DVD Review: Sin City
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::Movie review
It seems ironic that Citizen Kane, one of the earliest movies ever made, remains as one of the few examples to attempt to explore the full potential of film. Despite being limited by the technology of the day, Orson Welles knew that the camera had the potential to go anywhere. He realized that the nature of film allowed for unique optical illusions. Finally, he was aware that this was a visual storytelling medium and that light and shadows could also be used as a "character."
While there have been other movies that played with and expanded upon the ideas pioneered by Kane, none have been as audaciously groundbreaking.
That is until now.
Sin City breaks beyond the boundaries of mere film and ventures into the realm of art. It is an experience that flat-out denies the conventional bullshit mundane moviemaking. At last is a true explosion of the imagination.
Sin City began life as a series of graphic novels. Graphic novels are like comic books, sort of in the way that film is like television. That is to say, graphic novels tend to be longer, more complicated and epic, and often deal with more adult themes. Rather than just being "picture books," they are stories that rely on visuals as much as words to tell their stories.
Just as all art forms have their shining stars, graphic novels (and comic books) have Frank Miller. With his epic Batman stories, Daredevil tales, Ronin and the Sin City universe, Miller pushed the boundaries of sequential storytelling with complex plots, in-depth characterizations and tight dialog. And then there's his artwork. Miller is able to create and entire mood with just a few brush strokes. His style borders on the abstract, with thick, solid shapes and stark contrasts. He uses detail sparingly, fooling the eye into seeing more than is really there.
While all of his efforts have been strong, Sin City is his crowning achievement. It is a true example of style and substance.
Sin City has been the object of many lustful eyes in Hollywood almost from the day it was published. Miller, however, wisely retained strict rights on the property and wasn't interested in seeing it watered down and ruined by convention. It was a wise move. I can think of nothing worse than to see that dark and dangerous world splayed onto a 40 foot screen in bright, safe Technicolor. Miller's artwork was as much a part of that story as any other element and to remove that style would be like removing a leg -- Sin City simply wouldn't be able to stand.
And then along comes this guy named Robert Rodriguez. Here is a man who understands the concept of playing to a medium's strengths. He is willing to look for the boundaries of conventional filmmaking and poke at them. By his own admission, he has been one of the filmmakers who eyed Sin City as a potential project, but he knew of Miller's resistance. Not letting that stop him, he made a little test film and showed it to Miller, telling him, "if you're not interested, consider this your own little personal short film; but if you are interested, consider this to be the opening of the movie."
Miller was interested. More than that, he was excited. In the artistic wasteland of Hollywood , here was something truly different.
Rodriguez realized that the Sin City graphic novels were already the perfect scripts and storyboards. In his opinion, nothing should be changed, except to add motion. And so, utilizing digital filmmaking and careful use of lighting and special effects, Rodriguez didn't so much adapt Sin City as bring it to life. One can pause the film and lay the frame side-by-side with the graphic novel and see the same compositions, the same lighting, and even the same abstract brush strokes. It is artwork come to life. Even the actors have become surreal versions of themselves - stylized and transformed into the characters they play.
You'll notice that I haven't really said much about the actors or the story in this review. While the performances are strong, and the various stories are compelling, they are almost secondary to the visual masterpiece of this film. I recommend it on all levels, but add that it's worth seeing just for the pure joy watching it.
::Video
Sin City is 100 percent about the visuals. If they don't work, the film doesn't work. I have to say that I was actually more impressed with the DVD presentation than the theatrical version. It could be that I simply saw a lousy print, or the theater was using a dreaded low-wattage bulb. Whatever the reason, I saw far more detail at home than I did in the theater.
Don't be fooled by the apparent lack of color. Sin City is a lush film that actually uses color very specifically -- from the vibrant red of a woman's lipstick and dress, to the warm and inviting sepia tones of a bar. The black and white contrasts are stunning, as are the splashes of color, and the effect is very much like the original Miller artwork.
I noticed very, very little in the way of digital artifacting or edge enhancement.
::Audio
The audio on this disc also lends a powerful punch, accentuating the visuals with unique and interesting sound effects. The surrounds are put to good use, with sounds of bullets and cars zooming around the sound stage. Dynamic range is strong, with deep rumbling bass and a good high register. Dialog is always clear.
::Special Features
The only failing of this disc is in the area of special features. There is only one feature -- an 8 minute behind the scenes featurette, which contains a number of interesting, but all too brief interviews about the making of the film.
Considering that the official web site for the film had quite a bit of material on it, I am only forced to assume that Disney is simply holding out for a special edition in an effort to double-dip into consumers' pockets.
::Bottom Line
Despite the lack of supplements, I still wholeheartedly recommend this film. It is visually stunning and fully worth owning all by itself (and I'm not aware of any special edition announcements anyway). Hopefully other filmmakers will take careful note of Sin City and realize that the medium of film has finally thrown the doors of the imagination wide open.
| Movie |  |
5 / 5 |
| Video | |
4.5 / 5 |
| Audio | |
4 / 5 |
| Extras | |
1.5 / 5 |
| Family Friendly | 0 / 5 | |
| Don't be fooled by the origins of this film. Graphic novels are not always kid-friendly comic books and Sin City is the epitome of its name. This film is tremendously violent and contains strong adult and sexual themes. Keep the kids away. | ||
| Overall | |
4.5 / 5 |
- Robert Wurth, ©2005
::Technical Specs
Studio:
Dimension Home Entertainment
Year of Theatrical Release:
2005
Disc Format:
1 single-sided, Dual Layer
Image Format:
Anamorphic Widescreen
Aspect Ratio:
1.85:1
Region Encoding:
1 (North America)
Sound Format:
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 (pro logic)
Running Time:
126 minutes
Director:
Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller and Quentin Tarantino
Stars:
Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Brittany Murphey, Josh Hartnett, Jaime King, Carla Gugino
MPAA Rating:
R
Disc Supplements:
- Behind the Scenes featurette
