On this day nineteen years ago, a little known film called "The Crow" was released throughout theatres nationwide. The film was received with much critical acclaim and achieved commercial success despite the infamous tragedy that befell it. Brandon Lee, the star of the film and only son of martial artist legend Bruce Lee, suffered a fatal gunshot wound while on set before the production was complete and passed away tragically at the age of 28. He was engaged to Eliza Hutton at the time and his passing came one month before their wedding day.
But, "The Crow's" tragic history goes back even further than Lee's death. The creator of "The Crow" comic book, James O'Barr, originally wrote the story in order to cope with the untimely death of his fiance at the hands of a drunk driver. O'Barr was compelled to write the story in order to vent out the pain and anger he felt after losing the woman he loved. O'Barr's goal was to draw the comic as a means of catharsis for his loss, but he later expressed that creating it had the opposite effect. In a 1994 interview he stated, "As I drew each page, it made me more self-destructive, if anything....There is pure anger on each page." He worked on the comic all throughout his time spent in the military and when the final book was complete, it sat on a shelf for seven years before it was published. The comic book would later become an underground hit that went on to sell 750,000 copies worldwide, evolved into the film with three subsequent sequels, a television series, and multiple comic book follow-ups.
The story of "The Crow" centers around musician Eric Draven and his fiance Shelly Webster who are both brutally murdered on the eve of their Halloween wedding day. Draven rises from the dead through the help of a supernatural crow who aids him in avenging the death of his lost love. In spite of all of the violence and darkness within the story, there is a bright light of hope illustrated through Eric's undying love for Shelly. His love is what brings him back to set things right and the essence of Eric's hope is expressed through one of the film's most famous quotes,
"It can't rain all the time."
The original film was hauntingly beautiful and Lee's performance was simultaneously frightening and heartbreaking. His portrayal of Eric Draven was a mere glimpse into a promising career and an extraordinary talent that was on the rise. Stepping into those very big shoes is Welsh actor Luke Evans, who can be seen as the villain Owen Shaw in "Fast and Furious 6," as well as the title role in "Dracula: Year Zero," and as Bard the Bowman in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug." The remake is being launched by Relativity Media, directed by acclaimed Spanish fantasy genre director F. Javier Gutierrez, and penned by Cliff Dorfman (Warrior, Red Dragon, Entourage).
The creative team behind this reboot is incredibly talented as is Evans who is a rising star in his own right. But I can't help but wonder, as a true fan of the original film and of the late, legendary, gone-before-his time Lee, why fix it if it's not broken? The film was a feat to finish in the first place following Brandon's death and was completed as a tribute to Brandon, himself. In fact, when the film's original director Alex Proyas learned of the studio's plans to remake it he said:
"I wouldn’t even dream of remaking the movie because as far as I’m concerned, that’s Brandon Lee’s movie and that’s why I finished the movie — in memory of Brandon. That’s the only reason I finished it actually.”
Proyas' words ring true. "The Crow" may have gone on to spawn sequels, television series, and more comic books, but the original film will always be Brandon Lee's movie. I believe that some films are meant to stand alone, to be left untouched despite Hollywood's never-ending desire to recreate old material rather than go further into the imagination and dream up something new. Don't get me wrong, there are some remakes out there that completely trump the originals. I have witnessed this rare occurrence and know it to be possible. But, this is not just another reboot. This is the reboot of a film that had its lead actor deliver a stellar performance, suffer a fatal accident on set, and pass away before the completion of the film. This fact, alone, is enough to make the movie sacred and untouchable.
That being said...in light of the creative team, I will keep an open mind when the reboot of "The Crow" takes flight in 2014. I will also keep an eye out for the end credits and hope they have the forethought and class to dedicate it to Brandon Lee. Until then, I am content to watch and appreciate the original which just so happens to be available on blu-ray AND is currently on my Netflix queue.