Film Noir with a little comic book feel

Rating: 10/10 (26 March 2005)

A good friend of mine had tickets for an advanced screening of Sin City and was nice enough to invite me along. I owe him big-time. As you've probably heard by now, the movie is based off of the "graphic novel" (read: comic book) by Frank Miller. I've read maybe 10 comic books in my lifetime, and this wasn't one of them, so I was a little skeptical going into the movie even after seeing the visually enticing previews. I had nothing to worry about. There were no cheesy shots that imitated a comic book page layout or mutant villains (which had worried me after seeing the yellow guy in the previews). All in all, it was well written with complex characters and an engaging plot, and had no one told me it was based off of a comic book, I would never have thought it on my own.
Visually, the film is a masterpiece. It seems more like Film Noir than any of the movies that created the genre. The blacks of the shadows are absolute, and some of the whites are so pure that they stand out completely from the shadows, even if the rest of the object can't been seen at all. And it's this uncompromising and drastic portrayal of chiaroscuro that creates such a visual feast. It feels five times darker than any film noir while stylistically hinting at the movie's comic book origins. Another visual aspect of the film is the splashes of color in this otherwise black & white film. I was concerned this might come off hokey, but it is done so well that after a while, I forgot some of the more prevalent ones were even there (much like watching a b&w movie and forgetting it's not in color). The splashes of color would force me to focus on an important character of one his/her characteristics, and then sneak out of my consciousness. Of course, there are some times when color is used to shock, but otherwise it seemed wonderfully subtle.
As for the plot, it's a throwback to the days of pulp fiction (50's detective magazines, not the movie with S. L. Jackson and Travolta). I'm a huge fan of the genre and that's probably why I ended up giving this movie 10 stars. There was at least one scene that seemed to have been ripped directly from one of Raymond Chadler's books. Other aspects of the plot seemed to take on a more modern detective story flair, like something from a John Sanford or Michael Connelly novel. However, unlike many of these books, which usually end up investigating an act of violence that has already happened, Sin City is almost non-stop violence from the beginning, setting a tone for the entire movie. And while the violence is certainly prevalent, it is by no means overbearing. In fact, I found myself anticipating many acts of violence and rooting them on. A few violent scenes even provoked laughter from the audience. And speaking of humour, this movie was surprisingly humorous, often allowing the audience a slight reprieve between tense scenes. Despite all the violence though, it really wasn't very bloody. When blood was called for it was certainly used, but many times times the blood wasn't even colored, only that pure splash of white.
Anyone who enjoys a good detective/crime/revenge story should definitely see this movie. Actually, I would even suggest Sin City to anyone who enjoys striking visuals and would like to experience a truly unique style which we rarely get see anymore. Seeing Sin City for the first time is probably a lot like seeing movies such as Metropolis, Star Wars, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Matrix when they first came out. And, of course, any Tarantino (who was a "guest director" for Sin City, and it shows) fan can't miss this movie. Most importantly though, don't be scared off from seeing Sin City in the theater because you heard it was based off of a comic book. Because even though the story will hold up on your DVD player at home, the visual experience on a full-sized screen should not be missed.