SIN CITY
2005 From the Frank Miller Graphic Novels

Directed by Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarentino

Sin City 2 is in pre-production and Sin City 3 has been announced.

Miller’s writing credits include

Sin City 3 (2008) (announced) (graphic novels)
Sin City 2 (2007) (pre-production) (graphic novels) (screenplay)
300 (2006) (completed) (graphic novel)
Sin City (2005) (graphic novels)
Elektra (2005) (comic book characters)
Rats: A Sin City Yarn (2004) (graphic novel)
"Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot" (1999) TV Series (creator)
"The New Batman Adventures" (1 episode, 1998)
- Legends of the Dark Knight (1998) TV Episode (book "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns")
RoboCop vs. the Terminator (1994) (VG) (comic book series)
RoboCop 3 (1993) (screenplay) (story)
RoboCop 3 (1992) (VG) (characters) (scenario)
RoboCop 2

FILM NOIR

Most of the crime stories since the 30’s have been involved in the hard boiled detective story (whether police or private eye). They usually have the following characteristics:

Noir undergoes many transformations generally seen as ending in with Sunset Blvd.(1950) There are questions about films like Cruising (1980) as a noir or neo noir film.

NEO-NOIR is a term used occasionally for films that make use of a noir approach (Fargo) etc. or for basically noir films that were shot in color. Generally starting in the early 80’s.

The film constructed from four stories which interweave in the film: The customer is always right (scene on the balcony); The Yellow Bastard (Bruce Willis – story split in 2 parts) The Hard Goodbye ( Mickey Rourke) and The Big Fat Kill (Clive Owen as Dwight McCarthy)

The stories are all set in Basin City (30 miles out of Seattle) in a highly corrupt town. Miller created an entire history for the town for his stories. Typical stereotypes are used – Italian underworld figures, Irish terrorists, Chinese Tongs etc. are mentioned in the stories although the Roark family is the big political family with a Senator, Cardinal, and D.A. in the family along with Jr. The Yellow Bastard.

According to Wikipedia:

Sin City is a 2005 neo-noir anthology film based on the graphic novel series of the same name, directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez and with "Special Guest Director" Quentin Tarantino.

Specifically, the film is primarily based on four Sin City stories: "The Customer is Always Right", "The Hard Goodbye", "The Big Fat Kill" and "That Yellow Bastard". There is also a short epilogue written exclusively for the film. The stories revolve around the various residents of Basin City, a fictional town where violence and corruption are considered normal. Tales of murder, revenge, lust, cover-ups, and redemption weave together throughout the film's timeline.

Sin City was screened at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival in competition. While some felt having an American film based on a violent comic book being screened for competition was inappropriate, the film was well-received at the festival and won Robert Rodriguez the Technical Grand Prize for the film's "visual shaping."

There is an epilogue where Becky appears in the elevator with The Salesman from story 1 Reaction

The film opened to largely positive reviews, receiving a 78% “Certified Fresh” rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert awarded the film four stars, describing it as "a visualization of the pulp noir imagination, uncompromising and extreme. Yes, and brilliant."[5] Online critical reaction was particularly strong: James Berardinelli placed the film on his list of the ten best films of 2005.[6] Several critics compared the film favorably to other comic book adaptations. Critic Chauncey Mabe of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wrote, "Really, there will be no reason for anyone to make a comic-book film ever again. Miller and Rodriguez have pushed the form as far as it can possibly go."

The majority of the criticism was directed towards the film’s nihilism and graphic violence. William Arnold of the Seattle-Post Intelligencer slammed the film as "super-corrupt, super-violent, super-shadowy, and in every other way super-exaggerated."[8] New York Times critic Manohla Dargis claims that it is "hard to get pulled into the story on any level other than the visceral," writing the film off as Rodriguez's hermetic, "private experience" and a "bore."[9] Times critic A. O. Scott, identifying Who Framed Roger Rabbit as its chief cinematic predecessor, argues "Sin City offers sensation without feeling, death without grief, sin without guilt and, ultimately, novelty without surprise."

The film grossed $29.1 million over opening weekend, opening as the #1 film in America. However, like many highly promoted films, its box office receipts swiftly declined (dropping over 50% in its second week); Sin City ended its theatrical run with a total North American box office gross of $74.1 million.

AFTER THE FILM

LIKE Dick Tracy – the film has held onto the feel of a comic but clearly THIS comic. Much of the film is shot without real sets and uses green screen for it sets. This allows a different kind of appearance to the image.

The film follows the noir styles of lighting and to some degree plot handling and characters. The idea of good guy being led astray is not fully developed but to some degree MARV is a good natures loyal goon “lead“ astray by Goldie.

Women tend to be strong in the film often, like Barbarella associated with violence and killing.

Plots and Themes (Texts and Sub texts?????)

Conglomeration of things associated with corruption and not particularly interesting although solutions are ultra violent.

Depiction of prostitutes is "idealized" with heavy SM overtones and usurpation of male phallic imagery by women

While both right and left wing politics abhor child molestation, domestic violence, cannibalism, and to some degree torture. The anti-clerical stance of the film is more a left wing phenomenon than right wong which tends to be pro-religion, although moer often than not protestant and more specificlaly baptist if not born again Christianity.

FILM = BLACK AND WHITE with splashes of color. First only red predominates. Later flesh tones, and then specific outstanding features: eyes, hair (especially Goldie's) but almost always blood.

Much of the film is shot in front of "green screen". Few physical sets exist. (Kitchen in Film mimics the film noir style of line, and attempts the same kind of writing but isn't in a class with the classic noir writers.

The art work of the graphic novel and the film are clearly its strongest points.

The style of photographing so that the film has a non-realistic image serves in some way to negate some fo the violence of the action. This is one of the problems that has to be surmounted in transfering a drawn form into a real life.

What would be your reaction to the film if had been filmed "realistically"?

Social Commentary:

Subversive nature of film is often negated. Women prostitutes control the "old Town" (feminist) but when the police officer is killed it is Dwight who has to take control and get things worked out (anti-feminist). Although he is assisted by Miho, she is not even a "side kick".

Film seems to advocate vigilante justice (right wing) while it comes down on the side of the downtrodden (left wing).

Ultra violence (evisceration, castration, impalement, etc.) seems acceptible in specific circumstances. It is also depicted sometimes in a comic vein - Jimmy Boy with the piece of the pistol in his head.