On your knees for Rodriguez

Rating: 8/10 (8 November 2005)

Robert Rodriguez has a reputation of blowing things up, making a lot of noise, creating a lot of fire, a lot of chase scenes (in any ways) and a lot of shootings. It's a well-earned fame because that's one of the things the man does; but come on! He's big now and things could change but he directs, produces, writes, scores and edits his films. It's admirable from any angle you view it. None of his films is a wonder for me, but at least now I know I've got to see "El Mariachi".
I grabbed a seat and watched "Spy Kids" some years ago: pure joy. After generating a new type of childish adventure piece, where the real heroes are the kids (and sometimes the whole family); he made the sequel: not as good but still promising. What was next? Why not three dimensional cinema? Is it to crazy of him; to take chances? His third deliver of the spies wasn't the most watch able experience, but it was an improvement; and it had Sylvester Stallone.
The ones who didn't like the 3-D stuff wouldn't be interested in what was coming; fire, fights and guitars in "Once upon a time in Mexico"; a great ride if you ask me, but not if you ask those other guys, who would answer "that's not film-making". Anyway, the amazing Johnny Depp was there, and he's not the kind of actor who participates for the money (even though he's got to earn it); there's always something more for him and he saw that. I also got the chance to see Enrique Iglesias acting, fact I thank Rodriguez for; but that's a fan thing.
All of the things above are a warning; because if you want to call the man a genius now, you're too late. Now you're going to say that blood everywhere works, like when you praised Tarantino's style in "Kill Bill"? Because "Sin City", while not a masterpiece, is the work of a master; a genius. Don't blame a director for overfilling the screen with effects when he's giving you one of the most incredible pieces of entertainment of the year! Because in the end what is cinema all about?
The things Rodriguez did to finalize this movie his way, you wouldn't believe. What he had to sacrifice so Frank Miller could direct his life and work alongside him. And that's what they did; marvelously. Their directing work shows innovation and passion in every possible way; starting with the total lack of background: risky. Or the black and white shooting, which can be tedious (like in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood") but not if you manage it correctly. The precise touches of colors, yellow and orange in details as signs or a box of pills, or a blinding red in intense parts; because red is so much I don't need to explain.
Blood is red, sometimes, or white in other occasions. Cars are blue, and blue is the constant mood factor of all these characters in the final line of their lives. Consider Marv, who's willing to give his life for a woman that, he finds out, is nothing more than a prostitute. Consider Hartigan and his crucial words: "An old man dies; a young girl lives: a fair trade". This is the language in Miller's world, I suppose. I didn't read the graphic novels, but I assume it could be like that: short, cold; accurate. At least that's what you get from Dwight's voice, while he talks in present tense, as the rest.
What about girls? Men's motives, of course; as it should be. What keeps them going. About the cast I'll talk, but I won't say a name. I'll say tat Rodriguez called some people who had worked with him before (no, not Banderas), and included some new participants. It's a flawless ensemble, and even if some actors appear only for a few minutes, they deliver within their limits. I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw the trailer.
What the future has prepared for these two has positive results written all over, but if they get lost in the way, as we do in their movie, they can always go to Kadie's, the only place where the divided parts become one, and the colorless obtains color.