A Film Noir Classic

Rating: Null/10 (3 April 2005)

Finally, a director comes along and pays homage to a type of film that you hardly ever see anymore in cinema. I am speaking about film noir. Sin City is a masterpiece in film noir. In order to appreciate film noir, you need to know some of its origins. It is not a genre but a mood or tone of film. Film noir evokes the moods of melancholy, alienation, disillusionment, moral corruption and paranoia. The films of noir were imported to Hollywood by émigré film makers. Film noir is rooted in German Expressionism of the 1920s and an excellent example of that is the movie "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." Film noir really took hold in Hollywood during the 1940s with such classics as John Huston's "The Maltese Falcon" and Orson Welle's "Citizen Kane." Both these films made their debut in 1941.
This is why Sin City is going down in American Cinema as classic film noir. Robert Rodriguez directed it and has done a superb done. Quentin Tarantino gets credit as a guest director. When those two collaborate, watch out! You can see some of his influence to the film as well when you view the ultra-violence. It is so mesmerizing to watch because it is filmed like a detective comic book. The scenes are filmed in black and white and color placed strategically in the scenes to make certain features stand out such as a female character's red lipstick or blue eyes.
One of the actors that really stands out is Mickey Rourke's character named Marv. I thought this actor was a has-been until I saw him in this role. The role really shows Rourke's acting talents because the character was made for him. He not only plays Marv, he is Marv. It is gritty and comical at the same time. This role could help Rourke revive his acting career.
Another stand-out performance is by Jessica Alba. She is not only beautiful to watch on screen but she plays a good heroine. I hope to see her in more movies in the future. She is so natural and stunning on screen that you cannot help but root for her character. Did I say she is beautiful? Let's talk about the sexiness of the characters. All the actresses are dressed to kill. You see butt cheeks, so guys, you might want to leave the little lady at home and go with the boys to this one. Women are also slapped around a bit on screen too. This follows the true film noir detective story. There are usually two kinds of women in film noir. They are either trustworthy or predatory. One thing is for certain, every female character is hot. I mean they are gorgeous! This film really blew me away. The dialogue is smart and the cast is sexy. What more do you need for a night of entertainment? I can see some of the lines in this movie becoming classic one-liners on the same vein as "Scarface" one-liners. If you want to see something new and refreshing plop down your money for this cinematic work of art. Rodriguez transports you to a place that is dark and corrupt. It's not just cinematography that grabs you. The acting is first rate too. Bruce Willis does an excellent job as a good cop. Another excellent performance is by Clive Owen. If you are not familiar with Clive Owen, go see him in the Mike Nichol's film "Closer". He is an incredible actor with range. He should be the next James Bond. He is cool man, real cool. Benicio Del Toro and Brittany Murphy's performances were amazing too.
One thing I need to point out. This film is not for everyone. Some people are not going to like it. These are the people in the audience that didn't get it when I saw it. The violence is over the top so in a way it is rather comical. However, some women will find the movie offensive so guys, I don't know if this would be a good date flick. Some are going to find it more offensive than entertaining. It's your call. I just know what I like and I really dug it.