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Powerful

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

"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.

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.

There is a tremendous advantage to living in the subway tunnels beneath New York City. You don't get assaulted by kids, harassed by cops or robbed in homeless shelters. You're on your own in ways perhaps some of the most privileged of us could see as a lifestyle for which to yearn.Marc Singer's dumpster-diving exposé documents an bizarrely remarkable world present underneath the streets of Manhattan. In the everlasting blackness of the tunnels, these apparent retreads back to the primordial soup make their homes by assembling sheds out of cardboard and wood, and stuff them with furniture schlepped down from the surface. They have electricity and water that they will never run out of because they don't pay bills on them, they even have bare-necessity stoves, refrigerators and TV set.Life is opportunistic and stumbles on its route everywhere it can survive at all, and there is some sort of evolutionary reversal regarding these subterranean residents, who have found a nook where they can carry on with their lives without the bureaucracy, conflicts, civilization and politics of the world just above them. They are not, they tend to point out, homeless. Singer learned about these people and went looking, and then came back to film them, which they helped to do with their own makeshift resources. Sooner or later making 16mm-shot Independent Spirit Award-winning documentary became his big passion. He poured all of his money into it, until he himself was homeless. It is an indelible experience about people who have tumbled through the crevices but, in spite of everything that has happened in their harrowing pasts, share many of the basic aspirations that make them just like you and me.Several of these people keep cats to keep the rats away. Rats and a lack of protection from harsh weather are the significant day-to-day issues, and stealing, which seems to be rare. In contrast, people help each other out. Some show Singer photos of their pets, who are their families. Aged reminiscences still ache. For instance, Dee is a woman who has a crack addiction. Her story is anyone's worst nightmare. It is a wonder to see her as the sum total of her past decisions, misfortune and tragedy.The occupants climb to the outside for food, most of the time in the garbage, and neat stuff. They rummage around for cans and bottles that can be cash in. Every so often they happen upon things they can sell. To refer to a homeless person as a loser, irresponsible or lazy is either uninformed or badly informed, because he or she have to work without end simply to continue living. To pass them by saying, "Get a job," is an unpleasant misunderstanding, considering their prospects. This unadulterated piece of palpable, tangible reality is the visual rendering of people who persistently aim to sustain some dignity in the face of personal disaster.The film's crew comprised the subjects themselves, who rigged up makeshift lighting and steadicam dollies on Amtrak railroads, some abandoned, some just fortunately not being used at the moment. Singer himself had never made a movie before, and saw the production of this compelling picture as a way to achieve better accommodation for these people. And it won a Best Cinematography Award at Sundance!

I thought the movie was outstanding. It's currently On Demand for free, so it's right there to check out. Personally, the pets relations got me the most. The guy who showed pictures of his pets, describing what they meant to him. Just pure stuff right there, and the other guy with the dogs in a pen. The ultimate transition of these folks talking in darkness, to talking near windows of their new apartments was outstanding. The fellow who was cooking underground, and then cooking in his apartment.. I digress, if you've seen this movie you know what i'm talking about.Rent this movie, watch it, buy it, whatever you have to do. It's worth the 97 minutes of your life.