Beautiful, Belligerent Brutality

Rating: 10/10 (20 October 2005)

"Turn the right corners in Sin City, and you can have anything" are the final words of the film. If you are normally a latecomer to films, don't bother walking into this cinema, because if you miss as much as the first scene of this movie, the end will be meaningless.
Probably the best film I have seen this year and certainly the most strikinglypowerful, Sin City is a tour de force of a neo-noir genre, its brutality adding to its brilliance. Based on Frank Miller's graphic novels, it delves away from the simple, slick violence of Kill Bill, to the sheer ferocity of Pulp Fiction. In a world where criminals make the law, Sin City represents the darker side of urban existence. There are those few still out to prove themselves for the better, whether it means dying, or spilling a lot of blood to make their point.
The filmfollows separate stories of three men, all of which are tied up at theend, but are different in their own right. The central story follows Marvin, an almost unrecognisable Mickey Rourke (well come back!), a remorseless,mutant-like street-fighter, out for revenge on whoever killed Goldie(Jaime King), a Goddess-like beauty who also happened to be a hooker,and the only love his heart has ever known. Clive Owen plays Dwight, aprivate investigator, out to protect his prostitute friends in OldTown, after a cop is killed there and the truce is broken. Finally,there is the story of Detective John Hartigan, played by Bruce Willis,the last honest cop in city. He is on the trail of a sadistic paedophile (Nick Stahl) who is out to kill a stripper, Nancy, portrayedby Jessica Alba.
The main characters are supported by one of thestrongest all-star cast known to the world of cinema, including BenicioDel Toro, Rosario Dawson, Elijah Wood, Michael Clarke Duncan, PowersBoothe and Brittany Murphy, among others. Sin City exists as black and white, with the rarest flashes of radiating colour to light it up, such as the hint of Sapphire in Becky's (Alexis Bledel) eyes, or the densered on Dwight's vehicle. This is symbolic of good and evil, black representing the dark, morose side of the city, and white representing hope. The film's underlying theme is about the constant struggle between good and evil, even if it means killing a lot of people,innocent or guilty, in order to do good. The hard-hitting message Sin City bears, speaks to our times, in which government is corrupt, and civilians are treated fairly only if they pay their taxes. The stark truth of this reality makes this film a pinnacle of cinema. Apart from this is the visual flare of the film, giving light to the fantasyelement of Sin City. The special effects are breathtaking, yet gritty.The cinematography is what really makes the film "edge-of-your-seat".It is fast paced at times, and subtle otherwise. The film is superiorly edited and cut. However, the visual-style does not cloud the dramatic intelligence of Sin City. Each actor is a feat to watch, from the leads, to small, yet meaningful roles like Josh Hartnett as a hit-man. The expressions conveyed on the actors faces say it all. On top of all that, it is the film's duologue that stirs up your anxiety. The duologue is simple and witty, straight out of a comic book. The narration of each character is very intelligent, and takes up more time than the actual talking. Ultimately, an instant classic, and groundbreaking feat, and above all, an eternal masterpiece!