Darkman: Shadier Than The Shadow

In the domain of pulp-inspired superhero movies, Darkman stands as a shining example of how to adapt a beloved character to the silver screen without featuring that character at all.

What do I mean? Read and learn.

Released in 1990, Darkman not only delivers a thrilling narrative but also proves itself a superior adaptation of the Shadow than 1994’s ambitious but lackluster The Shadow. Thanks to its gritty atmosphere, visual storytelling, and a memorable lead performance, Darkman embodies the mysterious, even sinister, essence of the Shadow without even mentioning the pulp icon.

Unlike the overt Shadow adaptation, Darkman plumbs the evil that lurks in the human heart and paints a terrifying portrait of the despair that can follow when evil goes unchecked. The film immerses the audience in a merciless urban landscape where danger lurks around every corner. From convenience store stickups to dockside gunfights to Chinatown shakedowns – and even ivory tower graft, crime infests Darkman‘s world, gutter to penthouse.

Darkman‘s eerie and atmospheric cinematography further embellishes the dark and mysterious nature of the narrative, creating a world where shadows hold secrets and evil is ever-present. The living comic book style that director Sam Raimi honed on The Evil Dead serves him well, presenting action that would come off as cartoonish and ridiculous in lesser hands as cartoonish and horrifying here.

This tonal consistency testifies to Raimi’s understanding of the source material. Wishing at first to make a straight up Shadow adaptation, difficulties securing the rights prompted Raimi to create his own pulp homage. And like George Lucas before him, necessity moved Raimi to produce a masterpiece.

Speaking of tones, Darkman‘s exceptional sound design contributes to its success as a The Shadow-Not-The Shadow film. It utilizes sound to enhance the atmosphere of and breathe life into its dark and mysterious world.

From the haunting score by Danny Elfman to the visceral sound effects, every audio element is carefully crafted to evoke a sense of unease and tension. Darkman‘s deft combination of visual and auditory storytelling techniques creates a multisensory experience that merits this film’s enduring appeal.

But as the post-Ground Zero cape flick trend has shown, all the glitzy effects and bombastic sound in the world can’t compensate for stale, flat characters.

Lucky for us, Darkman has neither of those problems.

Whereas The Shadow failed to capture the complexity of its titular character – combining Lamont Cranston and Kent Allard, for instance – Darkman triumphs with Liam Neeson’s portrayal of Peyton Westlake, a brilliant scientist-turned-vigilante. Left horribly disfigured by gangsters in an origin scene superior to that of Jack Nicholson’s Joker, Westlake seeks revenge against the scum who wronged him. Neeson captivates as Westlake, showing us a man torn between his desire for justice and the darkness that threatens to consume him.

Darkman, much like the Shadow, supplements physical prowess with cunning and deception in his crusade against crime. Both are masters of disguise, and Darkman retains and emphasizes this element in a manner intriguingly like that of another single-minded crimefighter, the Question.

But whether Raimi borrowed from Ditko’s objectivist hero, or the parallel is mere coincidence, this writer cannot say.

One area in which Darkman excels is its portrayal of the protagonist’s love interest, Julie Hastings. Raimi establishes their relationship with tender moments, the better to set up for heartbreaking tragedy. Cohen Brothers rabbit’s foot Frances McDormand delivers a performance that drives Darkman’s internal and external conflict.

This exploration of loss, identity, and the consuming menace of vice, elevates the story above most superhero films of the time and any made today. The former includes The Shadow, which suffered from a rather forced and simplistic romance.

But a superhero movie is only as good as its villains. And Darkman walks all over The Shadow in the bad guy department.

Darkman’s unforgettable rogues’ gallery, led by Larry Drake as the delightfully despicable Robert G. Durant, embody every deadly sin. Durant’s refined affectations only enhance the sadism and insatiable greed lurking just under the skin. And his unquestioned presence and skill make him a formidable adversary for Darkman.

In fact, the film does such an excellent job setting up the baddies that the sense of danger facing the hero remains palpable until the last frame. Colin Friels’ turn as land developer Louis Strack Jr. doesn’t get near enough credit. While he does chew the scenery at points, his unbridled enthusiasm for villainy comes off as consistent with his character.

Like Strack says, he built the city. So he can do with it as he likes. Once you see him as a spoiled kid playing a real-life sandbox game, his motives make perfect sense. And they make him even more dangerous than Durant.

A few words must be spared for the darkness in Westlake’s own heart. Like the Shadow, Darkman understands criminals due to his struggle with the worse angels of his nature. And although Westlake loses to his demons, the movie avoids nihilism by letting him suffer the consequences of succumbing to vice, which he acknowledges and accepts. So it’s not having pure motives, but copping to his motives’ impurity, that distinguishes Darkman as more noble than his reprobate foes, if not more moral.

This vision of a world where wits and strength clash in a battle of good and evil – with more spiritual than temporal stakes – epitomizes the pulp tradition.

Darkman stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of the pulp genre and showcases how even an indirect adaptation can do justice to a beloved character like the Shadow.

With its unflinching portrayal of a tortured protagonist, its gritty and mysterious tone, and its exploration of complex themes, Darkman surpasses The Shadow as a pulp crimefighter film. It will satisfy Shadow fans, pending a better official adaptation comes along.

explosive ending and a interest inducing epilogue

Read the epic mech saga’s mind-blowing finale now: