Sin City is often classified under Pulp Fiction rather than Noir, understandably considering that both have similar characteristics. I have actually been going back and forth with this movie as to whether it would stand as noir or pulp fiction. In the end, Sin City has passed classic noir test.

Flashbacks and narratives are an important element within all noir movies. They create a dark setting and highlight broken pieces of each character. Narratives will set a tone of disparity, while flashbacks point to the internal pain and loss of the movie characters. Sin City uses both of these with not only the main character, they open a cinematic view of crime, violence and irreparable shattered souls that include each and every character within this movie.

Emotional elements are high within each noir film, this includes the byproducts of emotion and the rawness of it. It will show a characters insensitivity to crime, while also pointing out the vulnerability within a character. This artistically highlights key personal defects that each character involuntarily will fall victim to.

Contrast lighting is the one element of classic noir that everyone identifies with. It’s used to bring out the desperation within the film. Sin City capitalizes on the use of lighting. They use bright contrast within this film to highlight and bring to life the underlying tone of darkness. The darkness within the background of each Sin City scene is a prelude to the mingled life and death urgency felt with each spoken line and desperate act. Sin City should in my opinion become a classic example of modern film noir.