex Proyas infused his movie with the spirit of O’Barr’s novel, mirroring the darkness unfolding, but also the love shared between Eric Draven and his fiancée Shelley. In the Introduction to the Special Edition of The Crow, Artist/Creator James O’Barr discloses that he named his fated lovers after Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, and Eric from Phantom of the Opera. O’Barr wrote and drew the story out of his grief and rage about the love of his life being killed in a senseless act of violence.
Out of Sadness
But, through this Gothic tale of revenge and love, O’Barr was able to lift himself up from the depths of sadness and live again. And, by lifting himself up, he and Alex Proyas lifted the rest of us up when Brandon was taken away too soon.
For you, Brandon.