Even though I believe cinema and comic books have different appeals which can't be transposed or copied on each other without a part of its message being lost in translation. Sin City's aesthetic qualities and original ideas were nevertheless unique in their style in the 2000s. Indeed, like the eponymous graphic novel, the motion picture questioned the conventions on the form and impacted its respective medium. We still see the impact of this new ideology, namely in Zack Snyder's Post-300 work.
Part of Sin City's greatest innovation consists of the use of black and white, contrast, light, etc, that for a film exaggerating on film-noir, and pulp novels characteristics, is effective. There are also the sparely used dominant colors, not always where we expect them, not only accentuating scenes, but effectively triggering unexpected emotions from the viewer, colors that stick with us after the viewing, we can associate with moments, characters, so on. There is visual research with these colors that, not so surprisingly since Frank Miller co-directed the film, is much more pertinent and original than Schindler's List.
If, as I detailed above, I consider Sin City's aesthetic as a meticulous work on the form. The same thing can't be said for the content. It is often forgotten that Frank Miller is very engaged politically. That his graphic novels aren't just entertaining sexy/violent adventures of tortured heroes. We have seen it more recently with Holly Terror. His political views aren't the most nuanced and subtle. Sin City, for instance, criticizes corrupted/amoral authority and nazism. It disappoints me that his visual style merely covers up the flaws of his screenwriting. I notice this also in the depiction of women, always the preys, the victims of men, unless they fit his political ideas (the women of Old Town)
All that taken into account, Sin City isn't the masterpiece everyone has been raving about. Regardless, it can be seen by the general public as it was intended by Robert Rodriguez, as entertainment. And, possibly Robert Rodriguez's finest entertainment.
Part of Sin City's greatest innovation consists of the use of black and white, contrast, light, etc, that for a film exaggerating on film-noir, and pulp novels characteristics, is effective. There are also the sparely used dominant colors, not always where we expect them, not only accentuating scenes, but effectively triggering unexpected emotions from the viewer, colors that stick with us after the viewing, we can associate with moments, characters, so on. There is visual research with these colors that, not so surprisingly since Frank Miller co-directed the film, is much more pertinent and original than Schindler's List.
If, as I detailed above, I consider Sin City's aesthetic as a meticulous work on the form. The same thing can't be said for the content. It is often forgotten that Frank Miller is very engaged politically. That his graphic novels aren't just entertaining sexy/violent adventures of tortured heroes. We have seen it more recently with Holly Terror. His political views aren't the most nuanced and subtle. Sin City, for instance, criticizes corrupted/amoral authority and nazism. It disappoints me that his visual style merely covers up the flaws of his screenwriting. I notice this also in the depiction of women, always the preys, the victims of men, unless they fit his political ideas (the women of Old Town)
All that taken into account, Sin City isn't the masterpiece everyone has been raving about. Regardless, it can be seen by the general public as it was intended by Robert Rodriguez, as entertainment. And, possibly Robert Rodriguez's finest entertainment.