Day Watch (2006)

Day Watch is really different from Night Watch. In fact, it’s so different that I almost turned it off partway through. But I’m glad I didn’t.

I rewatched Night Watch last week and went back and looked at my review of it. Everything I wrote the first time still holds true. It’s a gorgeous, creatively shot movie set in a well-thought-out world with a fun, inventive plot. It’s well-acted and even the sub-titles are unique and interesting.

With the exception of the subtitles, all that is also true of Day Watch. Unfortunately, the subtitles – at least in the version I watched – are back to being traditional white text in the lower black widescreen bar. I’d gotten spoiled by just having the Night Watch subtitles be up in the screen near the actors. Forgetting about artistic merit, it was just plain easier to read that way. I kind of had to struggle with the Day Watch subtitles and that, plus my being generally sleepy when I sat down to watch, contributed to it not being as fun an experience as Night Watch was. At least not initially.

The story itself was also very different from Night Watch. Night Watch was all about Anton’s – and our – introduction into the world of the Others and how the Dark and Light forces are battling each other. This is all built around the plot of a newly discovered subject of prophecy who can tip the balance to either Dark or Light, depending on which side he chooses to join. Our immersion into the world is quick and exciting and the movie maintains that pace throughout.

Day Watch starts off a lot more slowly. It assumes we already know the world, so it spends more time exploring deeper aspects of it like the politics and how new Others are groomed and educated. There are some nifty special effects in the first part of the movie, and a small mystery about a serial killer, but the effects seem kind of thrown in just because they’re expected, and the mystery is solved rather quickly and folded into the political exploration again. If I’m making it sound dull, it’s because this part really is, but there are rewards for sticking with it.

As I’m watching Anton teach a rookie, fall in love, and worry about being half-heartedly framed for a murder no one really believes he committed, I kept wondering whatever happened to the Great One plot from the first movie. That’s what I wanted to see more of. But it turns out that that was what I was watching. Day Watch just sort of backs into it from a different direction. Once you start making those connections though, the whole thing quickly gets really interesting and by the end of the movie I liked it a lot more than even Night Watch. The characters are deeper and more interesting this time around and the themes are more profound.

There’s also apparently a bunch of subtext about Russia and hope and disillusionment from the fall of Communism, but that all went right over my head because I know nothing about Russia, historical or contemporary. I’m sure that adds a whole other layer to the series, but I did just fine enjoying it as a straightforward fantasy about the battle between Good and Evil.