James O’Barr was compelled to create the comic book series The Crow in 1988 following the tragic death of his fiancée in a car crash. The cover art for The Crow featured the blurb, “For Some Things… There Is No Forgiveness” which still serves as the bedrock of the story. It was made into a stunning gothic film in 1994 by Alex Proyas and stars Brandon Lee as Eric/ The Crow. Thirty years later O’Barr’s graphic novel is transformed into updated film written by Zach Baylin and William Josef Schneider and directed by Rupert Sanders (Ghost In The Shell).

Crows, ravens and other black birds have long been mentioned in folklore and mythology. Edgar Allan Poe made full use of them in his depictions of death, transformation and travels into the afterlife. They represent darkness and light. Grief and hope.

This foundation is the springboard for the story of musician Eric (aka The Crow) (Peter (Skarsgård) avenging the death of his soulmate Shelly (FKA twigs) when their sketchy pasts catch up with them and Shelly is murdered. A tale of high action and revenge bursts open when Eric traverses the realms of the dead and living to find Shelly’s killers and resurrect her.

“The Crow’s DNA has alway been a deeply romantic helix of horror, music, and violent urban myth,” says co-writer Zach Baylin.

Eric (Bill Skarsgård) and Shelly (FKA twigs) Photo by Larry Horricks for Lionsgate Films

A Tale Of Supernatural Revenge and A Tale Of Romance

Director Rupert Sanders tilted his reworking of The Crow towards Eric and Shelly’s intense, but short-lived romance. “I wanted to invest audiences in their love story, and to have them understand what Eric will do when that love is taken from him,” he says.

The poignant feelings of loss, grief, powerlessness, and rage are elevated when you lose a loved one. What was the last thing you said to them? What can avenge their wrongful death?

Adding a romantic dimension to the dire spectre of loss, brings with it a sense of peace and healing. This adds a tenderness to The Crow because Eric knows that even if he finds Shelly’s killers, revenge will not free him from his heartbreak.

The romantic bond between Shelly and Eric is strengthened when they are presented as two outsiders in a rehab facility. Rupert Sanders describes them “as two broken lost souls.” Shelly escapes an untenable situation with Vincent Roe (Danny Huston) and she meets Eric who offers her safety, stability and unconditional love.

Life has forced Eric to form a hard shell to protect himself from the ravages of outside world. Music gives him peace and purpose. Drugs temporarily ease the emotional pain. He meets Shelly while he’s at his lowest ebb. She becomes his muse and lover and life is good for a while.

Eric and Shelly form two corners of the character square in The Crow. The next phase thrusts Eric into a supernatural world of mind-numbing relentless violence as he pits his eternal life against Shelly’s mortality.

The underworld brings with deeper mythological elements. We find out that Vincent is a familiar archetype who’s made a pact with the Devil. In exchange for avoiding hell, he must deliver the souls of cherry-picked innocent young ones when he grows tired of them. It’s imperative that he’s portrayed as a survivor rather than the embodiment of pure evil, despite his evil acts.

Kronos (Sami Bouajila) completes the character square in The Crow. He is the messenger who guides Eric through the underworld where he must deliver Vincent to him to settle an unpaid debt. In return, he’ll bring Shelly back to life. Eric sacrifices everything for Shelly to bring her back into the realm of the living knowing that he can’t join her.

There’s certainly poetry between the two world created in the world of The Crow.