DVD Insider

Blessings in disguise

A priest watches the ultraviolent comic-turned-movie "Sin City," now out on DVD.

THE PLOT: Three stories come together in this adaptation of Frank Miller's comic-book series. In a shadowy metropolis of tough guys and barely dressed women, Marv (Mickey Rourke) tries to find his lover's killer, Hartigan (Bruce Willis) attempts to save an innocent girl, and Dwight (Clive Owen) finds himself caught between a murdered cop and dangerous women.

Insider's credentials: The Rev. Peter Horton is a priest in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and serves as director of campus ministry and community service at La Roche College. He was the culture and entertainment columnist for the Pittsburgh Catholic newspaper for 22 years.

OVERVIEW: "As violent as it is, you're still drawn in by the characters. I thought the movie was a reflection of the darkest side of humanity. If sin occupied a city, this is what it would be."

Scene 4: "Her name is Goldie" -- Marv wakes up from the night of his life with a prostitute, Goldie (Jaime King), only to find her dead.

"The reason Marv appealed to me is he saw Goldie as a person. As the Gospel tells us, there will always be sinners among us, and that's who Jesus hung out with, because he was trying to bring us to a different viewpoint."

Scene 6: Marv -- Marv's murder investigation leads him to kill, and he goes to confession.

"As priests, we never know who or what will come to us. If a person comes for a legitimate confession, the goal is to heal and restore -- not to condemn. This priest sees only the threat and the sin, and you have to get beyond that. I went back to watch this scene several times and kept hoping it would end differently, that the priest would come out OK."

Scene 8: "What if I'm wrong" -- Marv continues his killing spree.

"I think Marv, in his own twisted sense, was trying to be a moral person. He saw justice in vengeance."

Scene 26: Fair Trade -- Hartigan's monologue about Nancy (Jessica Alba).

"If you want a Messiah character, it's Hartigan. He realized she wouldn't have a life as long as he was alive. He was a good cop trying to do the right thing. He seemed to be the most religious character in there. He hated corruption and admitted to things he didn't do, to protect Nancy."

-- Melanie D.G. Kaplan