Review of Strange Days

Introduction

Based on a James Cameron script, Strange Days was a bleak look at the state of the world (using L.A. as a microcosm) in the days before the turn of the Millennium.

Strange Days is a dense, complex film that is hard to do justice to in summary. Essentially, the world, and society within it, is much as it was/is only darker, more hopeless, and more nihilistic. Rioting is prevalent. Discontent rules.

Our guide through this almost familiar world is Lenny Nero (played by Ralph Fiennes). Nero is a disgraced cop who peddles “Clips”. These are recordings of an individual’s experiences, emotions and feelings. These clips can be replayed directly to someone’s neural cortex, thus allowing them to experience and live vicariously. Nero is a fairly principled pusher though, avoiding death and extreme violence.

However, Nero comes into possession of a clip that could cause the seething cauldron of discontent that is L.A. to explode. He has to decide what to do with this clip and try and stay alive to see the new Millennium.

Video

For such a recent film (1995), you would expect a decent transfer and this 16:9 anamorphic version doesn’t disappoint. The dark, oppressive cityscapes are perfectly reproduced being … well … dark and oppressive, without descending into murkiness. Colours are rich and crisp and, generally, there are few flaws in evidence.

It’s not absolutely perfect though. There are a few scratches visible on the print but nothing that is going to affect your enjoyment of the movie.

Audio

Wow. Simple as that.

Strange Days has one of the most intense and most dynamic soundtracks I have ever heard and this is magnificently reproduced on this DVD. From the opening “in head” P.O.V. shots where the audio is mixed to make it appears that the action is happening to you (one step removed), to the climactic riot with helicopters swishing all over the soundstage, this is fabulously immersive stuff. Almost every scene is an aural standout, with every speaker getting a workout.

If you want to show off your DD 5.1 system to your unbelieving friends, this disk has to be at the top of your list. Reference stuff.

Features

The features are disappointing. OK, you get a commentary from director Kathryn Bigelow but it only lasts about 50 minutes and is obviously an interview or lecture recorded for some other purpose and then slapped on the disk. While the content isn’t bad, the commentary bears no relation to the sequences being viewed and would have worked better completely divorced from the film – I suggest that you turn off the TV and just listen to Bigelow.

Elsewhere, there is a (very good) trailer and a piece-of-fluff featurette. But, that’s all.

Overall, poor show Universal.

Conclusion

Bigelow and Cameron have been responsible for films that were critically popular, commercial successes or both. Look at Point Break, Terminator 2, Near Dark and Titanic. However, Strange Days was neither.

It couldn’t have been the script which was inventive and perceptive. Nor the performances which, while not particularly sympathetic, are generally excellent. Ralph Fiennes is great as the corrupt clip pusher who still has a spark of decency. His facial expressions as he “jacks in”, experiencing his lost love are captivating. Tom Sizemore is manically watchable. Angela Bassett is the only character that could be considered sympathetic and her affection for Nero, even as she loathes what he is doing to himself, is palpable. Even the usually annoying Juliette Lewis puts in a fine performance.

It couldn’t have been Bigelow’s bravura direction. Nor any technical deficiency – there aren’t any.

I guess it must have been the subject matter. In 1995, we didn’t really want to think of the Millennium in the context of society’s end. We didn’t want a film that projected a realistically dark version of a future. This was a nihilistically bleak future that just possibly could have come to pass – it wasn’t outrageous or too far fetched. It was plausible and the movie going public didn’t really want to see it.

Looking at Strange Days from the other side of the Millennium, it may be time for a reassessment.