Night Watch (2004) might be described in various ways, but “conventional” and “dreary” are not one of them. Instead, the picture has the dual merits of being daring and exhilarating, but it has a constricted and chaotic plot that culminates in a conclusion that doesn’t explain the build-up. The biggest letdown with Night Watch is that it fizzles out at a vital time. Instead of the dramatic conclusion we are conditioned to believe, the film provides a practical, disappointing decision – one that offers more in the second book of a planned movie trilogy. Here is the plot and ending of Night Watch, 2004 movie, explained; spoilers ahead.
Night Watch (2004): About The Movie
When Night Watch was premiered in Russia, it quickly became an event film – the one film that everyone had to watch. (People could write a thesis about the film’s cult following in Russia: maybe because it’s a rare Russian-made endeavour that can compete with Hollywood movies? Or is it just because the dreary, apocalyptic situation appeals to Russians?) Day Watch’s second instalment of the three-part arc is currently in theatres and is playing to packed houses.
After realizing the potential for a cult following in the United States, Fox purchased the rights to the first two films and agreed to finance the third. As a result, night Watch will be shot in English and have a more significant budget than its predecessors.
Night Watch is stylistically similar to a rougher, less refined Underworld. It takes place in gloomy, gothic settings, ideally at home in black-and-white as they are in colour. The majority of the characters are filthy and untidy. The way the world seems through filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov’s vision, one wonders whether things haven’t already fallen to the wrong side, yet no one has noticed.
Night Watch (2004): Plot And Ending Explained
Here’s half of the movie’s synopsis for you to have a glimpse of what the story is about:
The Setting
In Moscow’s present world, a parallel dimension is known as the Gloom (kind of like the Astral Plane). Specific individuals with exceptional abilities can enter and exit the Gloom.
They are referred to as the Others, and they have coexisted alongside humanity for as long as it has existed. The Others are combatants in the Eternal War, between Darkness and light. “Light Others” defend humanity from the “Dark Others”, most of whom are vampires. A truce exists between the Light Others and the Dark Others.
The Legends
According to legend, in ancient Byzantium, a Virgin got cursed. Misfortune would follow her everywhere she went. The curse’s power created a vortex of torment around her, bringing the first dark forces into the earth. Warriors of Light arose to oppose them, and the epic struggle among Light and Dark began. Legend has it that two armies collided on the bridge hundreds of years back.
Geser, Lord of the Light, and Zabulon, Commander of the Darkness, stood face to face, and neither would back down. Lord Geser eventually understood that the fight was neck to neck, and he believed that unless the combat ended, every last life would die, so he called a halt to the fighting and negotiated a ceasefire. These things had been decreed. No one could compel no Other to choose between Good and Evil unless they choose voluntarily, and once the decision is made, it is irreversible.
The Light troops would be known as Night Watch, and their job would be to ensure that the Dark Others observed the agreement, while the warriors of the Darkness would be known as Day Watch. The Inquisition would be another group of the most potent members from both Watches. It would also be their responsibility to keep an eye on both Watches, ensuring that both sides maintained the balance for generations to come.
But one day, an Other, more potent than any before him, would appear. Like all the Others, he would have to choose between Light and Dark. If this Mighty Other sides with Light, Light will win. However, the Seers predict that he will select Darkness. According to legend, the return of the Virgin will mark the final battle between good and evil.
Moscow, Spring 1992
Irina Petrova [Mariya Mironova],(Anton Gorodetsky’s [Konstantin Khabenskiy] wife) has left him for another man, so Anton seeks advice from the Dark Witch Darya Leonidova [Rimma Markova] on how to reclaim her. “No issue,” Darya responds, except that she has been pregnant with another man’s kid, which will necessitate the execution of an innocent child.
Anton must first choose to accept personal responsibility for such a heinous crime. Then, Darya begins the ritual that will murder the unborn baby by mixing some of Anton’s blood with vodka and lemonade. Unfortunately, just as she is ready to finish the spell, three Nightwatch appear and stop her.
When Anton wonders who these individuals are, the Night watch patrollers are surprised that Anton could see them because they are operating from the Gloom, which only an Other can see. This is how Anton discovers he is an Other. He is a Seer, capable of entering the Gloom and seeing future visions.
Moscow, Summer 2004
Yegor [Dmitriy Martynov], a twelve-year-old, is swimming at a local public pool when his nose begins to bleed, and he feels a telepathic call that he cannot ignore. Meanwhile, Anton, who became a Nightwatch agent, receives the message from the base that a Dark Other has summoned Yegor, implying that a vampire is enticing Yegor. Anton must track down and intercept Yegor.
The Nightwatch followed Yegor to the Orange Line (Metro), but he vanished. Although Anton is a Light agent, he lives on the edge of Light and Dark, sleeping throughout the day and needing to consume blood to “feel” Calls.
Anton needs some “red stuff” to find Yegor, so he begs his law-abiding vampire friend Kostya [Aleksey Chadov] to accompany him to his father’s butcher shop, where he may acquire some animal blood.
The blood makes Anton feel intoxicated, which leads him to wander around and draw unwelcome attention while he hunts for Yegor in the Metro; however, he succeeds to locate Yegor. Unfortunately, Anton loses sight of Yegor at one point, so he switches on his UV flashlight and discovers a young blond lady whose hair is whirling about her like she’s standing in a vortex.
This baffles Anton, but he regains sight of Yegor and resumes his pursuit of him to an old hair salon where the Dark Callers — two vampires named Andrei [Ilya Lagutenko] and Larissa [Anna Dubrovskaya] — are waiting to taste the boy’s blood.
Anton tries to stop them from slaughtering the innocent kid, while three Nightwatch agents (the same Nightwatch agents who stopped Darya’s spell 12 years ago) Ilya, a.k.a. Bear [Aleksandr Samoylenko], Lena, a.k.a. Tiger Cub [Anna Slyu], as well as Simeon [Aleksey Maklakov] race to his aid in Simeon’s truck and through congested Moscow streets. Unfortunately, they come just as Andrei is ready to sever Anton’s neck with a massive piece of a shattered mirror.
They struck Andrei with their truck’s UV headlights, causing him to explode. They lead Anton to Gesser [Vladimir Menshov], who is secretly Lord Geser, working and living incognito as the Gorsvet Light and Power Company. Gesser repairs to Anton’s wounds before mind linking with him to view the girl Anton saw in the vortex. Gesser concludes that perhaps the girl is the Virgin, and the prophecy is fulfilled. The Grand Finale is about to begin.
In the meantime, Zavulon [Viktor Verzhbitskiy], the head of the Dark Others, is outraged by Andrei’s death and orders Dark Witch Alisa Donnikova [Zhanna Friske] to hunt Larissa. She is afraid and urgently in need of blood. Alisa is instructed to entice Larissa with blood to get her to call Yegor once more. (Here we see Zavulon playing a game that will reflect the events at the end of the movie; this is to give the impression that everything that is about to happen is a game that Zavulon and Gesser have preplanned and that all the players—Anton, Larissa, Alisa, Yegor, the Virgin, and so on—are solely pawns in the game.) Once Alisa has Yegor, she uses him to lure Anton.
While in Gesser’s office, Anton hears Yegor’s Call and tries to flee, but his wounds are so severe that he can hardly move. Because Anton is determined to find Yegor even though he is approaching death, Gesser (who is concerned with the overall pleasure of humankind and is not concerned with preserving the life of one child) assigns Anton a partner; Olga the Owl [Galina Tyunina]. Anton is displeased.
Gesser immediately convenes an emergency conference of all Light agents. They notice a storm brewing just outside Moscow and recognize the Virgin as Svetlana Nazarova [Mariya Poroshina], a doctor working at a clinic with her mother near the airport in Vatutinki. Svetlana has recently been the victim of a string of misfortunes:
- First, her mother is suffering from renal failure and needs a transplant.
- Then, after Svetlana’s visit, one of her friends’ kid became ill.
- Lastly, a neighbour, whom Svetlana refers to as Auntie Valya, had to call for an ambulance.
There’s a pretty good chance she’s been cursed. Gesser instructs them to recognize everyone who has had contact with Svetlana in the preceding three days. He believes that if they can discover who cursed her, they might be capable of breaking the spell and avert the Final Battle.
Night Watch (2004): Is It Worth It To Watch?
According to Expressway Cinema Rentals, The actors, who don’t stand out, are well-suited to the film’s aesthetic. They’re filthy and unattractive, which matches the material. It makes persona identification harder, although one might argue that the primary goal of Night Watch is to establish its mythos.
In the end, it’s the director’s approach and some of his flourishes that make Night Watch intriguing. Unfortunately, the good vs evil framework has not yet been fully developed; therefore, it is unclear whether we will see anything new or if the trilogy will rehash literary and cinematic mainstays.
Barry is a technologist who helps start-ups build successful products. His love for movies and production has led him to write his well-received film explanation and analysis articles to help everyone appreciate the films better. He’s regularly available for a chat conversation on his website and consults on storyboarding from time to time.
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