Aesthetic Depiction of Extreme Violence

Rating: 6/10 (26 September 2015)

The use of color is very appealing in this film, which otherwise would be just a long concatenation of extreme violence and viciousness. Very Tarantino-esque, which makes sense, since he was one of the directors. Everything is in black and white, but it all shimmers like silver, evoking the aesthetics of fascism. The difference is that each scene gives a bright and saturated color (like wet paint) to one element: the color of blood, or a person's eyes, or someone's skin... The color draws attention to that element and produces a very pleasing image, even when atrocious acts are being committed.
Sadism abounds. There is no real distinction between the good and the evil people when it comes to their use of violence. In fact, each regards his enemy as evil and himself as good. Just as in reality. The suggestion is that there are no true moral divisions. Everyone is ready and willing to inflict pain and suffering on everybody else.
The plot? Just a long string of senseless acts of violence connected by their location in Sin City, aptly named. Hookers and criminals and sexual perverts and serial killers: they are all here. Some seem nicer than others, but they are all ready, willing, and able to destroy other people for one reason or another, and they all relish the prospect of doing so.