Sin City (2005)
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A visually striking anthology of gritty tales unfolds in the dark, stylized underworld of Basin City.
The story
Set in the gritty underworld of Basin City, Sin City is an anthology film featuring several interconnected stories of crime and survival. The narrative follows an ex-convict on a vengeful rampage, a private investigator caught in a violent street war between prostitutes and the mob, and a weary police officer attempting to protect a young girl from a gruesome serial killer. Each segment explores different facets of a decaying urban landscape, where the line between law and lawlessness is blurred by corruption and violence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film is structured as an anthology of stories based on Frank Miller's graphic novels. In 'The Hard Goodbye', Marv seeks revenge for his murdered lover, Goldie, eventually confronting the corrupt Roark family. In 'The Big Fat Kill', a group of prostitutes and their allies fight off a mob invasion of their district after a 'hero cop' is killed. 'That Yellow Bastard' follows Officer Hartigan as he attempts to save a girl from a serial killer, leading to a long, tragic saga of sacrifice and eventual tragedy. The film is framed by 'The Customer is Always Right', featuring a mysterious Salesman and a woman named Becky. The narrative is visually distinct, utilizing high-contrast black and white with selective color, and explores themes of corruption, sacrifice, and the brutal reality of life in a lawless city.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 124
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Rodriguez; Frank Miller
- Writers
- Frank Miller · source material
- Cast and characters
- Jessica Alba · not specified; Benicio del Toro · not specified; Brittany Murphy · not specified; Clive Owen · not specified; Mickey Rourke · not specified; Bruce Willis · not specified; Elijah Wood · not specified; Michael Clarke Duncan · not specified
- Genres
- neo-noir; crime; anthology
- Themes
- corruption; sacrifice; violence
- Tone and mood
- gritty; noir; violent
- Premise and plot tags
- anthology; neo-noir; crime
- Source material / true-story basis
- Frank Miller's comic book series
- Franchise connections
- Sin City
- Content notes
- gore
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial success, noted for its unique color processing and visual style.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 76% · scale: percentage · review count: 257
- Awards and nominations
- Technical Grand Prize · visual shaping · win; Saturn Award · Best Action Film · win; Saturn Award · Best DVD Special Edition Release · win; BMI Film & TV Awards · Best Film Music · win
- Production trivia
- The film features a cameo by Frank Miller as a priest.; Quentin Tarantino directed one scene and was paid one dollar.; The film's unique color processing kept most of the film in black and white.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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