Sin City (2005)

 

It used to be quite tricky to bring comics to life. Most of the time, adaptations lacked the visual flair that pages can have. And then you got this, based on stories by Frank Miller and directed by Robert Rodriguez. There since have been several good comic book adaptations, but this one is one of those that wins bonus points for visual flair. It really does feel like pages come to life thanks to a myriad of stylistic choices that just all click.

And it's a bloody good film, too.

Everything takes place in and around Basin City, an absolute shithole where crime is rampant, corruption prevails and most people are just being extremely nasty in order to survive. Our anchorpoint is Nancy Callahan, who shows up in every tale, even if it is just for the shortest time. We have the story of an older police officer called Hartigan, who is trying to bring a murdering child molester to justice. Only one problem: said molester is the son of a high profile senator and thus gets away with pretty much anything. Hartigan even does years in prison because he wants to protect a little girl he saved from the clutches of this deranged psycho. But when they trick him, he has to once again fight for her life. 

Another tale is that of Marv, a hulk of a man who gets framed for the murder of a prostitute. But Marv doesn't take it all lying down and heads off on a murderous rampage in order to find the people responsible for the girl's death. This leads him to a remote farm, where horrendous things happen and it also points his rage in the direction of a high profile bishop, who is more closely linked to these bizarre events than one might gather... 

And lastly, there is the tale of Dwight, a hitman who had his face altered and now is back. He gets dragged into a turf war between the prostitutes and the mob, all thanks to the death of a police officer. Said police officer is a total dick, but for the masses, he's a hero. Well, he dies rather unceremoniously, but because the ladies of Old Town (the red light district) have something to do with this, things quickly escalate. Now Dwight is stuck in the middle, trying to salvage what he can from the situation.

This film is gorgeous. Style is all here and the choice to shoot it predominantly in black and white and then add highlights of colour is not only lifted straight from the comic, but also makes this a feast for the eyes. It all has that cool film noir edge, only with some added brutality and gore for good measure. And oh goodness me, is it brutal! The violence is both over the top and up close and personal and it fits with the setup of the tales. But if you're a bit squeamish, this might be a bit much for you. 

The dialogue is purposefully kept fairly stilted as in comics, but the characters work well within this framework. And the actors chosen for the various roles are all excellent choices. Some people were even cast firmly against type and they stick with you the longest. 

Okay: Elijah Wood as a psychotic killer who doesn't speak, was a stroke of genius. Mickey Rourke as Marv also works thanks to Rourke's gritty voice and demeanour and Bruce Willis has the authority to play Hartigan. And what about one of the most quintessential 'bad guys' ever: Powers Boothe as the wicked senator Roarke? Spot on. The only one who at times feels a bit out of place, is Clive Owen as Dwight. For some reason, I don't really by him being this tough-as-nails hitman. I do get Benicio Del Toro as the dickwad supercop, though. He is revelling in it. 

It's very tough to pigeonhole this film, but suffice to say it is like a violent work of art and every shot is pure eyecandy. The story takes you along for the ride and the visuals are mesmerising. So yeah: full props to the makers for giving us something wonderfully unique and riveting.