'30 Days of Night' a ruthlessly dark tale

Every year in the region of Barrow, Alaska, top of the world, northernmost settlement in the U.S., the sun sets for a month due to the tilt and revolution of the earth. Those residents who can't handle it say their farewells and head south for the month. Those who can, steel themselves for the long, cold night to come.

It is ritual in Barrow. Tradition. And everyone there knows what to expect and how to live through it. But this year they could not have predicted, could never have prepared for what was coming for them.

Cell phones were stolen and found burnt to a crisp. The town's sled dogs were discovered brutally murdered in their kennels and as the sun set, with it went the town's power and all communication with the rest of the world. This year, Barrow was to be a feeding ground, a killing field, for a small army of vampires thirsty for warm, human blood.

"30 Days of Night" is a powerfully dark and gruesome film. Director David Slade took his first step into this genre with strong choices and a keen sense of suspense and horror — and with his previous work consisting mostly of music videos, that's saying a lot.

The film begins with a cold, almost colorless Columbia Pictures emblem and a high pitched crescendo that separates the film's beginning from the trailers that precede it as if to say "Get ready, you're about to be horrified."

A lone man stands at an icy Alaskan shore looking out, the sun not too far from the horizon. A life boat sits still in the water and it is revealed that he stares at a huge ship not far from the shore, its stacks smoking, its mass still, waiting. The man leaves the shore and walks through the snow, finally reaching the town of Barrow which is abuzz with preparation for the dark month to come.

We are left asking "What is this stranger's purpose? Who has sent him?"

The key players in the film's plot are briefly but adequately introduced. The sense of isolation that approaches with the setting sun falls over the audience.

The danger of merely staying in town for 30 dark days is enough to set your nerves on edge. And then the attack begins.

Josh Hartnett (Eben) and Melissa George (Stella) give good performances as the leaders of the pack of survivors this story follows. In fact, overall, the cast did quite well. The panic and terror of the men and women of Barrow was palpable and the vicious, feral, almost alien nature of the vampires set a new standard for silver screen blood suckers.

The band of undead in "30 Days of Night" are a fanatic group, following their leader Marlow (Danny Huston) without question. There is a sense that they are a family and Marlow sits at the head of the table. We never learn their origin or their age, but the few details we are given lend a good deal of depth to these villains.

Marlow speaks in an unidentifiable language and vocalizes while breathing in as much as breathing out.

The few times he speaks, there is a clear contempt for mankind, our weaknesses and beliefs, almost a proselytizing to his "children" on the folly of their prey. This makes for an interesting contrast: the vampires hate what keeps them alive.

Although at times it seemed too bright to be night, the lighting and colors (or lack thereof) were well chosen and the score was a perfect combination of well-engineered ambience and sharp percussion.

Something refreshing about "30 Days of Night" is its lack of levity. The subtle humor in the beginning of the movie ended with the sunlight and, to its closing credits, the film remained true to the nature of its title.

No one-liners, no comic relief.

I would go so far as to say this is a ruthlessly dark story. Though I agree that well-placed humor can heighten the sense of fright and terror, I thought the consistent dark tone throughout "30 Days" was an effective way to put the audience in the shoes of the townspeople trying to survive until sunrise, at wit's end and begging for mercy.

I tip my hat to Slade. It's been a while since I've been able to not only give praise for a work of horror, but gush about it. If you enjoy this genre do not miss "30 Days of Night." You'll regret it for the rest of your tiny, insignificant life.

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