Shoot Bullets Through Me Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Interesting take from dear old Mark Steyn. I haven't seen the movie, and probably won't, but this rings true:

The obvious problem with Sin City is the lack of sin. That’s to say, there’s plenty of violence, prostitution, paedophilia, etc., but there’s no moral context within which any of it occurs. ... Judging from the stylised semi-parodic dialogue, Miller is obviously a fan of Raymond Chandler, but Chandler and the best pulp novelists understood that ‘mean streets’ are only mean because of the broader culture they exist in. Even if it’s only a veneer, there has to be at least a glimpse of that other world — suburban families, smart secretaries, cheery cab drivers. When everything’s mean and sleazy, nothing is. Without a moral universe, all you’re left with is a beautiful empty pornographic ballet.

@ 10:09:00 AM,

3 Comments:

At 1:49 PM, Blogger BeK said...

But what if that's precisely the point?

 
At 1:38 AM, Blogger Pete said...

If I knew Sin City was a pornographic ballet I definitely would have seen it.

 
At 9:06 AM, Blogger Tim said...

Unless the director intended that the audience provides the context of sin, in which case this movie will look particularly different as societal mores evolve.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home