filmbore pick of the week - Night Watch

Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)

 

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Screenplay: Timur Bekmambetov, Laeta Kalogridis

Starring: Konstantin Khabenskiy, Mariya Poroshina, Vladimir Menshov, Viktor Verzhbitskiy, Dimitriy Martinov

Language: Russian

Year: 2004

UK rental release: April 2006

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Something of the fantastical this week. And if I'm delving into the world of the strange and wonderful, then I must be true to my filmbore roots and choose a picture a little under the radar, a little under the usual budget, a little over the top and a little bit unfazed by subtitles. Some of you will know of Timur Bekmambetov for such films as Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Before his foray in Hollywood, he made his name with Night Watch, adapted from the first novel in a trilogy, The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko.

As far back as can be retold, there have always been humans who are a bit...different. Known as 'Others', they have abilities and awareness far beyond that of normal men. Yet, with any form of life, you will find opposites. Some 'Others' represent the Light, some stand in the Dark. As long as they have existed, so has their feud.

On a day of horrendous war, many Others fell so a truce was met. Geser (Vladimir Menshov, Möbius, Generation P) leader of the Light met with Zavulon (Viktor Verzhibitskiy, 12, Admiral), lord of the Dark and, with some simple rules, created an equilibrium for peace. Members of the Light would watch over the Dark during night time, to be named Night Watch; members of the Dark would watch over the Light during the day named as Day Watch. And so, this balance would stay for hundreds of years...

   

Moscow 1992, and Anton (Konstantin Khavenskiy, Wanted, The State Councillor) is visiting a medium for a special request. His wife has left him for another man and he's looking for any way of getting her back. Trusting in the powers of the paranormal may be one approach. He agrees to partake in the woman's spell in order to win back the heart of this loved one. However, there are darker forces afoot. The impact of the conjuring, not just for his woman's return but to murder her unborn child, awakens unknown senses buried deep within him. Life has changed forever for Anton.

Twelve years later, and Anton is now initiated officially into the Others. As a soldier of the Light he must do his part in the Night Watch, keeping a sharp eye on the Dark Others, ensuring that they do not stray and oppose the eternal truce between their factions. He has visions, which is a powerful ability for one of his kind to have. One day he gets a call to monitor a young boy, Yegor (newcomer Dimitriy Martinov) who is under the influence of a vampiric Dark soldier. Using his talent he will be able to locate the lad and save him from his fate.

He finds him on an underground train, but is confronted by someone he doesn't expect, Svetlana, (Mariya Poroshina). His encounter with her affects him, as he's swarmed by violent, catastrophic images of what seems like a thunderous apocalypse. Disturbing as this is, he must make chase and help Yegor before it's too late.

Anton starts to delve deeper into the meaning behind the portent in his mind and, as he understands more about Yegor's part in all of this, he'll begin to uncover a prophecy that may make maintaining peace a little tricky.
 

Firstly, even though you are reading my review which is, of course, a matter of opinion, I beg you not to listen to too many opinions of others on this movie. On it's release, there was some promotion in film magazines as a breakout film from Russia on a tight budget of $4.2million. Many of whom may be uninitiated in the colourful methods of film making in countries outside of the Hollywood machine watched the picture, but derided it as confusion and too unusual. I implore you to ignore these views, as this film is a rare gem.

So, going in with an open mind and what are you to expect. The best way to summarise this piece is that it's an epic story expressed through a microcosm. You can sense the breadth of legend in the tale, even though draped in the modern surroundings of urban Moscow; isolated but powerful.

Bekmambetov understands how to portray this unconventional story, with a comprehension of how these two worlds collide. However, underlying this irregular is actually quite a conventional plot, one of prophecy and opposing forces, as explored in movies for decades. Yet, you pick up on the attention to detail in its look, colour and surroundings, almost neo-punk at times, and how these aesthetics influence this standard premise which, when infused by the originality scattered amongst the scenes, makes for a fresh experience for a movie go-er.

Deconstructing the ingredients to this appetising filmic treat reveals more than just a fantasy well told. How Timur has engineered this production is brave indeed, as a lot of the innards, like the abilities, the spells, the weapons, could make this picture farcical. In fact, at a superficial level it's easy to mistake Night Watch as ludicrous, hence why some may have scoffed at this on its initial release. Yet, pay attention and you'll see why this is unfair on two key accounts. 

Firstly, and on the main part, is the drama. The performances are assured across the board; from the leads all the way down to the small supporting roles, each actor executes their part with precision and care. Each is enjoyable and likeable for their very own reasons, especially main star Konstantin Khabenskiy as Anton, who pins the whole picture together. They all handle the source material with respect throughout, granting the film with a gravitas that may have been lost if left to weaker hands.

The other element is humour. There are some shades of comedy, but only at a minimal level. At brief points, the characters get to be a little extreme for our amusement. This is due, paradoxically to the above statement, to the film not taking itself too seriously at times, helping to balance off some of the darker elements of the tale, and mirroring the opposing factions driving the overall plot.

But these thematic delights are sometimes lost in translation. Speaking of which, if you watch the right version of Night Watch you'll be pleasantly greeted by some of the smartest subtitles you will ever see. Stick the Theatrical Version into your DVD player and you'll see what I mean. At points throughout the movie, the translations are placed nearer the actors' faces, so you can easily absorb their performances while reading the text in your peripheral. It's a genius approach, that is now used by many other filmmakers, engulfing you deeper into the story and thrills, without the distraction of slightly lowering your eyes to the bottom of the screen every few seconds. If you are a seasoned foreign language viewer like myself, this isn't such a problem, as extensive watching of world cinema makes this process second nature. But, no matter whether watching subtitled movies feels like a chore or not, this technique can be appreciated by all. 

Especially when it's taken a little further, when subtle effects help to emphasise the text, incorporating them into the tale even more. For example, when Yegor is swimming and gets a nose bleed: the claret drifts through the water like smoke, forming the words of the translations, then swiftly wipes away like unwanted steam.

Gentle as these effects are, there's a whole range of visual fireworks at play. Some of the stand out moments for the CGI comes in the form of one of Night Watch's trump cards...the gloom. This is a parallel dimension in which some of the Others are able to pass through in order to enter other rooms, or see deeper into realms to unravel hidden mysteries. Once you enter this supernatural domain, you're greeted with a plethora of mosquitoes, seemingly feeding on veins that fill the air around you. Physics change, as cause and effect take different meaning here. The subtle changes to the lighting and surroundings, accompanied with some dizzying filming techniques mildly create an alternate world without abruptly forcing it on screen, which is a nice touch.

Actually, all of the effects are excellent, when considering the modest budget. Over $4million isn't obviously a pittance, but in the movie industry it's still minute. And when you consider the level of production in this piece, the obscure plot to manipulate and the ensemble of characters to portray, it's mind boggling what Timur Bekmambetov has achieved with this.

Night Watch has received mixed reviews over the years. This is such a shame, as this will have marred the premature opinions of many and prevented even more from even entertaining the idea of watching it. Yet, I feel that this is purely a very misunderstood film, and carries an air of potential cult status about it. It's totally unique, fantastically brave, gripping, unusual and exciting. It's very difficult to think of any other picture like it and, with all of this achieved on such a small budget, that's why it's a travesty that it is ignored. If you are a fan of the bizarre, a craver of the original, a yearner for the eccentric you must see this film. And if you are not one of these people...well, you should watch it anyway! Challenge yourself! 


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