Post by Melissa Kane on May 7, 2007 17:44:10 GMT
Another of my eagerly awaited movies of the summer (okay technically this one bleeds into autumn - no pun intended!) is the second of the trilogy begun with the Russian sci-fi/horror movie Night Watch, which I loved! Its due on the 5th October, 2007. Woohoo! (Please bear with me 'cause I might have some events in the wrong order for this one).
For those uninitiated, or put off by the fact that the film is in Russian with animated English subtitles, Night Watch ("Nochnoy Dozor" in its native Russian) begins in a small suburb where a young man, Anton, is visiting an old lady. Nothing wrong in that, you might think. But this old lady is not what she appears, and Anton is not the innocent he appears, either. The woman is a witch, and Anton has approached her to get her to win back his ex-girlfriend - by causing her to miscarry the child she is pregnant with by her new boyfriend, he believes. However, halfway through the incantation the woman reveals that the child is actually his own and Anton tries to renege....only for something very strange to occur. People appear, literally from nowhere, and attack the old lady. They pin her to the ground and prevent her from clapping her hands (this would complete the spell and kill the child). Anton, in shock, tries crawling away, muttering to himself and asking who these people are. The new arrivals seem surprised that he can see them at all. This is the first terrifying step of Anton's into the world of good versus evil.
Millenia ago, after a huge battle between the forces of good and evil, a truce was met by the two rulers. Zavulon, representing evil, and Gezer, the ambassador for good, decided that all Others (supernatural beings, of a sort) should be policed and between them set up rules of conduct. The forces of good would become the Night Watch and were charged with watching over and policing the activities of Dark Others. Conversely, Zavulon's people would be the Day Watch and keep an eye on the Light Others to be sure there was no rule breaking on their side either.
By virtue of the Night Watch turning up, Anton is revealed to be an Other - and every Other has a different talent. Some are shapeshifters (and oh! What shapeshifters they have!), technological geniuses and some are seers... Anton is a seer of a kind. He has visions and can track any Other he chooses, but he must be "like" them. For example, when tracking a vampire, he must drink blood in order to find them.
Years later, while tracking a particularly dangerous vampire, a member of the Day Watch, Anton accidentally touches a woman on the subway and sees the end of the world - all red fires and turmoil in the skies. When he informs his superiors, it becomes a race against time to find and protect the boy who was foretold to decide the fate of the world. Should he side with the Dark Others, the Day Watch, the forces of evil will gain control of humanity. Should he side with the Night Watch, the Light Others, the forces of good will rule instead.
All in all, its a very dark world - very gothic - which suits lil ol' me just fine. The shapeshifters are beautifully, and tastefully, done - especially Olga. And there are some moments of hilarity involving her interaction with Anton and the outside world in general.
The second movie, Day Watch, is presumably told from Anton's point of view, still, but with more focus on the Dark Others. And the repercussions of the boy's choice are likely to be explored, too! I can't wait to see what happens next.
'Lissa.
For those uninitiated, or put off by the fact that the film is in Russian with animated English subtitles, Night Watch ("Nochnoy Dozor" in its native Russian) begins in a small suburb where a young man, Anton, is visiting an old lady. Nothing wrong in that, you might think. But this old lady is not what she appears, and Anton is not the innocent he appears, either. The woman is a witch, and Anton has approached her to get her to win back his ex-girlfriend - by causing her to miscarry the child she is pregnant with by her new boyfriend, he believes. However, halfway through the incantation the woman reveals that the child is actually his own and Anton tries to renege....only for something very strange to occur. People appear, literally from nowhere, and attack the old lady. They pin her to the ground and prevent her from clapping her hands (this would complete the spell and kill the child). Anton, in shock, tries crawling away, muttering to himself and asking who these people are. The new arrivals seem surprised that he can see them at all. This is the first terrifying step of Anton's into the world of good versus evil.
Millenia ago, after a huge battle between the forces of good and evil, a truce was met by the two rulers. Zavulon, representing evil, and Gezer, the ambassador for good, decided that all Others (supernatural beings, of a sort) should be policed and between them set up rules of conduct. The forces of good would become the Night Watch and were charged with watching over and policing the activities of Dark Others. Conversely, Zavulon's people would be the Day Watch and keep an eye on the Light Others to be sure there was no rule breaking on their side either.
By virtue of the Night Watch turning up, Anton is revealed to be an Other - and every Other has a different talent. Some are shapeshifters (and oh! What shapeshifters they have!), technological geniuses and some are seers... Anton is a seer of a kind. He has visions and can track any Other he chooses, but he must be "like" them. For example, when tracking a vampire, he must drink blood in order to find them.
Years later, while tracking a particularly dangerous vampire, a member of the Day Watch, Anton accidentally touches a woman on the subway and sees the end of the world - all red fires and turmoil in the skies. When he informs his superiors, it becomes a race against time to find and protect the boy who was foretold to decide the fate of the world. Should he side with the Dark Others, the Day Watch, the forces of evil will gain control of humanity. Should he side with the Night Watch, the Light Others, the forces of good will rule instead.
All in all, its a very dark world - very gothic - which suits lil ol' me just fine. The shapeshifters are beautifully, and tastefully, done - especially Olga. And there are some moments of hilarity involving her interaction with Anton and the outside world in general.
The second movie, Day Watch, is presumably told from Anton's point of view, still, but with more focus on the Dark Others. And the repercussions of the boy's choice are likely to be explored, too! I can't wait to see what happens next.
'Lissa.
