Sin City (2005)

To categorize Sin City as "film noir" is simply not going far enough. It is a living, breathing reincarnation of the adult comic book. It is a shot of adrenaline in a genre that was long overdue for such a revolution. Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez are able to create macho poetry in a seductive, gritty, dog-eat-dog underworld.

 

Sin City essentially tells three loosely connected stories in episode form. Marv (Mickey Rourke) is a brutish, enraged man out on parole with nothing to lose after waking up to his murdered hooker Goldie (Jamie King). Dwight (Clive Owen) is a do-gooder not afraid to get down and dirty, and he's trying to save a shaky alliance between the police and the hookers who run a section of the city called Old Town. Hartigan (Bruce Willis) is a ex-cop framed for a crime he did not commit trying to save Nancy from the grasps of a serial rapist, better known as that Yellow Bastard (Nick Stahl).  All of these stories are more or less the same premise: a man giving his often brutal and super-violent all for the woman he loves.

 

Smarts

91%

Each story is told from a character specific narrative. Here, the words are just as sharp as the switchblades some carry. Sin City is pumped with stylized rhetoric one could listen to all day with its passionate monologues and snappy puns. I recall in the second episode there is certain remark about a pez dispenser that will undoubtedly cause many to groan at the nature of the subject, but will inspire even more to laugh like a maniac. It comes as no surprise that Quentin Tarintino's name appears during the opening credits. He is titled as "guest director," but something tells me he was far more influential as creative inspiration.

 

The budget for a film like this could have been a fortune. Not just because of the fantastic special effects, but because of the star-studded cast on board Sin City. Instead, as far as big budge action movies go, Sin City was made for a paltry 45 million. The actors were so devoted to the project that most worked for scale.  All of them are impressive in their roles, especially taking into consideration that the entire movie was done on a green screen and the actors portray their characters with strict poker faces.  

This is one of those few cinematic achievements where it would be acceptable to recommend a movie just on visuals alone.  Sin City uses black and white cinematography with an occasional splash of color for a glossy high contrast that's faithful to the comic book. This visual style isn't exactly new, as it has been done in such movies as Pleasantville and Schindler's List. However, this film has the best look out of all of them. One of the primary advantages about the use of black and white is the exaggeration of light and shadows a filmmaker can employ. It's a perfect match here. I could sit down and attempt to be more analytical, but why? It's simply a dazzling technique that makes Sin City a wonder to behold for the eyes.

 

Popcorn

95%

This movie is obviously not for everyone. Those who are fans of film noir and/or the comic book genre are probably the prime candidates for such a project. The R-rating is warranted by the huge amounts of limbs and blood flying across the screen without a second thought. Perhaps the defining question on whether or not this is a film you could appreciate is whether or not you liked Tarantino's recent Kill Bill, specifically Volume 1. Both share the use of black and white, stylized dialogue, plentiful over-the-top violence, and the comic-esque material and approaches. Having had a certain soft spot for comic book adapted movies for some time, it's obvious which side of the fence I fall on.

 

One of the major criticisms of Sin City is that the film is mean-spirited and sexist. Yes, the film is violent and has a certain viewpoint toward both men and women. It is intended to have such a world. I hardly think the directors actually support vigilantism or sexism. The violence is so purposely overdone, so excessive, it finds itself on a level that is humorous rather than disturbing. Additionally, film noir is typically about an older, less idealistic world. The people are hardly stupid but have a roughneck view of the world. It’s about a dark world we like to enjoy without the consequences of getting our hands dirty.

 

Final

Sin City starts and end with a glimpse of Josh Harnett's mysterious character. He is a hitman with a name and motives unknown to the audience. With any luck, I am hoping we'll hear more about him in the upcoming sequels. It is the small touches like him that make this film so outstanding to watch from start to finish.  Simply put, Sin City is an achievement in being 'badass.'