NIGHTWATCH

NIGHTWATCH
By Ken Leicht

The much buzzed about Russian Matrix-y fantasy-horror opus NIGHTWATCH is finally arriving in US theaters courtesy of Fox Searchlight. Like most foreign genre films, it’s an acquired taste. And you had better like the taste of this one because it’s allegedly only the first of up to nine films.

Basically the setup is this: The forces of light and darkness have been struggling for dominance forever. One day in the 1300’s they decide to have it out once and for all on a bridge. The battle is epic but both sides soon realize that they are equal and there will never be a clear winner. They agree to a truce. Thus is born the Nightwatch and the Daywatch. One watches over the day, the other, the night. In other words, a system is put in place to keep balance in the world. My memory gets a little murky here but it supposedly will come to pass that some “chosen one” or other will come and choose between the dark and the light and tip the balance of power on earth.

Cut to present day Moscow where we see the Nightwatch in action. Anton and his colleagues spend their night luring out evil people, wizards and vampires who cross over the line. The techniques include entrapment and the use of innocents as “live bait”.

Fresh after dispatching a vampire who broke the alleged rules, Anton is sent after the chosen one with the help of an owl which turns out to be a woman in disguise. There is lots of action, some decent effects and visuals, and plenty of gobbledy-gook with a little political subtext thrown in for good measure. While we’ve seen lots of the elements before, the unique look and over-all foreign-ness of the film is what differentiates this film for better or for worse. While this sort of thing wows them at the festival circuit and in video stores, I’m unsure whether it will click in US theaters. Add to the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger, and the average viewer may just leave annoyed.

I like fantasy so I liked it well enough. I suspect if you are of similar tastes, then you will like it as well if you can get past the subtitles and the Russian sensibility. I guess the film is best described as a Russian version of Underworld with some Matrix thrown in for good measure. If that sounds good to you, then see this film.