There's a fairly large subsection of comic book fandom who judges comic book movies on the basis of their literal adherence to the source material. For these fans, Sin City will in no doubt be considered the greatest achievement in modern American cinema. As advertised, the movie is a near page-by-page simulation of three of comic legend Frank Miller's Sin City stories (The Hard Goodbye, The Big Fat Kill, and That Yellow Bastard). This holds true not just visually, as indicated in the trailers, but in a verbatim carryover of dialogue from page to screen that renders co-director Robert Rodriguez's role as screenwriter to that of mere transcriptionist.
On the aforementioned visual level, Sin City triumphs. It's selective use of color to highlight significant character features against a black-and-white background is striking, and it also adds a lot to the dramatic and emotional weight of the film. For example, when tough guy Marv looks at Goldie, the woman he loves, we see the rareness of her beauty shown in color contrasted against the grim and grit that engulfs the grey Sin City, just as Marv sees her. In addition, the action sequences are fluid and thrilling, ranking right up there with comic movies' best. Highlights are the ferocious fighting style of psychotic cannibal Kevin brought to life in full creepiness, as well as the ruthless execution of a drunk chauvinist at the hands of hooker-assasin Miho.
It is in the movie's loyalty to Frank Miller's dialogue, however, where Sin City suffers. In the comic, Miller's narration read flawlessly, bringing you to the heart of despair that he intended his fictional city to be. Unfortunately, when spoken in the movie, many of these lines sound exactly as if the actors are simply reading them from the comic, occasionally without regard to where appropriate pauses or inflections should lie. We aren't accustomed to hearing live actors speak so quickly without wasted words, and it this efficiency of dialogue doesn't work so well in a live action context. Rodriguez and Miller would have been wiser to decompress the film's spoken lines, or at least to have instructed their actors to take a breath here and there. I feel that a less direct translation of speech from the comic would have resulted in a better representation of the comic's mood.
That being said, Sin City is a good movie, and it should be treasured as one of the few comic book movies that doesn't betray fans of the source comic in even the slightest way. Strangely enough, I think I would have been able to enjoy Sin City much more if I hadn't just recently read the comic versions, as I knew exactly when and how each sword swipe, gun blast, and electrocution was going to play out. I caught a glimpse of what my movie-viewing experience might have been like through my favorite scene, a short final sequence that never appeared in the comics which ties up one of the movie's loose ends in a particularly chilling manner.
Kize Grade: B+
On the aforementioned visual level, Sin City triumphs. It's selective use of color to highlight significant character features against a black-and-white background is striking, and it also adds a lot to the dramatic and emotional weight of the film. For example, when tough guy Marv looks at Goldie, the woman he loves, we see the rareness of her beauty shown in color contrasted against the grim and grit that engulfs the grey Sin City, just as Marv sees her. In addition, the action sequences are fluid and thrilling, ranking right up there with comic movies' best. Highlights are the ferocious fighting style of psychotic cannibal Kevin brought to life in full creepiness, as well as the ruthless execution of a drunk chauvinist at the hands of hooker-assasin Miho.
It is in the movie's loyalty to Frank Miller's dialogue, however, where Sin City suffers. In the comic, Miller's narration read flawlessly, bringing you to the heart of despair that he intended his fictional city to be. Unfortunately, when spoken in the movie, many of these lines sound exactly as if the actors are simply reading them from the comic, occasionally without regard to where appropriate pauses or inflections should lie. We aren't accustomed to hearing live actors speak so quickly without wasted words, and it this efficiency of dialogue doesn't work so well in a live action context. Rodriguez and Miller would have been wiser to decompress the film's spoken lines, or at least to have instructed their actors to take a breath here and there. I feel that a less direct translation of speech from the comic would have resulted in a better representation of the comic's mood.
That being said, Sin City is a good movie, and it should be treasured as one of the few comic book movies that doesn't betray fans of the source comic in even the slightest way. Strangely enough, I think I would have been able to enjoy Sin City much more if I hadn't just recently read the comic versions, as I knew exactly when and how each sword swipe, gun blast, and electrocution was going to play out. I caught a glimpse of what my movie-viewing experience might have been like through my favorite scene, a short final sequence that never appeared in the comics which ties up one of the movie's loose ends in a particularly chilling manner.
Kize Grade: B+
1 comment:
Hey, Kiser, came across your blog from your profile, figured I'd give my 3p, I held off reading the graphic novels until after seeing the movie, and I thought it was really cool, some of the dialogue was a little stilted, but that could easily be accrdited to some of the actors, I didn't have too much trouble with the narration, but then, I speak quickly with few pauses anyway, so for me it seemed normal. I agree with you on the grading, although I might bump it up into the A- range just because I hadn't read the novels yet.
P.S. yes, the last scene kicked ass.
PPS. Have you read Watchmen yet?
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