
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 3, 1994                    TAG: 9406030068 
SECTION: DAILY BREAK                     PAGE: B11    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY BRENT BOWLES, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT 
DATELINE: 940603                                 LENGTH: Medium

``THE CROW'' TAKES FLIGHT AS A UNIQUE FILM

{LEAD} IT'S BEEN MOSTLY publicized as the final film from Brandon Lee, who was mysteriously killed during filming, but ``The Crow'' is an incredible piece of work that has a unique and unprecedented style.

The story, from an old underground comic book series, centers around a rock singer, played by Lee, who is killed along with his fiancee by four thugs who are trying to clear out a deserted flat. The crow, believed to be guardian of the spirit, brings him back to avenge the killing.

{REST} The whole film follows Lee's systematic revenge on each of the four thugs. This ordinary story is made extraordinary through the atmosphere in which its told.

Never has such a horror film been displayed in quite this way. The entire city seems to be a dreary. It's an apocalyptic wasteland in which Devil's Night, the eve of Halloween, is celebrated by setting fire to half the city. Only one two-minute scene out of the entire film takes place in the day - a brilliant decision by the director.

Lee's character has a spiritual connection with the crow, and through it, he sees the past as well as the present in fluorescent flashbacks. This story has been told a hundred different times, but never like this.

The technical merit of this film is staggering. Director Alex Proyas has fashioned a cross between Tim Burton's ``Batman'' and an MTV video. Lee bolts through the night to pulsating rock music and stares into the past over an achingly beautiful soprano solo from composer Graeme Revell, adding a slightly uplifting spirituality to the film.

The most significant achievements are the production design, with dreary and gritty set pieces, and the breakneck editing. Lee's performance is nothing special, but his presentation of this hero is intoxicating. He darts through the night at the wing of the crow with a mesmerizing and hypnotic speed.

The photography is incredible. The camera swoops through the smoky nights, following the lead of the crow. The visual effects don't look all that good, but it's often too dark to tell.

Character actor Ernie Hudson stars as a cop who helps Lee take down the city's crime lord, played by Michael Wincott, who looks more like the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers than a real bad guy. Hudson delivers his usual solid performance, but Wincott goes over the top with disturbing and often tongue-in-cheek smart remarks.

There is no precedent for the atmosphere of ``The Crow,'' and this swirling, hypnotic whirlwind will leave the viewer overwhelmed. The final battle between Lee and Wincott atop a church is stunningly photographed and suspenseful. Like wind from a dark alley, Brandon Lee's final film envelopes and enraptures, and a macabre voyage begins. It brings a unique vigilante out from between shadows and fog, and an angel out on the wings of heaven.

This is a film you don't want to miss. by CNB