Arguably the most “direct” cinematic translation of a comic book to date, “Sin City” paints Frank Miller’s town without pity in the series’ own stark, shadowy black and white (both visually and spiritually), occasionally spattered with blood red (and, in the case of at least one villainous character, yellow). The seediest film noir low-lifes imaginable traverse these mean streets, including Marv (Mickey Rourke), a lovestruck thug out to avenge the murder of the prostitute (Jamie King) who gave him one night of unforgettable pleasure; Dwight (Clive Owen), a private investigator who reluctantly comes to the rescue of the beautiful yet deadly ladies of Old Town after they run afoul of a corrupt cop named Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro); and Hartigan (Bruce Willis), an ex-cop with a bad ticker who becomes the guardian angel to a stripper (Jessica Alba) being stalked by a deformed maniac (an unrecognizable Nick Stahl). The film’s storyboards came directly from the original comic book panels, with the unique look of the graphic novels brought to life via a green screen process that was given a test run with the melancholy opening scene featuring Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton. The supporting cast includes Rosario Dawson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Powers Boothe, Michael Madsen, Carla Gugino, Brittany Murphy, Elijah Wood and even Miller himself; Rodriguez’s friend and frequent collaborator Quentin Tarantino was brought in as “guest director” for the car scene with Owen and Del Toro. – IFC Staff
