Frank Miller’s Sin City
Sin City is a cult classic film that was released in 2005 based on the critically-acclaimed cult classic comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. Frank Miller is a legend in the world of Comics with successes under his belt such as 300, Batman: The Dark Knight, and Daredevil: Born Again. Those familiar with these pieces are also aware of how impactful Miller’s work is in their respective fields. Miller’s understanding of story and character is undeniable and his presence shines through as one of the directors for this adaptation of the set of stories that he had developed. Miller shows his presence through the content of the script with exceedingly dark themes but the cinematography feels much more in line with the artistic direction of the film’s second director, Robert Rodriguez.
Robert Rodriguez is most known for his films Sharkboy and Lavagirl and Spy Kids films. Rodriguez’s films are known for their hyperreality. The lack of gravity and the elasticity of movement from the Spy Kids translates beautifully to this interpretation of Miller’s work. The structure of the film allows us to explore Basin City, a city ruined by corruption that bleeds down from the powerful Roark family with ties to both the political and religious infrastructure. We view this city of sin through the eyes of our “protagonists” John Hartigan (Detective in the BCPD), Dwight McCarthy (Private Investigator) and Marv (Maniacal Brute) each on their own quest to combat the evils of this city of sin with their unique brands of justice. Sin City is a somewhat older movie that harkens back to an even older more edgy time. The story is laced with many themes that would be labeled with “trigger warnings” during more recent times so it is hard to recommend to just anyone. But if you have a passion for movies as a storytelling artform, it is extremely difficult to not appreciate the amount of work and more importantly—- love poured into this movie. If this sounds like you, I highly recommend Frank Miller (and Robert Rodriuez)’s Sin City.
By Karlique Caesar