November 23, 2008
My family is upper middle class, and i'm sure just about anyone reading this will be in just about the same economic bracket. Because we're so fortunate, we tend to look "down" on the homeless - calling them lazy crackheads who make a living by pestering hard working people. "Dar...( read more)k Days" provides a different approach to dissecting homeless life in that it illustrates them as uniquely resourceful with a remarkable willingness to survive in spite of their surroundings. The men and women in "Dark Days" are not just your typical homeless people, either. They don't even classify themselves as "homeless" as they do feel that they do own property. These people have houses with four walls, television sets, and electricity. In fact, when the group is eventually forced out of the tunnels and into apartment complexes, it makes you wonder just how much more "well off" they really are.
Director Marc Singer took a remarkable journey in order to film his documentary "Dark Days", which is the only film he's ever made. It had been drawn to his attention that there are "tunnel people" who live underground beside an Amtrak line. Upon hearing this news, he had to see for himself - and sure enough, there were over 100 residents living in the darkness. Marc befriended a few of these people, and eventually realized the importance of documenting the lives of these people. He scraped all of his pennies together and borrowed equipment until he was financially ready, and then moved in with the tunnel people for 2 years. The result is a documentary unlike any you've ever seen.
"Dark Days" is a story about the struggle to survive and the fact that there's always life willing to make due given even the slightest opportunity. The homeless people who inhabit the tunnel are much better off than they would be above - they can avoid pestering cops or violent teenagers, and they can even build homes. The main problem in the tunnel is rats, however the residents have taken to using cats and dogs as pets to take care of their pests. Tapping into the city, they've even pulled off fully functional electricity - suddenly, the days aren't so dark with lighting and television sets. One of these people argues that you can find anything you want if you look hard enough, and sure enough he presents CDs, books, television sets, and fully functional heaters. I've never felt so wasteful in my life as I was watching this movie.
Marc Singer focuses on a handful of individuals in this community. My favorite was Ralph, a reformed drug addict who has a pet dog. He claims that 80% of the tunnel residents are crackheads, but he eventually quit after it consumed his life - he never found a way to top that first hit he had obsessed over so much. There's also Julio and Lee, who are always filmed together. These make quite the duo. Lee has a shaggy beard and raggedy clothes and simply laughs, while Julio comes off as a real-life combination of Rory Cochrane's character in "Dazed and Confused" and Cheech Marin.
Perhaps the character we grow to sympathize the most with is Dee, whose house is burnt down during the film. She is forced to move in with Ralph, and in the process she reveals that she ended up where she is afters she found out her two children were killed in a fire. She's not the only one who has a story about a horrific fate of their kids. Suddenly, we don't look at these people as mentally-ill scavengers, but more as human beings.
The content of "Dark Days" is obviously unique and fascinating, but what really stands out about the film is just how beautifully shot it was. Shot all in grainy black + white, it resembles a film from the 1950's more than it does a modern documentary. There's a quiet charm to it all, and it's completely engrossing. The beginning sequence, in which we follow Greg as he descends into the tunnels, shows an astute eye for film technique. It's a shame that Singer hasn't delved further into the world of film, as this is a remarkable effort. This may have been the most aesthetically beautiful documentary film i've ever seen.
"Dark Days" illustrates the unbreakable human spirit and the will to survive. These people leave home enthusiastically screaming they "gotta get paid", and happily return with $10. It really makes you second guess your place in this country, and makes you feel bad everytime you've bitched about paying $4 a gallon for gas. "Dark Days" is not only beautiful and entertaining, but it also completely alters your worldview. This was fascinating, and one of the most worthwhile documentary films out there.
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