http://www.metromagazine.com.au | © ATOM | Metro Magazine 195• 456HZHOO KDG WR SLHFH WRJHWKHU KLV oLGHQWLW\p IURP VFUDWFK t
no classical British acting techniques could have prepared
him for the challenge of building up his character on
his own. In a masterful stroke of directorial intervention,
3UR\DV GHOLEHUDWHO\ KLG HOHPHQWV RI -RKQpV EDFNVWRU\ IURP
the actor, to make the character’s discoveries about his
SDVW DOO WKH PRUH KHDUWUHQGLQJ -RKQ ZH TXLFNO\ UHDOLVH
is awash with confusion – racked with suspicion, fear and
guilt as a result of the demons that may be hiding within
KLP +HpV ZDU\ RI ORYH 2QO\ ĻDVKHV RI DQ LG\OOLF EHDFK YDFD
WLRQ LQ WKH FRPSDQ\ RI KLV ZLIH (PPD -HQQLIHU &RQQHOO\
suggest the possibility of rebirth. The two leads’ dynamic
LV RQO\ LQWHQVLĺHG E\ 3UR\DVp PHWKRGV WKH GLUHFWRU SXU
posefully giving Connelly the backstory of the couple’s
UHODWLRQVKLS WKDW 6HZHOO ZDV GHQLHG $V -RKQ DQG (PPD
trawl through the details of the murder conspiracy and
their marital history, the seeming impossibility that they’ll
ever rekindle their love imbues#@QJ "HSXwith an emotional
FRUH D URPDQWLF OD\HU EHQHDWK WKH GDUN VFLHQFH ĺFWLRQ
$V WKH ĺOPpV VHULHV RI QLJKWV JUDGXDOO\ PDNH ZD\ IRU WKH
GD\OLJKW RI WKH ĺQDO VHTXHQFHV ZH OHDUQ PRUH DERXW -RKQ
DQG (PPDpV UHODWLRQVKLS 6XVSHFWLQJ -RKQ RI EHLQJ WKH VH
ULDO NLOOHU %XPVWHDG SURGV (PPD WR GLYXOJH PRUH RI ZKDW
she knows about her husband, dissecting their marriage to
DVFHUWDLQ ZKHWKHU RU QRW -RKQ LV FULPLQDOO\ FXOSDEOH 7KHVH
scenes, informed by Connelly’s background knowledge,
are compelling – the cut and thrust of the detective’s prob
LQJ DQG WKH VORZ JXDUGHG UHYHDO RI -RKQpV LGHQWLW\ WKURXJK
the lens of his wife further uncover the pain of what drove
the couple apart.
%XW -RKQpV H[LVWHQWLDO MRXUQH\ t KLV TXHVW WR SLHFH WRJHWK
er the shards of his broken life – is hindered further by the
SUHVHQFH RI HHULH ĺJXUHV VWUDQJOLQJ WKH FLW\ ZLWK D VXSHU
natural grip. With pallid skin and sunken eyes, bald heads,
black trench coats and hats,#@QJ "HSX’s chilling, other
ZRUOGO\ o6WUDQJHUVp DUH QRLU YLOODLQV E\ ZD\ RI ): 0XUQDXpV
-NREDQ@ST(1922): creatures of the night, dwelling in a subter
UDQHDQ ODLU UHGROHQW RI *HUPDQ H[SUHVVLRQLVP GUDZQ WR WKH
complexities of humanity though bereft of a human soul. On
the stroke of midnight, they transform the cityscape using
their telekinetic ability to ‘tune’, bending time and struc
tures, and implanting new memories and identities among
WKH SRSXODFH (DFK 6WUDQJHU KDV D FDOO VLJQ t 0U +DQG
5LFKDUG 2p%ULHQ 0U %RRN ,DQ 5LFKDUGVRQ 0U :DOO %UXFH
6SHQFH D TXLUN\ WZLVW UHPLQLVFHQW RI1DRDQUNHQ #NFR
4XHQWLQ 7DUDQWLQR t DQG WKHLU PLVVLRQ LV WR XQGHU
stand our species. Is it our memories, our cars, our houses
and worldly possessions that shape us? What would we
mere mortals be without our perceptions shaping our exist
ences, when all of those are stripped away?
7KH ĺQDO SLHFH RI#@QJ "HSX’s affecting ensemble is the
WRUWXUHG PDQ XQGHU WKH 6WUDQJHUVp GDQJHURXV WKUDOO ZKR
QHYHUWKHOHVV KHOSV -RKQ XQORFN WKH P\VWHULHV RI WKH FLW\ DQG
UHJDLQ KLV OLIH 3UR\DV EULQJV XS D QRZDGD\V OLWWOHNQRZQ DX
WRELRJUDSKLFDO DFFRXQW RULJLQDOO\ ZULWWHQ LQ ,DLNHQR
NE ,X -DQUNTR (KKMDRRE\ 'DQLHO 3DXO 6FKUHEHU o, UHPHPEHU
reading that at the time, and being inspired by this bizarre,
DFWXDOO\ LQVDQH PLQGp KH UHFDOOV o6FKUHEHU ZDV D YHU\
IDPRXV SV\FKRDQDO\WLFDO FDVH LQ *HUPDQ\ WKH VXIIHUHU RI
this psychosis.’^2 ,W ZDV WKLV KLVWRULFDO ĺJXUH ZKR SURYLGHG
WKH EDVLV IRU WKH ĺOPpV QHEELVK 'U 6FKUHEHU 7KH UROH ZDV
SOD\HG E\ .LHIHU 6XWKHUODQG oZKR YHU\ PXFK ZDQWHG WR HP
EUDFH D FKDUDFWHUDFWRU DSSURDFK DQG GLVWDQFH KLPVHOI IURP
WKH OHDGLQJPDQ RU PRYLHVWDU SKDVH RI KLV FDUHHUp UHFRXQWV
3UR\DV DGGLQJ WKDW WKH\ KDG oVSRNH>Q@ DERXW 3HWHU /RUUH LQ
3GD ,@KSDRD %@KBNM>-RKQ +XVWRQ @p DV D UHIHUHQFH
#@QJ "HSXexcites, tantalises and perplexes in equal
measure. Peel back the surreal imagery and gallery of weird
FKDUDFWHUV DQG WKH ĺOP VWULNHV D VXUSULVLQJO\ UHVRQDQW HPR
tional chord. In continually reshaping the city and interfer
LQJ LQ LWV LQKDELWDQWVp OLYHV WKH 6WUDQJHUV UHPDLQ WUDJLFDOO\
doomed to never comprehend the soul or learn about our
FRPPRQ QDWXUH $QG PXFK OLNH ZH DUH -RKQ LV VFUDWFKLQJ
through the shadows to uncover who he is. Ultimately,#@QJ
"HSXoperates outside traditional genre conventions – and
WKDWpV HQWLUHO\ LQWHQWLRQDO 3UR\DV DGPLWV KH LVQpW RQH WR HP
EUDFH WKH VXSHUĺFLDO WKLPEOHGHHS +ROO\ZRRG PDFKLQH
That’s what makes#@QJ "HSXspecial: its path to the big
screen was as twisted and bizarre as the work is itself, the
ĺOP OHDYLQJ XV ZLWK PRUH TXHVWLRQV WKDQ DQVZHUV UHJDUGLQJ
what makes us human. To discover more, we dip back into
the darkness, searching for answers to bring to light.)NGM "@S@MH@ HR @ EQDDK@MBD kKL BQHSHB @MC VQHSDQ VGNRD VNQJ
has appeared inEmpire,Scene,The Sunday Mailand numer-
ous online publications. His previous work forMetroincludes
an examination of the Western appropriation of Asian martial
arts cinema as well as a feature on cultural image and iden-
SHSXŭHMR@MCR TRSQ@KH@MBHMDL@
mEndnotes(^1) 6HH 5REHUW : :HONRV o%UXFH /HHpV 6RQ %UDQGRQ .LOOHG LQ
Movie Accident’,Los Angeles Times $SULO http://
DUWLFOHVODWLPHVFRP QHZVPQBBDFWRU
-brandon-lee! DFFHVVHG 1RYHPEHU
(^2) 7RGD\WKLVZRXOGEHNQRZQDVSDUDQRLGVFKL]RSKUHQLD
Previous spread:Dark CityS OTHERWORLDLY @3TRANGERSThis spread, L–R:%MMA ENNIFER #ONNELLY WITH DETECTIVE
&RANK"UMSTEAD7ILLIAM(URT %MMASHUSBAND OHN2UFUS3EWELL &RANK$R3CHREBER+IEFER3UTHERLAND %MMA