Night Watch (DVD)

Night Watch, a huge hit in Russia in 2004, finally made it to U.S. shores earlier this year in limited theatrical release. While it didn't have much of a chance to rack up the big box office bucks, it did do very well per-screen and garnered a lot of great reviews (including mine — read it here).

Now it's on DVD, and everyone will have a chance to see what all the buzz was about. Some of that buzz comes from the bloodsucking mosquitoes that live in what is known as The Gloom. The Gloom is a shadowy, soul-sapping netherworld where creatures known as Others lurk. There are Light Others and Dark Others, and between them an eternal war rages. Unfortunately for us helpless humans, that war is carried in our world and there are often devastating consequences. Essentially, Night Watch is an epic fantasy film populated with vampires, witches, shape-shifters and deadly supernatural warriors.

The movie is highly recommended, but how about the DVD?

Well, any DVD of Night Watch is better than none, but it is lacking in some areas. For one thing, there is a great making-of featurette that's been put on Region 0 discs for sale in other countries, but not here in the U.S. for Region 1.

Also, it's a little hard to figure out that the disc is double-sided. The best stuff is on Side B — namely, the movie in its theatrical release format (in Russian, with English subtitles that bleed, dance, dither, wither and shout), and the commentaries.

Side One (American):

Night Watch, the movie, dubbed in English, French, or Spanish. English subtitles/captions are in plain text. The dubbing is decent, and it's good that Russian accents are used for the characters.

Side One includes an extended ending with optional director's commentary (in English or Russian audio, per user's choice). The extended ending is not as downbeat as the theatrical release, but it is not nearly as dramatic either. Still, it's interesting to see what could have been.

There is also a sneak peek at the second film in the trilogy, Day Watch, which has already been released in Russia. The third and final film, Dusk Watch, will be filmed in America sometime in 2007.

Side Two (Russian):

Here is the movie as it should be enjoyed: In Russian, with the striking and inventive (but never distracting or obnoxious) animated subtitles.

This side also includes the commentaries. Bekmambetov talks about how the embedded subtitles help tell the story; how "Step out of the Gloom now" became a catch-phrase in Russia; and explains the uniquely Russian aspects of the movie, among many other things. If you have trouble with his accent, you can opt for captions. Or, if your brain is in multitasking mode, you can listen to Bekmambetov; watch subtitles for the movie's dialogue below; and read novelist Sergei Lukianenko's commentary in captions across the top.

Lukianenko offers some interesting insights as to how the film differs from the movie, what he thinks works, and what doesn't. For instance, he thinks the movie is "too bloody" but acknowledges that showing the back-story in the very beginning (unlike the books, where the origins of the war are not revealed until several chapters in).

The Night Watch movie, and consequently the DVD is highly recommended. I saw the flick twice on the big screen, and was just as eager to see it again on disc.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson