Foreign Spotlight: Day Watch

Russia isn’t the first place that comes to mind when most people hear the word ‘blockbuster,’ but that might change starting this weekend with the opening of Day Watch, Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov’s sequel to his 2004 Night Watch, a box office phenomenon in his home country that earned international attention from critics, audiences, and Hollywood (20th Century Fox is backing the next Watch film, titled Dusk Watch).

I have not had the chance to see Night Watch, but I’ve seen the trailer, seen a dozen reviews, and read through enough posting board threads to have an idea about the key to the film’s success: Bekmambetov gave citizens of his country what was previously available only as an import — Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and X-Men — only he combined the best elements of the three into one conglomerate sci-fi/horror/fantasy special FX extravaganza that was cemented into Russian history and sociology, and the first part of a proposed epic trilogy of films based on the works of Russian author Sergi Lukyanenko. Moviegoers of all nationalities love trilogies.

Day Watch is the sequel, the second installment of the trilogy, and does exactly what sequels are supposed to do – expand on the mythology, characters, and plotlines introduced by the first film, and out do the expectations set by the first film.

The plot (and this can be understood as my only criticism of the film) is very, very complex, almost too complex at times, but still contains less plot element curveballs that the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, or Spiderman 3. The basic mythology revolves around two groups, the Light Others and the Dark Others, supernatural superbeings and vampires who can shapeshift,  switch bodies, and manipulate the space/time continuum. Light Others have power during the day, Dark Others have power at night. Both groups are less like the legions of heroes and villains familiar in genre films, and more like organized crime syndicates. Corruption has crawled through the ranks of both sides, so neither groups is all good or all bad. A checks and balances system is in place to keep either side from becoming too powerful. A group of Light Others police the Dark Others at night, while a group of Dark Others police the Light Others during the day, and these groups are respectively known as the Night Watch and Day Watch.

The main protagonist of Day Watch is Anton, a Light Other and Night Watch agent whose preadolescent son is a member of the Dark Others – in fact, his son is potentially the Great Dark Other, an extremely powerful being whose existence threatens the balance of power between the two groups, and threatens to bring about Armageddon. The first film deals with the specifics of how Anton’s son became a Dark Other, but Day Watch is self-contained, so that those who have not seen the first film will be brought up to speed. Anton made a deal with a witch in an attempt to punish the mother of his son, and ended up with the result that usually occurs when one makes a deal with a witch or similar ilk. Depressed and full of regret, Anton hopes to reverse the consequences of his actions by obtaining the Chalk of Destiny, which grants whoever possesses it the ability to change the past.

The elaborate plot paves the way for the film’s even more elaborate (and awe-inspiring) special effects and action sequences. The film opens with ancient warrior Tamerlane leading an assault to obtain the Chalk, charging straight through fortress walls on horseback and chopping enemies in half with a single blow from his sword – the sequence rivals anything on display in Lord of the Rings and is louder, faster, and meaner than 300. The most memorable FX sequence involves a car being driven at breakneck speed up the side of a glass building – slightly cheesy, yes, but without a doubt the coolest FX spectacle you will see on the big screen this summer.

My personal favorite is the subtitles. Instead of simply translating the dialogue and stamping it on the bottom of the screen in white/yellow text, the filmmakers took the time to make the subs as stylish as the rest of the film – the words shake, change color, expand, fade, and explode, highlighting the action or tone of the scene, and adding to the film’s graphic novel quality.

All in all, Day Watch is as original in visual effects and action sequences as it is derivative in plot, but it is hard to imagine a film made with more pure style and entertainment. Director Bekmambetov creates manic onscreen magic that rivals the likes of Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi, and the Wachowski Brothers.

Fox Searchlight Pictures releases Day Watch in wide release today.