Night Watch and Day Watch (2004-2006)

Russian cinema has gone through a few stages, with some highs and lows. One of the rising new stars of the industry was Timur Bekmambetov, who made a name for himself with his work in the advertising business, and delivering a frenetic and flashy style that many raved about (while others complained). 2004's Night Watch came at the perfect time. Right when Blade and Underworld were big hits, here is a new dark urban fantasy, based on a popular book series. Dos Russia's own answer to the action horror genre stack up?...

Night Watch

Many years ago, the forces of Light and Darkness fought to a bloody standstill, and both sides agreed to a treaty. The Night Watch would vow to uphold the laws of the light, while the Day Watch swore the opposite, so neither side would ever get too powerful. In the present, Anton Gorodestsky is a low-level member of the Night Watch, out on a routine case when he makes a shocking discovery. Svetlana is a cursed woman, whose very existence may bring about the end of times, and fulfill an ancient prophecy of destruction.

While a big box office success in native Russia, Night Watch has gone down as a highly divisive film. Some love it, others hate it. I can understand both viewpoints, since for my first viewing, I couldn't stand the thing! I watched it again a couple of years later, and my opinion has shifted slightly. I still have many of the same complaints I did before, but they are tempered.

In terms of tone, Night Watch delivers an unmistakeably unique look and feel. You can tell what recent films inspired it, but they just feel like the jumping off point for something new, rather than a basic ripoff. The film has a choppy fast-paced editing style, like a full-on assault. The problem with this is that it runs the risk of being all style and no substance, and it's just plain nauseating!

One of the big problems in Night Watch is that we see very little magic, or supernatural creatures. Tiger Cub, for example, only transforms once in the entire movie, for just a few seconds, and Bear never transforms! We see only a little of the Gloom, and never get an explanation for it either.

The other big problem is the story. We are dropped right in the middle of the action, with very little worldbuilding beyond 'there was a treaty between Good and Evil'. There is very little context or explanation for anything, and we're just expected to know certain things. I only knew certain things because I'd read the book, and even then things are pretty muddled. Any scene where characters actually hold a conversation is good, but the issue is that there aren't many of them, so the movie has very little exposition, or character.

The pacing isn't great. The film moves by quickly, but in the sense where you feel not much time has passed, but actually you're an hour in. Wouldn't be a problem if we weren't still on the first plot points!

One of the most bizarre scenes is during the vampire battle early on. When the backup team are racing over to help Anton, they just so happen to run into Zavulon, lord of darkness in the middle of the road. He flips their truck over, and they keep driving on once their wheels land back on earth, everyone then proceeding to act as if the encounter never happened! It's literally never mentioned again.

One element I really liked is the video game Zavulon plays, and the later thematic role it has. It also features a hilariously badass (if slightly impractical) way of fighting!

The ending is especially abrupt! It's not bad per se, as it makes perfect sense to stop here, and it does serve as a great cliffhanger, but it does feel like Night Watch has no real beginning or end.

The direction by Timur is a bit of everything. Good, bad, debatable, etc. There's a fair share of overblown scenes, like Anton getting medical attention, but many look neat. I liked the clashing imagery of old battles and new at the end. I also dug the scene with the plane bolt coming loose, the camera following its journey all the way through the sky, down into the city, down a ventilation shaft, and into Svetlana's kitchen. I found it a neat representation of her cursed situation. While the film can get visually muddled, there are also some great shots throughout!

The editing is pretty chaotic, and for the most part it got on my nerves, though some scenes are really enhanced by it. There was one quick micro-edit I really liked, when Anton sees a certain photo in Egor's apartment. The cut really gets across the feeling of seeing something for a split second and paying no attention, before suddenly realising its importance.

The constant NOISE is another issue Night Watch faces. This film is so loud, with an abundance of yelling and screaming. Add this to the already chaotic visuals, and it can drive you up the wall!

The characters are ok. Anton is a pretty ratty lead. His actions in the prologue are kinda unlikeable, but the time gap, his actions since, plus his current state of going through the ringer make him a bit sympathetic. I really liked his conversation with the female vampire, moreso than its counterpart in the book. Owl turned human Olga doesn't appear a lot, but is a nice sidekick. Neither Gesar or Zavulon appear much, and have little character. Zavulon is a barely passable villain. He has a terrible fashion sense, dressing like a 20 year old goth chick, with a weird platinum mohawk hairdo.

 

Egor is a pretty likeable kid, and smart too! He figures out he's being hunted by vampires, and plans to defend himself too. His turn in the end is frustrating, and you feel like wanting to belt the little shit, but you also do understand why he does what he does, since events have been manipulated for years to create this moment.

The acting here is mixed. These are all good actors, but it feels like some are directed poorly. Most are hushed to a whisper, and you strain to hear them. Konstan Khabenskiy does too good a job playing a burnt-out drunk, to the point where I honestly struggled to understand him! I mean, I don't speak Russian, but even so you wonder how well native speakers understand him. I give credit for him not delivering a 'safe' and glossy performance though. And he's frankly adorable in the prologue! Vladimir Menshov is good as Gesar, getting across a stately and benevolent performance. Viktor Verzhbitsky is decent as Zavulon, though doesn't get much time to work with.

There are a few minor differences between the original and international versions of the film. Nothing major. I've heard about the unique subtitles on the American DVD, which match the scene (like words fading into mist, dripping with blood, or being knocked away by the action). My DVD has pretty regular subs though. Oh well. The film has a dub too, which is best if you avoid.

The effects are good-ish. There's some flashy CGI, which isn't half bad, and is often shrouded in darkness, so it never looks too fake. There are plenty of practical effects to be enjoyed too, with Zavulon's 'sword' being a highlight!

One last thing to discuss is the original book, and how good an adaption this is. Night Watch is a very good book (with some flaws), and its surprisingly different. It's the same story, and even drops us right in the middle, but being a book it's able to explain things to us far better. It's more of a fantasy detective book than action-horror. The strangest thing about it is that it's not a single story, but divided into three novellas. This film only adapts that first part. You don't see that very often, a movie that only adapts a third of a book! It does work though, since they are fairly self contained.

As an adaption, Night Watch is decent, but also very lacking. Some scenes are cut down from the book so much they're pointless and occasionally nonsensical. Many scenes are also made more 'extreme!', which gets tiresome pretty quickly. In some areas there are improvements. We probably needed a bit more urgency with Anton and Svetlana's scene, so the movie made the right call, but it is also more way more awkward than it is in the book, with a lot more YELLING.

One change I liked is the treaty being made in the middle ages. It feels more momentous and epic than it being made in the 1950s like in the book (clashing knights and mages is much better than two blokes in suits hashing out a deal in a modern office building). You wonder how there even is a world anymore if the treaty's only 50 years old!

The biggest deviation stems from the prologue, taken from the start of Day Watch, which transplants a random character with Anton. Without going further into spoilers, this is a major change from the books, and sends the movie series on a very different path.

 

Overall, Night Watch has its upsides, but also many issues. Whether you watch is really up to you. If it's right up your alley, check it out, but if you have enough headaches already, feel free to skip...

Day Watch

A year after the events of the first movie, Anton is a wreck, floating through life how he always does-Drinking heavily to cope. His growing romance with new trainee Svetlana is going well, but with an underlying barrier. Things take a turn for the worse when a dark other is murdered, and Anton is the prime suspect. It soon becomes clear events are being manipulated into Zavulon's favour, and every move Anton makes seems to incriminate him further. Will he be able to break free, and get through to his wayward son? And can the world be saved in the process? Or will darkness finally prevail over light?...

Day Watch is a real surprise of a movie! I watched it only an hour or so after my first time with Night Watch, and you can imagine the mood I was in. I couldn't have enjoyed myself less. I went into its follow-up hoping it'd be good, but expecting much of the same. I thought it'd be dreadful. Far from it though, I immediately began liking it, and it just got better and better!

For everything I disliked about its predecessor, Day Watch seems to fix. It's a much clearer and more coherent story, and it also explains a lot of elements from the first movie. It does all this in a natural way, and is never confusing. Characters actually talk with one another. The pacing is great, and a lot happens in a much shorter time. The film is 2 and a half hours, but honestly doesn't feel it.

The story is enjoyable and intriguing, with enough magic and mystery to keep you hooked, and a steady build-up to an unknown climax. Much more happens than in Night Watch, where we were still on the first plot point nearly an hour in. The amusingly named chalk of fate isn't actually a hidden macguffin in the book, but I feel the movie does a much better job of using it. It makes it feel more special and dramatic when you have to do more than sign a pink slip to use it. Make it a quest! Which Day Watch does.

The characters appear a lot more, and consistently too. We also get a better feel of the Watches as organisations, and see more of their staff and headquarters. Gesar is down pat, trying his best to help Anton, despite his hands being tied by the Inquisition and their bullshit rules. Some things are a bit sudden, like Svetlana and Anton's relationship. That's a problem in the book too, but handled better here.

The villains are likewise strong. Zavulon is improved. His fashion has undergone a change, and in place of the S&M thug outfit he wore, now he dresses like a daggy dad, and it's amusingly cute. Egor meanwhile is a piece of shit! He is an absolutely loathsome child here, begging for a spanking. In one or two scenes he has some sympathy and bonding with Anton, but for the most part he's an unrepentant psychopath. I get that he's pissed at the Night Watch, but how does that turn him into such an evil brat?

Alisa and Kostya get an upswing in screentime, and it's a great subplot. The two share good chemistry, and it's interesting seeing how their relationship unfolds, and how he brings out the good in Alisa without her even realising it at first.

Finally, let's come to the ending, which is a bit tricky to discuss without spoilers. It's one hell of a cop-out, but one that makes perfect sense on both a character and storytelling basis, was foreshadowed well, and not only does it conclude things on a happy note, it also wraps up the series for good. I really like it, even if it is perhaps cheesy in how it happens.

The acting in Day Watch is much improved. Khabensky is still playing a drunk, but a lot better this time, and sells the emotion and horror of his character's struggles. Mariya Poroshina is sweet, and cute as a button as Svetlana! Menshov is fine again, and Verzhbitsky delivers a great understated evil performance. He may look unassuming, but there's something about him that lives up to the menace he threatens. Galina Tyunina gets a much bigger part as Olga this time, and really gets to shine. It was also great seeing the two act in each-other's bodies. She has some really enigmatic looks to her at times.

Dimitry Martyno acts completely different compared to his last turn as Egor. He's effectively nasty and bratty. Zhanna Friske gets a nice juicy role, and works well with Aleksei Chadov. And lastly, the remainder of the Night Watch crew don't get as much to do this time, though Aleksei Maklakov as Semyon gets some great moments.

The direction here is a high point! There's some striking imagery, from the opening, to the anti-gravity car ride, and the tango of death. Then there's the whole last act, which is an apocalyptic spectacle I don't think I've seen equaled in anything else. The devastation is vast (without being gratuitous or overboard), and the visuals of Anton wandering through this blasted landscape is a treat for the eyes.

While the editing gets a bit frenetic at times, it's much better than it was in Night Watch, and it sometimes works akin to a leitmotif. The noise level is also a lot less severe in Day Watch. This is overall a much more subdued watch. It knows when to be calm, collected, and subtle, and when to be dramatic and overblown. A good balance is struck!

The effects in Day Watch are really good! Sometimes it's noticeable CGI, and parts are a tad unconvincing, but a lot of the work on display here look neat! I once again admire how much is practical too. Timur Bekmambetov may be a divisive director, but he knows to not drown us in digital images.

The music in Day Watch is fantastic! The general score is decent, and there are less annoying modern rock songs. Where it really excels is the two major tracks in the end. The piece that plays during the final moments sell the scene and its emotion fantastically, ending the story perfectly. Then afterwards we get a brief scene over the credits, playing a really nice tune. It's calm, light, and fun to play us out. I respect the hell out of the composers for this. It shows that they know the importance of soft and gentle as well as heavy and bombastic ones.

Before I wrap up, there are just a few book related things to discuss. With the first book in the series divided into 3 novellas, you might be wondering if we'll get a whole trilogy out of one book! But no, Day Watch adapts the entirety of the book following the first third. It also adapts none of the actual book Day Watch (which is frankly for the best!).

While many details are changed, the story beats are all the same, and even the changes are often good ones. The 'Other vigilante' story is here, but with a difference that fits surprisingly well with a supporting character.  The last act is the most different, and is a much better climax than its literary counterpart.

Something I find strange is how some people still seem to think there's going to be a Twilight Watch movie, and hope that Bekmambetov will complete the trilogy. Umm, no. I would have thought it obvious that Day Watch definitively ends the story, and adding that with the fact that it's been 15 years since that film, and Bekmambetov has been busy advancing his career in America in all that time would indicate that there's absolutely not another entry coming. I really respect that! Despite further sequels being such a hugely potential money machine, the writers decided to naturally end the story only two movies in, then call it quits, rather than drag things out.

Day Watch is an improvement on its predecessor in just about every way, and is a great example of what some might see as a bad movie getting a legitimately good sequel. This is a great time to be had, and getting to experience it is well worth the possible frustration and annoyance Night Watch might provide. I highly recommend it. I also recommend books 1, 3, and 4, while everything else can be skipped. Enjoy!...