The Dark (2005)
by John Fawcett
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Abigail Stone, Maria Bello, Maurice Roëves, Sean Bean, Sophie StuckeyDirector: John Fawcett
Brand: BEAN,SEAN
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Welsh (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-04-11
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of The Dark (2005)
Movie Review: Enter the domain of Dark
Summary: 5 Stars
I only accidentally stumbled upon this movie, but my interest quickly rose when I saw the excellent cover-art, which seems to be a bit different here in Scandinavia, portraying a girl rising from the dark sea, while a light shimmers brightly far away in the horizon, and the fact that you have two excellent actors in it, namely Sean Bean of "LOTR" and Maria Bello of "Secret Window" and "A History of Violence". I was not disappointed.
The film takes place at the coast of Wales, where Bello's separated English husband, Bean, now lives in some kind of art studio and his only neighbour, a Welsh jack-of-all-trades gentleman close by. Bello lives in America, with their daughter, but their relationship is strained, and they don't get along very well. They apparently decide to visit Bean to relieve the pressure, and from then the game is on. Interestingly enough, there seems to have been a sort of Celtic neo-religious "cult" in the exact same houses and area where they will now be staying, 50 years earlier. The sect ended in a disaster, when they all, but two, committed mass-suicide, to be able to leave this valley of tears. There appears to have been a blight in the area, that caused all the sheep to either go mad or to kill themselves as well, something the couple's young daughter gets a taste of the very first day they're there.
The tale then quickly evolves, ever deepening, and becoming ever more sinister. I won't say much more about the plot itself, as it would give away the movie. I quite enjoyed the fact that the film was very European thematically, and doesn't include any anti-European propaganda, as is the usual tactic from the dark minds of Hollywood. I'm embarrassed to say, but I really know close to zero about Celtic mythology, being (naturally) more interested in Germanic and North-European spirituality at this point in my studies, so I don't know how accurate they have made their portrayal of Celtic mythology, but it is still a very chilling and well made one, that I found great aesthetical enjoyment in. Of course, you could say that they should have made more out of it, with such rich material, and I would tend to agree, but I still found it to be a magnificent film.
It's always great to watch a horror film where they don't have to rely on cheap shocks, but give you more of the Lovecraftian build-up in suspense and a brooding horror you never quite grasp until it's too late. The end of the film was simply magnificent, both the places they show us, and the twist of fate. Absolutely a wonderful film, and one of my decidedly favourites in its genre.
Highly recommended!
Summary of The Dark (2005)
Set in Wales, an estranged couple tries to cope with the death of their young daughter Sarah when a child appears telling them Sarah is trapped in the underworld and they must rescue her.Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Release Date: 8-SEP-2006
Media Type: DVD
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