City of Ember

CITY OF EMBER. Gil Kenan, dir. Caroline Thompson, script, from the book by Jeanne Duprau. USA: Playtone, Walden Media (prod.) / Fox-Walden et al. (dist.; see IMDb for full list), 2008. Martin Laing, prod. design.

Two hundred years after what seems to be an apocalyptic war, the underground refuge of the remnant of humankind is running down, and escape is essential. See for an underground city with a dying generator at its "heart," done in BRAZIL-style, po-mo industrial funk. Students of mechanized underworlds should contrast the mise-en-scene with such modernist visions as METROPOLIS, THINGS TO COME, and THX-1138 (q.v.).

5. DRAMA, RDE, 12/X/08