blumdeluxe
"Dark Days" is a documentary dealing with the life of several people who found shelter and a home in the subway system of New York City. It follows them as they struggle to make a living between dirt, drugs and many individual stories.In my opinion, this is indeed an eye-opening film. It displays the life under harsh conditions without robbing the filmed person's dignity. It shows how even the dirtiest and poorest place can become a home and how even there, people are fighting some very common human problems. At the same time it makes you thankful for the life you have and makes you search for better ways to help and support homeless people. It takes the men and women serious and delivers a well-balanced portrait.All in all this is a movie that should be seen by many more people than it is already. It promotes solidarity, doesn't degrade people in all their suffering and displays the darker parts of our society.
Gabriel Plascencia
Singer accomplished an incredible feat in uncovering the realities of the underground, a place that simply isn't exposed all too often by filmmakers. Too no surprise, the setting was all it took to provide the film with amazing visual elements that had the power to really grasp the viewer's attention. Again, the footage is extremely rare, this served to open new perspectives on how some homeless live and what their "stuff" consist of. The camera angles provide a "real" feeling, as the camera focuses on individuals it seems to sometimes shake slightly. This shake though isn't unfortunate, as it adds on to the seriousness and reality of the documentary. At times, it seemed as if it wasn't to the individuals' knowledge that a camera was in their diameter, since there were scenes in which the individuals were simply being recorded interacting with each other, never once looking into the camera which really gave the audience a view of how the homeless interact with one another. Viewers also get a taste of exactly what it sounds like to live in the tunnel, as a train was almost constantly heard going over tracks above them, sometimes roaring by. While being in black and white is usually an element that pushes an audience away, in this case it did the exact opposite, since it abstractly took out the possibility of any "acting" and provided the audience with only the truth. "Nobody going to go down to mess with you," this was a quote said Ralph, one of the homeless men living in the tunnel. This quote reflects the level of safety he felt, which chances are, is the complete opposite of what is thought of by society "upstairs." Interestingly enough, New York is a major city, where crime roams the streets, but according to this individual the tunnels are a safe haven. It was heartwarming to see just how much pride these individuals, with so much lost in their lives, lived together and had so much pride in their habitation. Individuals are seen cutting each other's hair, going on food hunts and sharing meals, and even giving each other life advice. While there wasn't much argument, there was one altercation among two homeless men, but the interesting part was that it was about a cup that was left on the floor. One man claimed it attracted rats, which are extremely large in the area, and the other man tried to downplay it stating that it wasn't a big deal. The fact that the individuals got along as a family and the only real argument consisted of keeping up with cleaning, really displays their "middle-class" characteristics, since it is portrayed of a thing of middle or upper class to care of their environment while the lower class are used to living among trash. This is not to say that their taste was completely different from what is portrayed in society, as many did have a drug problem, that drug was crack. Ironically enough, it was stated that crack is what consumed their life, and is why they ended up there. Still, these individuals were looking to better, but more importantly, better each other as they were giving each other pep talks and trying to convince each other to stop doing the deadly drug. These were acts often seen made by a tight knit family, which was just an enjoyment to witness. One element of the film that I couldn't help to notice was the environment in which surrounded the homeless above the train tunnels. While the homeless spent the majority of their time underground, they surfaced at times to look for food and to make money, which meant buying or finding and reselling items like CD's and televisions. While being in the streets of New York, the camera recorded images of streets filled with trash on the floor, over-filled garbage cans, and graffiti all over walls. This means that the tunnels were most likely located in an under-served area of New York. Most likely, this area was inhibited by members of the lower to middle class, which might explain why social pressures of their presence wasn't as strong, since some of them were making a living there for over twenty years. Nonetheless, the pressures caught up to them which was the driving force for change. Ultimately, Marc Singer's mere selection of choosing the homeless, more interestingly the tunnels in which the homeless live, was an incredible stage in which to examine in the hidden elements of society. The homeless are often stripped of the "human-like" characteristics like having the ability to care for the environment and for each other, and having the want to aspire in life, but Singer drew light on their struggles and qualities. Although the film was extraordinary, one phase in which should have been more developed was in the life-changing aspect when they had to abruptly shift to life in an apartment. While it was an enjoyment to see their apartments full of furniture and life, it would be interesting to overview the steps in which they acquired everything they have today in their apartments or perhaps any struggles that were encountered while shifting into life in an apartment outside of the mental struggle. Overall, the film is an extremely pleasant encounter with a reality that is usually kicked under the rug, and opens new gateways into how it is important to appreciate and acknowledge each and every individual's struggles. References Singer, Marc, Dir. Dark Days. 2000. Film. 21 Oct 2013.
annecwatters
As we shift through the dark space of their world that is at once claustrophobic and cavernous, we see the mundane rituals of ordinary life play out: cooking, raising pets, cleaning, showering. The men (and one woman) of this film speak of a life lived autonomous from societal intervention. One senses that the filmmaker, and more adamantly the homeless themselves are trying to convince us that here in the subterranean garbage disposal of life, their needs are being met by the trash of the world that is chewed up and spit out. In the film, these leftovers become a metaphor for the people themselves - as they revel in finding a treasure of discarded donuts, or show their opportunist nature by collecting cans for cash to buy heroin. So our waste becomes their livelihood. We see them cook cornbread, they've got TV and radio and a space heater. "We're not homeless," one man tells us, "homeless is when you don't have a home." But then his friend corrects him. "Nah, you're still homeless. You just ain't helpless." But as the film progresses, we start to perceive something in the darkness, something invisible around the edges that keeps them buried underground; it's their addiction to drugs, and the memories of past lives that are fraught with anguish and suffering. They are lost souls - shadow people moving through an ethereal, timeless landscape.
robert-e-barber
This is what documentary is all about. After seeing this film, an attentive audience will have more empathy for homeless and less fortunate people. "Done changed my way of seeing." Don't miss the "making of.." sequence on the DVD, it is fascinating. This film raises important issues about affluence, security, people helping people. I have huge respect for Marc Singer -- Long may he run! Ten lines of text is a lot! I thought that brevity was the soul of wit. Anyway, I wholeheartedly recommend this film, although the language is too rough for young audiences. I teach video production in a high school, and I would not show this film without getting permission slips signed by parents first, because of the language, shots of drug use, and general scariness of some of the scenes. But the swearing is so poetically great! It is a big part of the appeal of the movie--the music and rhythms of gutterspeak.
