In 1994, Alex Proyas (I, Robot) brought James O’Barr’s
The Crow
comic to life with the help of writers David J. Schow (The Hunger) and John Shirley (The Specialist). Brandon Lee, a promising young actor and son of Bruce Lee, would portray the lead with Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) and Michael Wincott (Nope) in supporting roles. The result is the premier cult classic of the 90s. The Crow easily overcomes its camp and inconsistent CGI by simply being itself. The creatives are working with extreme confidence, and it shows in every frame.
When Sergeant Albrecht (Hudson) arrives at the scene of a grisly murder, it’s clear the victim, Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas), has a chance to survive. It’s the night before her wedding and, sadly, her groom-to-be Eric Draven (Lee) is killed in the incident. A year later, Eric crawls out of his grave reincarnated with the power to heal from any wound. With a mystic crow following him on his quest for those who took away his beloved, he sets off into the night.
Across town, underground kingpin Top Dollar (Wincott) gets word of a man with white face paint killing off his men one by one. When Eric realizes it was Top’s men who attacked him and Shelly, he burns through the middlemen and finds himself face-to-face with the author of his misery.
The Crow Is A Masterclass In Setting & Worldbuilding
The production design in The Crow is far from perfect but it is a testament to choosing a style and sticking to it. Almost every scene takes place at night, where it’s easier to hide bad CGI and patchwork sets. It works as a contrast with Eric’s white face paint and all-black ensemble. When color is introduced, it jumps off the screen. The opening features a room with red light and every time we cut back to that set, it reorients the senses from the otherwise dark film.
The Crow easily overcomes its camp and inconsistent CGI by simply being itself.
Even today, most films aren’t creative or brave enough to combine real streets and sets to make the idea of running across rooftops seem almost simple. As Lee flies through the night, the set not only looks great, but it evokes a strong sense of place. Though the film takes place in Detroit, it feels like a layer of hell carved out just for this story.
Brandon Lee Will Forever Be An Icon Thanks To The Crow
The tragic end to Brandon Lee’s life shouldn’t overshadow the brilliant work he delivered. An unproven star with a famous father, it’s hard to tell if that was working for or against him in the grand scheme of things, but once The Crow was released there was no doubt. Lee not only had talent but had a gear we still haven’t seen in Hollywood since. His physicality is unique, but what stands out is his line delivery. Whatever he and Proyas cooked up worked like a charm.
Everything that comes out of his mouth has the effervescence of someone who knows exactly what the actor opposite him is going to say. It’s not in a stiff manner that implies he is just going through the motions of the script, though, but more like an erratic god preaching the gospel of death. The performance is just that, a performance, and when Lee is front and center the film can do no wrong.
While Lee changed the trajectory of what a lead can be, The Crow pioneered a style that has been copied a thousand times over. A literal example would be 2005’s Sin City, which feels like a digital recreation of the same world, though it should be noted the source material for both was written simultaneously. However, the combination of horror and action with a punk/goth infusion can be seen in 2015’s Green Room. And while it certainly did not invent the action-revenge film, it’s a cultural touchstone for multiple generations of the genre.
The film is undoubtedly cheesy, and the best decision the 2024 remake made was to get rid of the child character — the lone weak point in the original. Save for Wincott, every villain is overreacting and it works. Even the action has its drawbacks. Some of Lee’s hand-to-hand combat is scintillating, while a scene where he catches and throws a knife back at a goon looks completely unbelievable. At least most of the explosions were real.
A byproduct of The Crow‘s filmmaking style is perhaps illustrated best by its violence. The bad guys commit a very particular crime, but what they represent is evil itself. Racism and sexism exist in this world, but with the stakes being life or death on any given day, it’s clear the material is tackling something far broader. Wincott’s character is just a conduit for the grotesque city and what it has been driven to. “Greed is for amateurs. Disorder, chaos, anarchy. Now that’s fun,” is a line that’s eerily similar to another iconic psycho in white face paint.
The Crow has only grown its audience in the years since its release and, hopefully, that will continue to be the case for film and horror fans going forward. Lee is turning in an all-time performance that would overshadow a lesser cast. But the gaggle of villains he demolishes are carrying their weight, and it’s felt in the scenes they’re in as well as the overall worldbuilding. Thirty years later, The Crow has truly stood the test of time.