It's nigh-impossible not to be moved by Marc Singer's remarkable first film, about a community of homeless people living in a train tunnel beneath Manhattan. What's even more inspiring is how the film got made. Then-20-year-old Singer, who'd never before run a camera, lived underground with his subjects, recruited them as crew, convinced local merchants to donate equipment and even sold his own bed to buy film. His original goal in making the film was to fund its denizens' move out of the tunnel. The result is a fascinating slice of a part of life most of us have never considered. The characters are gritty, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic and always very real. Dark Days takes homelessness out of the realm of sociological phenomenon and into an almost-visceral engagement with these people and their lives. We look in as the characters decorate their scrap-metal shacks with discarded material, earn their livings, emotionally support each other and ultimately struggle with their homes' demise. Though clearly Singer roots for his subjects, he avoids the temptation to pity them; he simply calls it as he sees it - and has lived it. There's even a happy ending.
47 Reviews
great stylized documentary
theoscillator_1325 January 2006
I just came across this gem of a movie on cable last night. I'm not a social activist and I don't particularly have a soft spot in my heart for the homeless. I lived in San Francisco for a while and I got pan handled by at least 20 people a day walking back and forth to the train...usually much more then 20 people , so that made disillusioned pretty quickly. But watching this movie did exactly what Marc Singer set out to do...made me sympathetic to these individuals in the film regardless of my preconceptions about the homeless in the United States. Yes, most of the people in this film certainly didn't make the right decisions in life, some were openly smoking crack on camera and most definitely were not educated. But it made me realize that we all make some mistakes and it is possible for some of those mistakes to spiral into their situations.
The "characters" in the film were all much more articulate then I would have expected from some homeless people. They all told their individual stories but none of them tried to make any excuses for things they've done in the past to get them where they were which is what I think ultimately made me feel sympathetic to them.
But it was the style of this film that really sucked me in before the characters and subject matter did. It was beautifully shot on B&W film which was impressive considering the lighting issues inside the tunnel. The soundtrack from DJ Shadow was also excellent and really added to the mood of this film. Overall, a great doc. I recommend it to everyone.
The "characters" in the film were all much more articulate then I would have expected from some homeless people. They all told their individual stories but none of them tried to make any excuses for things they've done in the past to get them where they were which is what I think ultimately made me feel sympathetic to them.
But it was the style of this film that really sucked me in before the characters and subject matter did. It was beautifully shot on B&W film which was impressive considering the lighting issues inside the tunnel. The soundtrack from DJ Shadow was also excellent and really added to the mood of this film. Overall, a great doc. I recommend it to everyone.
god bless the homeless
bedazzle11 April 2001
This movie hits upon all the emotional movers: laughter, sadness, regret, hope. The alternative life style is like you've never seen or heard or could have understand through the usual stereotypes. The screen shots are well captured and the music of dj shadow neatly completes the puzzle.
The only part I didn't enjoy was the ending. Not that I have anything against those sorts of endings, but as Marc Singer himself told me after the movie, it was unrealistic. It was only possible because of the negative press associated with the issue and the particular homeless of the film. An all-too-real look into american subcultures shouldn't stray into fantasy in the end. I would have lengthened the beginning and middle, and simply left out the ending. BUT, the movie was still great, 9 of 10.
The only part I didn't enjoy was the ending. Not that I have anything against those sorts of endings, but as Marc Singer himself told me after the movie, it was unrealistic. It was only possible because of the negative press associated with the issue and the particular homeless of the film. An all-too-real look into american subcultures shouldn't stray into fantasy in the end. I would have lengthened the beginning and middle, and simply left out the ending. BUT, the movie was still great, 9 of 10.
Awesome first-time documentary
dillrod14 March 2000
Dark Days is an amazing first-time documentary project. I saw this last night and was blown away. The guy shot a huge amount of film before developing anything. He was lucky he got the light metering right under such challenging conditions!!! He also never checked the audio until all the shooting was done (more than 50 hours)- another small bit of luck! Mark lived in the tunnels under New York City with homeless people for two years while filming this documentary. He lived homeless in every aspect, even dumpster diving for food.
As for the content of the film, it's an incredibly compassionate look into the lives of a few of the many homeless people who lived under New York City in abandoned railway tunnels for decades. Up until recent years, there was a community of multiple thousands of people living down there. Having read the book the Mole People, I'd say this movie is a more compelling and insightful examination of this story.
As for the content of the film, it's an incredibly compassionate look into the lives of a few of the many homeless people who lived under New York City in abandoned railway tunnels for decades. Up until recent years, there was a community of multiple thousands of people living down there. Having read the book the Mole People, I'd say this movie is a more compelling and insightful examination of this story.
Good God What a Great Film
Soujiro9 December 2000
I enjoyed this film on a lot of different levels. The camera work is really beautiful, and the film has a loose narrative structure with an uplifting ending. All of the people in the film are very articulate in their own way, which shatters some of the stereotypes people have about the homeless. The movie definitely takes sides, and is sympathetic towards the homeless, but it also makes it very clear that the people made poor choices in their life which lead to their situation. Even in the midst of all their suffering, I found it surprising that they all have excellent senses of humor. The response to the question of "what item that you find in the trash is the easiest to sell?" is particularly hilarious.
It was also nice to see how many of the people in the tunnel form friendships, depend on each other in tough times, and know all of their neighbors' names, something which most people in the US can't claim. The symbolism of the white man and black woman tearing down their home is kind of over the top, but it did make me feel good. I guess I'm a sucker for cheesy stuff like that. The score by DJ Shadow is also extremely well done and appropriate. I agree that the average homeless person in the United States can afford to be much more lazy than those in other poorer countries, and they definitely have more opportunities to escape from poverty, but that doesn't mean that their situation should be taken lightly or ignored.
To the commenter who was angered at the use of the words "faggot" and "sissy" you can't possibly hold bad language and grammar against the people in the film. Have you ever listened to a conversation among children in the supposedly wholesome Midwest, or even in supposedly tolerant cities like San Francisco? I can assure you that the term "faggot" is still tossed around quite a bit. Homophobic attitudes and language are certainly reprehensible coming from educated, middle class children, but coming from an individual surrounded by poverty, chewed up and spit out by the criminal justice system, and breast fed on American popular culture, I don't find it to be much of an offense.
My only complaint would be that the film sugar coats everything a bit by ignoring some of the more unsavory aspects of homeless life and not interviewing the less appealing inhabitants. However, the overall impact of the film is powerful, and ultimately it is a film that everyone should see because it's entertaining and informative on many, many levels. Out of the hundreds of documentaries I have seen, this is definitely one of the top ten, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I will remember it my entire life.
It was also nice to see how many of the people in the tunnel form friendships, depend on each other in tough times, and know all of their neighbors' names, something which most people in the US can't claim. The symbolism of the white man and black woman tearing down their home is kind of over the top, but it did make me feel good. I guess I'm a sucker for cheesy stuff like that. The score by DJ Shadow is also extremely well done and appropriate. I agree that the average homeless person in the United States can afford to be much more lazy than those in other poorer countries, and they definitely have more opportunities to escape from poverty, but that doesn't mean that their situation should be taken lightly or ignored.
To the commenter who was angered at the use of the words "faggot" and "sissy" you can't possibly hold bad language and grammar against the people in the film. Have you ever listened to a conversation among children in the supposedly wholesome Midwest, or even in supposedly tolerant cities like San Francisco? I can assure you that the term "faggot" is still tossed around quite a bit. Homophobic attitudes and language are certainly reprehensible coming from educated, middle class children, but coming from an individual surrounded by poverty, chewed up and spit out by the criminal justice system, and breast fed on American popular culture, I don't find it to be much of an offense.
My only complaint would be that the film sugar coats everything a bit by ignoring some of the more unsavory aspects of homeless life and not interviewing the less appealing inhabitants. However, the overall impact of the film is powerful, and ultimately it is a film that everyone should see because it's entertaining and informative on many, many levels. Out of the hundreds of documentaries I have seen, this is definitely one of the top ten, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I will remember it my entire life.
Beautiful Story of Determination, Self-Exhile, Self-Forgiveness and Encouragement
sorianophoto13 February 2005
To actually get the full effect of the documentary, one must watch the special features on the DVD. From there one will learn that the crew for the movie was composed of the same homeless people who were the subject of the film. These folks knew nothing of film-making, but with the encouragement of one, yes ONE, person, they became a team and had a purpose and something to look forward to.
The point of their teamwork wasn't to gain a home via the welfare system. Their point was to make a film and use any profits toward getting their own home. They knew day in and day out that everything they had worked on up to that point could be useless if the money ran out, but they did it anyway. They went through everything we throw away and made something of it and themselves. Never once did any of the people who were homeless show self-pity. Some even explained how they got where they were and why they stayed there. Watching their story puts a human face and the people we don't even recognize as human when we see them on the street. It is a beautiful story of self-exhile, self-determination and giving back.
If you are bitter, jaded, depressed or full of self-pity, then run to the video store to get this movie. Then be thankful you have a warm dry place to live, money to rent movies and a TV and DVD player.
The point of their teamwork wasn't to gain a home via the welfare system. Their point was to make a film and use any profits toward getting their own home. They knew day in and day out that everything they had worked on up to that point could be useless if the money ran out, but they did it anyway. They went through everything we throw away and made something of it and themselves. Never once did any of the people who were homeless show self-pity. Some even explained how they got where they were and why they stayed there. Watching their story puts a human face and the people we don't even recognize as human when we see them on the street. It is a beautiful story of self-exhile, self-determination and giving back.
If you are bitter, jaded, depressed or full of self-pity, then run to the video store to get this movie. Then be thankful you have a warm dry place to live, money to rent movies and a TV and DVD player.
Dark Days, Lost Souls
annecwatters6 March 2007
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.
dark enough
the_crock3 August 2005
This movie is amazing. Essentially made by the homeless about the homeless (with some help from an Englishman with no film experience). The 16mm looks amazing, and the darkness of the underground is a great setting. This movie won awards at Sundance and it's not hard to see why, this sort of bleeding heart left story line is always good for a for awards. This film actually deserved all the awards and it's not often I say that about a movie. It is essentially the story of homeless people living in a community under Penn Station in New York, and all the characters are engaging and fun, even if it is hard to understand them at times. This is what documentary film making should be about, this movie wasn't made by a film student, it was made by someone who felt deeply for the homeless and decided to help them. And because of this film all the homeless living there were given homes.
Commendable though rather superficial documentary on a tough, worthy topic
gridoon202428 May 2020
Homelessness is a subject which is rarely touched upon by cinema; after all, most people try their best to ignore it in real life, they don't want to be reminded of it in the movies. "Dark Days" has some strong, revealing, unfiltered moments, but although it goes deep down in a spatial sense, it only touches the surface when it comes to the hows and whys, the causes and effects of the situation. Still, it did shed some light and apparently it did help some of these people get noticed and receive help in real life; that's something Marc Singer can be proud of. **1/2 out of 4.
Dark Days captures the consequences of human suffering and hardship
bijpatel8 November 2005
Dark Days is an excellent documentary highlighting the hardships faced by the homeless people of New York City. Castigated and mistreated by citizens and government officials on the streets, the homeless resort to living in the underground railway tunnels, where they will be left alone. Mark Singer does an excellent job of showing that the 'land of the free' is not so free when people are denied basic human rights. Singer allows his audience to partake in communication with the homeless, something we rarely take the time to do when we pass a homeless person on the streets. His documentary helps us understand their backgrounds and misfortunes and how they came to be homeless. Singer's documentary really compels one to fight the stereotypes and discomforts associated with the homeless. He captures human suffering in a place where we most often forget to look for it.
"follows the tunnel folks in their lives"
Giz_Medium2 November 2020
This movie is set around the some of the same tunnel people interviewed for the book I reviewed last month. This documentary doesn't research as much the administrative parts like the book, but rather follows the tunnel folks in their lives. underground, can collecting, foraging and discussions about drug abuses. It's interesting that for the most part, the words are left to the squatters, rather an off-camera narrator. I'm bringing the term "squatters" myself which is odd because no link is being made through the movie with the squatter's movement, strong in NYC at about the same time, and despite all of the times interviewed insist on not being homeless.
Stunning and Powerful
Matt_Layden7 February 2008
Dark Days tells the story of homeless people living under the real world and in a community they created themselves, near the train tracks in New York.
Mar Singer's Dark Days is an amateur filmmaker creating a visually and emotionally powerful film experience. The lives of the people living underneath our world in a community of their own near the train tracks is horrifying, yet their community and respect for each other is tremendous. The main attraction I had to this film were the characters living in this world they created. You become a part of their lives; you live in this world with them. You see them living in these conditions and their addictions you just want to help them yourself. You hope and pray that they can make it out of their and make a living outside.
To make a film like this takes dedication and it's apparent that these filmmakers had good intentions and were dedicated to this project. Their passion and energy are shown in the film, which is what most films are missing these days. A passion for the story they are telling. Dark Days has all of this and more.
The use of black and white emphasizes their living conditions. It's cold and dark down there and we see this through the black and white. Even though I believe it was not their intention to shoot in black and white because of the inexperience of the crew, it worked to their advantage. If everything were in colour, the film would give off an entirely different emotion and would seem that it was just a guy with a camera shooting stuff.
The music itself is powerful and moving. It fits perfectly with the style, characters and emotions of the film. I was so impressed with this film that I did research on it immediately after I had seen it and learned that the director himself had lived down there for months before he decided to film. This fact adds more emotion to the film for me. It's not about a guy filming these people down here; it's one of their own shinning the light on their own situation. The fact that everyone on the crew had no prior filming experience increases the enjoyment of the film as well.
It is so well made that it gives me, as a film student that anything is possibly. I never imagined this film being inspirational but that's the way it turned out for me. Aside from some pacing issues that film is near perfect.
We follow one of these people down into their world and we live down their, with everyone throughout the film. We see how they interact with each other, how they take care of their homes, how they find food and shower. The film ends with their victory in overcoming homelessness. It plays out like a film dramatic film.
It's been weeks after viewing this film and it is still in my mind. One of the best documentaries I have ever seen and my favourite film watched this year.
Mar Singer's Dark Days is an amateur filmmaker creating a visually and emotionally powerful film experience. The lives of the people living underneath our world in a community of their own near the train tracks is horrifying, yet their community and respect for each other is tremendous. The main attraction I had to this film were the characters living in this world they created. You become a part of their lives; you live in this world with them. You see them living in these conditions and their addictions you just want to help them yourself. You hope and pray that they can make it out of their and make a living outside.
To make a film like this takes dedication and it's apparent that these filmmakers had good intentions and were dedicated to this project. Their passion and energy are shown in the film, which is what most films are missing these days. A passion for the story they are telling. Dark Days has all of this and more.
The use of black and white emphasizes their living conditions. It's cold and dark down there and we see this through the black and white. Even though I believe it was not their intention to shoot in black and white because of the inexperience of the crew, it worked to their advantage. If everything were in colour, the film would give off an entirely different emotion and would seem that it was just a guy with a camera shooting stuff.
The music itself is powerful and moving. It fits perfectly with the style, characters and emotions of the film. I was so impressed with this film that I did research on it immediately after I had seen it and learned that the director himself had lived down there for months before he decided to film. This fact adds more emotion to the film for me. It's not about a guy filming these people down here; it's one of their own shinning the light on their own situation. The fact that everyone on the crew had no prior filming experience increases the enjoyment of the film as well.
It is so well made that it gives me, as a film student that anything is possibly. I never imagined this film being inspirational but that's the way it turned out for me. Aside from some pacing issues that film is near perfect.
We follow one of these people down into their world and we live down their, with everyone throughout the film. We see how they interact with each other, how they take care of their homes, how they find food and shower. The film ends with their victory in overcoming homelessness. It plays out like a film dramatic film.
It's been weeks after viewing this film and it is still in my mind. One of the best documentaries I have ever seen and my favourite film watched this year.
Very well-made documentary that turns me off...
innocuous25 March 2009
Singer did a great job with this documentary, especially consider his age and lack of experience when he filmed it. His ability to overcome the budgetary and technical constraints is astonishing. The end-result is an above-average documentary.
I understand that Singer's original intention was to help some of the subterranean "citizens" with profits from this film. Like the documentary, "Born Into Brothels", this is (I guess) an admirable goal, but it certainly interfered with the movie itself.
With all that out of the way, let me conclude by saying that I did not find it very enjoyable. I don't mean that I felt guilty or uncomfortable watching this chronicle of life on the outer reaches of society. I mean that I got a bit angry and fed-up with the situation. Are these people marginalized? Yes, undoubtedly. Do they live where they do because of a "few bad choices"? No. A couple bad choices lead you to buy a car that's a lemon, or to hit on the boss's spouse at your company Christmas party. People who deliberately commit crimes and turn to drugs are doing a lot more than making bad choices. Finally, are there options for these people to help get them back into the mainstream? Yes...if they stop making "bad choices".
Worth watching, but be prepared to be frustrated if you are a person who has worked hard all his/her life and obeyed (mostly) the law.
I understand that Singer's original intention was to help some of the subterranean "citizens" with profits from this film. Like the documentary, "Born Into Brothels", this is (I guess) an admirable goal, but it certainly interfered with the movie itself.
With all that out of the way, let me conclude by saying that I did not find it very enjoyable. I don't mean that I felt guilty or uncomfortable watching this chronicle of life on the outer reaches of society. I mean that I got a bit angry and fed-up with the situation. Are these people marginalized? Yes, undoubtedly. Do they live where they do because of a "few bad choices"? No. A couple bad choices lead you to buy a car that's a lemon, or to hit on the boss's spouse at your company Christmas party. People who deliberately commit crimes and turn to drugs are doing a lot more than making bad choices. Finally, are there options for these people to help get them back into the mainstream? Yes...if they stop making "bad choices".
Worth watching, but be prepared to be frustrated if you are a person who has worked hard all his/her life and obeyed (mostly) the law.
interesting topic that was not brought to its full potential
kcordell-837-2746226 November 2013
The documentary Dark Days created by Marc Singer shows a seemingly interesting inside scoop on the lives of the homeless who set up shelter in the New York City Amtrak system. This highly ambitious film was not as moving as one would hope. Singer did not include a variety of shots so I found myself getting bored, quick. The pacing of the film was painfully slow where each shaky hand held clip lasted long enough to lose my attention. I found myself questioning when the movie was ever going to end, it seemed like it never reached a climax and there was no real conflict shown in the film itself. The only scenes that I actually felt emotion for were when two of the homeless folks talked about the horrific events that happened to their children, other than that I slouched in my chair and pleaded for the ending to come soon. Singer had a topic with such high potential but he dropped the ball as far as captivating me visually and keeping me emotionally invested in his film.
Gritty, heart-felt and all-too real
george.schmidt28 April 2004
DARK DAYS (2000) *** First time filmmaker Marc Singer won independent festival accolades for his debut in documentary storytelling with this gritty, heart-felt and all-too real depiction of New York City's homeless community living in the dank, hellish train tunnels of Grand Central Station and their plight of trying to survive day to day with no hope in sight for redemption among the throw-away society the nation has been partaken to. Singer, who actually lived with his subjects for two years, gave up much of his life savings and his own personal lifestyle, employed many of the film's profiled as crew and in the end run split profit sharing as well. Although by the end of the film those depicted are shown with a positive ending throughout the sense of desperation, anger and pain is on full display.
Wonderful Movie about the Homeless
wh0izzit8 July 2006
This movie really moved me and it makes me angry that our government can't provide some sort of shelter for people down on their luck. It was obvious that all of these people were just normal people like everyone else and just needed a place to stay.
Our government takes all these taxes but can't provide anything for the residents of this country in hard times.
The movie interviewed about 10 or 15 main people and showed how they lived from day to day. It really showed that these people were not so different from anyone else and how they just ended up down in the tunnels by accident. I thought this might be kind of boring since it was a documentary but it wasn't. It was a very interesting and well put together. I think the work put into this movie is why it didn't have the usual boring documentary format. The movie maker himself almost ended up down in the tunnels while trying to make this movie!
This movie is a real work of art, lots of love was put into the making of this movie, with real people and real situations.
Our government takes all these taxes but can't provide anything for the residents of this country in hard times.
The movie interviewed about 10 or 15 main people and showed how they lived from day to day. It really showed that these people were not so different from anyone else and how they just ended up down in the tunnels by accident. I thought this might be kind of boring since it was a documentary but it wasn't. It was a very interesting and well put together. I think the work put into this movie is why it didn't have the usual boring documentary format. The movie maker himself almost ended up down in the tunnels while trying to make this movie!
This movie is a real work of art, lots of love was put into the making of this movie, with real people and real situations.
Marc Singer's Extraordinary Dumpster-Diving Exposé
jzappa10 November 2008
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!
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!
A revelation
mcnally26 May 2003
This film was a revelation, in more ways than one. First-time (and completely inexperienced) filmmaker Marc Singer had heard about a group of homeless people living in the train tunnels under Penn Station in New York City. After getting to know them for more than three months, he came up with the idea of making a documentary film about their lives. He thought that he could use the money the film made to find housing for all of them. The "subjects" of this documentary were full-fledged participants in the resulting film, serving as crew as well as cast. Singer lived with these people, out of love and sometimes necessity (he ran out of money for the film and was himself homeless for a while), and he lovingly portrays the humanity of this community. And it is a community in every sense. People build their own shacks underground, furnish them with found items, and are even able to hook up electricity. I can't say enough about this film. This might be the only DVD I've ever watched straight through twice, just so I could hear Singer's fascinating commentary. There's also a 45-minute "making-of" which is essential viewing. A perfect soundtrack from DJ Shadow and a hopeful ending round out the experience. A must-see. (10/10)
Fantastic
BoSoxMick18 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
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.
Rent this movie, watch it, buy it, whatever you have to do. It's worth the 97 minutes of your life.
Excellent
tigerstyle15 March 2006
One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. It really changes the way you think about homelessness. The cast of real people in this film are refreshingly charismatic. I really didn't expect to be blown away by a film like this, but trust me it's really an excellent work. The fact that Marc Singer had the balls to venture into the cavernous abyss of the Penn Station tunnels for such a long period of time to make this film makes it even more admirable. For me this film to me really has taken the genre to its highest level because the director actually lived and survived with the cast of the film and literally became homeless himself, not to mention letting them take an active role in making it in terms of production. I really can't think of a truer way to shoot a documentary like this one.
Coming out of the rut
lou-501 October 2000
Warning: Spoilers
The plight of the homeless has been a challenging subject to put on screen. The fictionalized account in "Midnight Cowboy" and the true grit realism in "Streetwise" are excellent examples. In "Dark Days", writer and director Marc Singer follows the lives of a small group of displaced people living in the Amtrak tunnels in New York City. For most of this very sympathetic film, Singer tries to authenticate their existence. They have, after all, an independence that allows them to build and maintain their little houses, use free electricity, and take advantage of an occasional leaking water line. They are, by-in-large, current or previous drug users who seem to have the savvy to escape their squalor but don't. One tunnel dweller returns to his friends after finishing a residential drug rehab program where they still serve their favorite egg plant parmigiana. They excuse away their rodent infestation and their sunless days and nights by maintaining that the streets above them are much more dangerous and unhealthy. We meet the bubbly Greg and the emotionally bitter Tommy who have managed to stay in this encampment for some time even though they act like they could do better. There is Dee, remorseful that her two children died in a fire while she lives on her pitiful existence, trapped in a vicious cycle of crack cocaine use. Together they rummage garbage for leftover food and resalable items that an affluent New York readily gives out. In the end, the Amtrak authorities decide the shanty tunnel town must go and even the local homeless coalition gets into the act to move them away from an eyesore existence they were all willing to accept for so long. It is a radical departure from a film that, up to that point, romanticized rather than pitied their well established digs. The irony is that these homeless, now reestablished in comfortable apartments, all remark that their previous existence seemed like a bad nightmare. What a departure from the hostility they felt with being removed from the one environment they were the most comfortable. And what does "Dark Days" say about all the other homeless, living on the edge, who have not been challenged to see how life is really like on the other side.
Excellent
Raina-931 July 2006
Extremely interesting and very well done! Very sad that in this country of extreme wealth and over consumerism, we can't help others. Story seems to have a happy ending, but not at the hands of our inattentive government. How about some social programs so no one has to live with rats, underground! Marc Singer has taken a delicate subject and shed some real light on it. It is a film that should be required watching, especially for students of social reform. My only question is "What happened to the animals these people keep as pets?" Where are they? Have they too, been thrown by the wayside by a non caring government? Isn't it time we stop spending on an oil war and take care of those at home?
Fine movie
jpetit2924 February 2006
Just finished watching Dark Days and "WOW". Been a while since a movie touched me like that. I enjoyed the people and could somewhat identify with them; not that I have been homeless but close to it. This movie shows real heartfelt stories and makes you think a lot. To think that at the end they were all so happy for their new place. These people are amazing, Marc is amazing to have brought us these people and their story. I sincerely hope that they are all doing fine and enjoying their new places. Life is a battle but I saw some real winners tonight. Thank you. Thank you for the coalition to take part of the fight for human rights and to give a voice to the less fortunate.($) We are all the same and we should all be treated equally. It's sad to think that many times we are not heard simply because we live in a society that makes us different because of the size of our wallets. Let's not forget the most important lesson here, we are all special and unique in our own way.
stark and up front, no punches pulled. this is how it is underground
Quinoa198413 January 2008
Marc Singer's Dark Days details the 'life-styles' of several people who live (or rather used to live) in self-made homes next to and under the subway tracks in Manhattan. Singer, who used to live homeless, seems to have no qualms about just showing up front all of the grime and sludge and garbage and rats and, of course, darkness that these people dwell in. And it's so simple and precise, for the bulk of it, that one's glad it doesn't go any other way. For Singer it's something of luck- though more-so for those who lived underground- that they finally were put into housing by the end, because it provides just a bit more than what he already had. For the first hour, however, it's completely revelatory in his approach: it's just these guys up on the screen, in the kind of black and white cinematography that's as bare-bones as Clerks.
In a look at the homeless there could be the tendency to become schmaltzy or too preachy. Singer allows for room in his film where these people talk to one another, conversations that wouldn't be seen in a more conventional journalism-type piece. And when Singer gets interviews and confessions, they're genuinely moving: we hear how some of these guys got to this point, where their children died or they lost everything and it's not exactly by choice they're at where they're at now. On the other hand, there's also the 'perks' of living in underground squalor, where the problems for homeless living above ground are greater than those who live below, with (surprisingly) electricity and ovens. There's actually a legitimate argument (though legitimate depending on what you think of rats and crack-heads) for living this way if you're homeless.
The approach is with the superlative 'direct-cinema' quality that comes with the likes of Maysles movies, but Singer's style is also adept at getting noirish imagery. And the music selections by DJ Shadow is spot-on for the imagery (save for the last few minutes, where Singer slightly missteps in putting music over dialog when in previous scenes there was none). It's a movie that forces one to think about the nature of the lower class, where they aren't always as such; a personal view of race, class, drug-use, and living for the city, without any pretensions about itself. It's some of the most compelling documentary film-making I've seen this decade. 9.5/10
In a look at the homeless there could be the tendency to become schmaltzy or too preachy. Singer allows for room in his film where these people talk to one another, conversations that wouldn't be seen in a more conventional journalism-type piece. And when Singer gets interviews and confessions, they're genuinely moving: we hear how some of these guys got to this point, where their children died or they lost everything and it's not exactly by choice they're at where they're at now. On the other hand, there's also the 'perks' of living in underground squalor, where the problems for homeless living above ground are greater than those who live below, with (surprisingly) electricity and ovens. There's actually a legitimate argument (though legitimate depending on what you think of rats and crack-heads) for living this way if you're homeless.
The approach is with the superlative 'direct-cinema' quality that comes with the likes of Maysles movies, but Singer's style is also adept at getting noirish imagery. And the music selections by DJ Shadow is spot-on for the imagery (save for the last few minutes, where Singer slightly missteps in putting music over dialog when in previous scenes there was none). It's a movie that forces one to think about the nature of the lower class, where they aren't always as such; a personal view of race, class, drug-use, and living for the city, without any pretensions about itself. It's some of the most compelling documentary film-making I've seen this decade. 9.5/10
Living amongst the rats in New York.
deloudelouvain9 December 2020
The choice of shooting this gripping documentary in black and white was perfect. It added to the dark atmosphere those homeless people have to live in. Living like rats in this century, and that whilst other people live in luxury just a couple blocks away, it's a harsh contrast. Not all homeless are crackheads, some came in this situation by bad luck, bad choices in life or other circumstances. It doesn't really matter, what matters is how we still allow for people to live like this. The documentary is exceptionally well shot, with poignant interviews from desperate people that still try to see the positive in their situations. It's hard to imagine some of them lived there for over twenty years, I doubt I could make it longer than one day. Dark Days by Marc Singer is an eye opener if you have no clue how people try to survive day by day, how some futile things to us are so important to others. The soundtrack of DJ Shadow fitted perfectly. Glad to see the documentary ended with some hopeful images as nobody deserves to live like this.
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