‘Sin City’ stays true to comic form
By Jacob Pearson
REEL REVIEWS column, May 5, 2005
Ah, I love when a movie based on a book or graphic novel is done properly. Unlike the abhorrent “Catwoman,” “Sin City” followed the source material religiously, even going so far as to have panels from the comic books displayed next to the camera as they were filming. “Sin City” is also different in that the creator and writer, Frank Miller, was directly involved in the production of the film. Much like “Star Wars” and “Gattaca,” having the creator directly involved in the process almost always ensures a superior film.
Point blank, this is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. I loved the way it blended elements of film noir with Tarentino-esque violence. Truly, this is film-making at its finest. “Sin City” is at once disturbing and darkly beautiful, using black and white images to highlight the darkness of the film.
The characters in Sin City are complex and flawed, evoking the true essence of film noir. Within the context of “Sin City,” three interlocking tales are told of love, murder and revenge. Interestingly, director Robert Rodriguez fashions the plot of the movie in a diamond shape, with the movie opening and ending with the same story and the same characters.
While intensely violent, “Sin City” is almost poetic at times, especially in the storyline featuring Hartigan. Hartigan is a veteran cop who saves the life of a young girl from a rapist, only to be framed for the crime himself. This segment is my personal favorite, especially for quotes such as “An old man dies. A young girl lives. A fair trade. I love you, Nancy.”
Even the storyline with Dwight, a chivalrous murderer who had plastic surgery to escape his past, has its moments, such as “My warrior woman. My Valkyrie. You'll always be mine, always and never. Never. The Fire, baby. It'll burn us both. It'll kill us both. there's no place in this world for our kind of fire. Always and never. If I have to die for you tonight, I will.” If you haven’t seen this movie, do so. It’s worth the $6.50 admission or $20 for DVD.
Before I end this, my last article for the IV Leader, I feel it necessary to list the must see movies of this summer. I think it appropriate to deem this “the Summer of the Geek,” considering the films slated to be released. First off, there’s “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.” It’s the last Star Wars movie, do I even need to explain why this is must see? Next, there’s “Batman Begins.” After the horrid Batman and Robin, Warner Bros is attempting to rejuvenate the Batman franchise. With the highly talented Christian Bale behind the cowl and a script which borrows heavily from Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, this is sure to be a time for nerd rejoicement. This summer will also mark the release of the “Fantastic Four” movie. While my details on this film are sketchy, I do know that the pictures I have seen looked quite good. “The Dukes of Hazzard” movie has potential, but I wouldn’t plan on being blown away. As we have seen with Starsky and Hutch and The Mod Squad, often times TV-based movies end up being horrible.
So now it is with reluctance that I hang up my laurels as the IV Leader’s resident movie geek. So till we meet again, this is Jake “The Snake” Pearson, signing off.