Over the weekend, Media Matters was going to host a screening of "The Crow." We thought it would be a good tie-in with Halloween, as the gothic film revolves around a man who returns from the dead on Halloween night to avenge his fiancée's murder.
Alas, the screening fell through, but it reminded me of what is arguably the most important reason we celebrate and study media — its cathartic power.
"The Crow" is a vivid example of how storytelling can serve as catharsis. Written after writer-artist James O’Barr’s girlfriend died at the hands of a drunk driver, the comic-book source material helped O'Barr overcome his grief. You can feel his pain and catharsis coursing through every panel of the comic book as its hero Eric Draven exacts revenge upon the thugs that killed him and his fiancée.The 1994 film adaptation is the swan song of its star Brandon Lee, who died tragically while making the film at the tender age of 28. (Lee died during one of the last weeks of production when the metal tip of a dummy bullet was unknowingly lodged in a prop gun and shot into his abdomen.) The juxtaposition of Lee's death and his character's resurrection roots the film in mysticism. The movie feels like an ethereal, otherworldly force — a message from the beyond.
"The Crow" immortalizes Lee and proves the comic book's message that people's spirits never die.
After carrying a few forgettable action vehicles, Lee was clearly ready to step out of the shadow cast by his father, the legendary Bruce Lee. In “The Crow,” he stands firmly on his own, delivering a powerful performance pulsating with energy and pathos.
In "The Crow," Lee's spirit along with that of O'Barr's girlfriend live on. The film and the comic book are testaments to media's visceral impact as well as its immortalizing, therapeutic power.
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