Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)

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Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 03-02-2006, 02:33 AM:

Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)

Taking place in Moscow in 2004, this is a Russian language film about "others" (vampires ... each with a different power), good v. evil (night watch v. day watch), choice (free choice & whether that can be manipulated ... is there ever really free choice ... etc) and a place called "the gloom" (in one translation it's "twilight" instead of gloom). This is the first film of a trilogy (Dnevnoy Dozor - Day Watch - was released this January in Russia).

If the plot summary seems vague, that's intentional on my part ... and, hmmm, all those parentheticals make for a confusing paragraph.

The subtitles are used as a way to impact what is going on with the story, they might move, or change size or color, a character or object might pass in front of the subtitles. But I don't think the device was overused, it didn't distract from the movie (though, I imagine it will for some).

Interesting marketing in the US, the title on screen was as I listed above, Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor), using characters found in the Latin alphabet. But on the poster, web site and in the trailer, they use a faux Cyrillic which uses non-Cyrillic letters and actual Cyrillic letters but in places where it wouldn't spell out "nochnoi dozor" but looks like it to those who don't know the Cyrillic alphabet.

I enjoyed quite a bit. [thumbsup]

Saw it at Pipers Alley in Chicago (was Sony, now AMC). Not so great seats, scruffy analog sound through all trailers (passable digital sound in the feature) adds were very dirty, but no complaints on the look of the trailers or feature. The level of the lights on the wall during the feature were WAY too bright. I complained and a manager came in and explained to me that they were at that level for safety reasons and could not be turned down. [thumbsdown]