The “City of Sins" by Robert Rodriguez became the iconic new film of 2005 , presented with a combination of live acting on a black and white background and inserts of colored elements. The crime action, consisting of four short stories, was warmly received by the public. More than eight years later, Rodriguez released a sequel, sustained at a given pace - “A woman worth killing for.” Numerous audience reviews can judge success and unjustified expectations.
About the film
“Sin City” was not a simple feature film embodied on the screen in the style of a crime thriller. A new, previously unknown narration in the form of graphic novels created in black and white context caused a storm of positive emotions. Of course, after all, even Hollywood cinema did not know such a thing before. Based on the novels of the American writer Frank Miller, who works in the genre of fantastic action movies, the film adaptation appeared in the noir style with the inherent atmosphere of pessimism, cynicism and cold, which rejects and attracts at the same time.
Following these rules, the plot includes four short stories and is based on the life of a modern city, mired in a routine of constant crimes. It is shown not as one of the possible in the near human future, but a very real world that exists now, which emphasizes the special piquancy of perception.
The streets are full of violence and anarchy, and the corrupt police boldly move along the dark alleys. The story is given to several main characters, who occupy their burden in the general plot - someone is looking for the guilty of the death of his beloved girlfriend, someone is forced to hide the information received, saving his life. Each path, like unknown paths, intersects more than once, involving the fate of many other characters.
No sooner had the picture come out, as reviews rained down. Sin City has proven that applying completely new technical innovations can successfully dilute the concept of the entire film.
History of creation
Director Robert Rodriguez became interested in the project, but wanted to put on something completely different that could surprise and shock the audience at once. The creation of the “City of Sins” was like an experiment that required a visual display on the big screen of a visual stylistic image using tools not of animation, but of game cinema. A distinctive feature was the inclusion in the black and white background of color elements associated with the characters - it could be the color of the dress, lipstick or eyes, as well as various things of characters with plot significance, which could not fail to enter into numerous reviews. “Sin City”, thus, has become the trend of a new trend, combining a separate colorful gamut with a generally-defined style of gloomy narration.
Frank Miller, who demonstrated a similar innovation in the pages of his novel, was invited to participate in the creation of the picture. Robert Rodriguez shared the director's chair, and also called his best friend, director Quentin Tarantino.
The entire tape, which took a little more than two hours of screen time, is divided into four parts: “Difficult farewell” - the main character leads a long search for the killer of his girlfriend; “Great savory massacre” - is based on the confrontation of assassins and girls working as street prostitutes;
“This yellow scum” tells the story of the main character, a policeman trying to save a young girl from the maniac chasing her, and “The client is always right” - a story shown in graphic style, divided into opening and closing scenes, inserted, respectively, as a prologue and epilogue of the tape.
Plot
Beisin City, founded in past centuries, is becoming a place to stay for the night. The fictional district offers everything that gold miners and ordinary criminals need to sell their goods, make a deal, take part in a shootout, pass the time with call girls waiting in the dark streets. Not the best glory for a small town. Politicians and the police are connected by invisible threads of corruption, which allows the local mafia to boldly run certain areas of the life of Basin City. The old city, full of brothels, belongs to prostitutes - this is their true possession, and they simply will not let anyone in to them.
Success and worldwide recognition
“Sin City” was warmly received by critics and viewers, as evidenced by the reviews. Sin City received 78% of the vote, according to the independent movie portal Rotten Tomatoes. One of the reasons that served as a successful exit was the color presentation. The film was first shown in Cannes at the International Film Festival, and then swept through a number of countries, raising a total of more than $ 158 million. The picture received several prestigious awards, including MTV and Saturn channel awards.
“Sin City 1”. Reviews
As soon as the shooting of the picture was completed in the summer of 2004, Robert Rodriguez, impressed by the fact that he was shooting a new movie that was different from the set standards, was looking forward to audience ratings. The film received different reviews. “Sin City” is primarily associated with a comparison of the genre of fiction and animated films. In both cases, the viewer is presented with a demonstration of part of our world. The difference lies in the detailed embodiment and the means used. Unlike many other paintings with an inherent criminal theme, Sin City does not set clear boundaries for reality. It simultaneously reduces animation in which a different world is created, living in its own order, but at the same time includes integrity and freedom from the framework of everyday life (with its inherent charming cruelty, less noticeable in everyday life), and game features related, in particular, to the use of modern technology. The absence of fully painted characters, a live acting, undoubtedly add a few drops of spectator interest to the reviews of the film “Sin City”, not forgetting that all the feelings and emotions are conveyed by real actors, whatever the background color .
The long-awaited sequel
After the release of the first part, anticipating success, Robert Rodriguez described future plans for the inevitable creation of a sequel. In the second part, which is based on the short story “A Woman for Which It Is Worth Killing,” it was planned to use almost all the characters who participated in the original. In addition, Frank Miller said that the story will add stories that happened long before the main storyline of the first part, as well as after its release. Miller’s second graphic novel is dedicated to the fateful woman Ave, whom photographer Dwight has to face again.
The second part was released in the summer of 2014, including on wide screens, allowing you to plunge even deeper into the spectacular atmosphere of the city thanks to the 3D format.
The plot of Sin City 2
- Without departing from the set pace, Robert Rodriguez uses four short stories put into the general plot:
- “Another Saturday Night” is a prologue. Thug Marv takes part in a car chase in which he kills several street hooligans.
- “Long, terrible night” - card player Johnny confronts Senator Roark, one of the influential people in Basin City.
- “Nancy's Last Dance” - the girl is also trying to settle accounts with Roark after the death of Detective Hartigan.
- “A woman worth killing for” is the name of the film. Temptress Ava Lord attracts Dwight to commit a crime. Obsessed with her, he cannot help but think of Ava ...
“Sin City 2”. Reviews, reviews
After the first part was released, the audience languished in anticipation of a continuation of more than eight years. The reaction of the critics was awaited by the creators of the sequel, because now the responsibility for the second part was much greater. “A woman worth killing for” should be no worse than her predecessor. As soon as the sequel started in US cinemas on August 19, 2014, the first viewers rushed to share their impressions after watching the movie “Sin City 2”: reviews, according to the Rotten Tomatoes website, included a significant predominance of the film’s negative rating.
Of the total number of votes, only 45% of viewers praised the sequel. Despite the fact that the film absorbs the whole and still contains all the visual "chips", it has changed properly. And it became an order of magnitude worse than its predecessor.
Another popular cinema portal Metacritic contains a similar perception of the film. Reviews speak of him as an unsuccessful continuation of the first part, which shot so spectacularly in 2005. More than 50% of respondents expressed a neutral attitude, failing to definitely say in favor or against the picture.
The released “Sin City 2” 3D also does not save - the audience’s reviews indicate that the picture is of interest in the first half hour of screen time, inspiring pleasant memories of the contents of the first part. Only here the narrative is unbridled, the “black” motive of the plot is visible, and the authors ’style is characteristic. However, very quickly an intelligible continuation turns into a boring and even stupid action. The central lines are not original, the material supply technique is endowed with numerous stamps. An excellent ensemble of actors cannot keep indifference from falling into the abyss, as evidenced by viewing the painting "Sin City 2 3D". Reviews from the audience say that it is regrettable that the brilliant Jessica Alba, unlike her predecessor, shows her beauty weakly and unfairly.
“Sin City” as a brand
The famous trading perfume house based on the film released the eponymous toilet water “Kilian Sin City”. Reviews of the fairer sex indicate that the fragrance seemed incredibly intriguing and sensual, including a mixture of notes of bergamot, cardamom, Turkish rose and satin cedar.
Inspired by the success of the first part of Sin City, the perfume company launched the fragrance in 2012. In Russia, this flavor can also be found. Alas, this had little effect on the worldwide success of Sin City 2.