Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT

[Matt Crunk]

So there you have it, folks. Two very differing opinions presented side by side. Nuff said.

 

[ScionPI2005]

Well, I went and saw The Spirit last night, and figured I would put in my $0.02.

First, let me say that I really didn't know what to expect. I am not at all familiar with the character the Spirit, or Eisner's comic. With that said, I was intrigued enough to go see the movie due to the film noir look, the "bad guys and good guys" plot, and the fact that the main character wore a fedora.

While I can't say it was the best movie I've ever seen, I don't view it as a horrible movie. Honestly, I was more intrigued at the start of the movie. I found myself getting interested in The Spirit's past, and how Denny came to be the Spirit. Spoiler Alert:However, once the movie got to the "Nazi Scene", I think the plot started to fall apart a bit. I found myself mildly disappointed in the ending, though I'm not sure what I expected.

Now, perhaps if I was familiar with Eisner's comic, and the real Spirit, perhaps I would have found the movie a let down. While I did find some of the dialog humorous, I think it did go over the top a few times.

I just went into the movie with an open mind (since I really didn't know what to expect) and came to the conclusion it was meant to be a somewhat cheesy comedy. I will say I'm intrigued enough to check out Eisner's comic, and perhaps then I will see the disparity, and why there are so many hard feelings from movie goers towards this movie.

 

[Charlie Noodles]

It's funny how the movies that have the most limited and geekiest of audiences often end up the worst.

 

[Chad Sanborn]

I think this was a movie that a lot of people wanted to be different than it was. I for one never read the Spirit comics and so figured the character (based on commercials and assumptions) would be gritty, dirty, and Sam Spade-ish.

In reality though, he was none of those. There were too many scenes that were humorous in a non humorous film. The main character has corny dialogue and it didn't fit with what I was expecting.

If this had been done in a more serious way, I think the reviews would be better. Levity and detective stories, don't mix that well.

As a side note, Eva Mendes had some AWESOME outfits and shoes that the ladies here would have loved.

 

[Edward]

I saw it on Saturday evening, and i enjoyed it tremendously. I think it would be fair to call it "Sin City with a sense of humour." I personally really enjoyed the visual style of the former, in large part for its depiction of a fictional world in which modern technologies can exist alongside a very vintage style overall aesthetic. Reminds me of nothing so much as a live action version of Batman the Animated Series.

I have no prior experience of the comics, so I cannot compare it to that. I had seen only the images on this thread - and, as had another poster, assumed that the blue of the comics was really intended to be black (though my jump-off point for this was Judge Dredd's uniform as opposed to Batman's cape. lol ). I am now sufficiently intrigued to go back and seek out some of the original comic work, however. As to what some seem to feel the biggest "insult" to the original costume - the Converse - I did notice that that seemed rather an odd juxtaposition with the suit and tie, but had put it down to a choice of footwear that would be better suited to running across building tops, ending up in water, and so on.

 

[resortes805]

It seems that alot of folks aren't familiar with Eisner's work, so here is something I swiped from Scans Daily. Please remember, that The Spirit is a product of it's time, so it includes racial depictions that were sadly common place in the 1940's.

I caught the film. In my opinion, you occasionally catch glimpses of Eisner's Spirit, but for the most part, the film is pure Miller. I personally prefer Darwyn Cooke's recent work on The Spirit.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I'm surprised by the hate for Frank Miller because I think he can draw fine and tell a good story, just not all the time. Who among us produces 100% quality 100% of the time? I guess no one here has read "Dark Knight Returns," although I'm sure people here will find a reason to hate that masterwork too. The "Sin City" movie was a faithful adaptation of the comics and in that sense quite unique in Hollywood; I have no desire to watch it again, though, and a when a friend recently returned my Sin City comics I almost told him to keep them or sell them. I guess Miller is a taste one grows out of (although I still think "A Dame To Kill For" is excellent).

Anyway, with no expectations I saw "The Spirit" and enjoyed it enough to buy a copy on DVD; my friend who saw it with me, who was roughly familiar with the original character, didn't enjoy it quite as much, although I think we have to recognize that nothing gets adapted for the big screen they way it should (cough cough Peter Jackson cough cough).

 

[The Wolf]

I think a lot of people who complain used to be fans. For a while now he has been writing like someone doing a bad copy of Frank Miller.
Spirit fans might be annoyed because Miller said he was going to be faithful to Eisner's strip and wasn't.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Worf]

I've read the old Spirit reproductions done over the years and am currently on the second volume of the Archivedstrips in color. "The Spirit" was/is ground breaking work in comcs. Eisner invented and transcended the genre at the same time. The film is absolutely the worst piece of trash ever done. A classic example of everything that could go wrong with a film going wrong. Samuel L. Jackson in an SS Uniform. I'll leave it at that.

Worf

 

[BigFitz]

I've never read the series but thought it would be a fun movie to watch. The style entertained me-for awhile. I'm trying to remember now what the movie was about as I saw it in the theater when it came out. I can't remember anything about this movie other than I thought it was terrible at the time.

 

[Edward]

I've read the old Spirit reproductions done over the years and am currently on the second volume of the Archivedstrips in color. "The Spirit" was/is ground breaking work in comcs. Eisner invented and transcended the genre at the same time. The film is absolutely the worst piece of trash ever done. A classic example of everything that could go wrong with a film going wrong. Samuel L. Jackson in an SS Uniform. I'll leave it at that.

Worf

I found that hilarious - it wa just such an in-your-face clash of visuals. Added to the surreality of that sequence... but I'm unfamiliar with the source material, so. I must look at it.... I'm just often a little wary of comics from that era. I was more than a little disturbed when I read the original early Iron Man stuff to discover it chock-full of anti-Soviet propaganda and the likes which had dated very, very badly.

 

[Worf]

I found that hilarious - it wa just such an in-your-face clash of visuals. Added to the surreality of that sequence... but I'm unfamiliar with the source material, so. I must look at it.... I'm just often a little wary of comics from that era. I was more than a little disturbed when I read the original early Iron Man stuff to discover it chock-full of anti-Soviet propaganda and the likes which had dated very, very badly.

If you thought the Iron Man of the 60's was red baiting The Spirits of the 40's and 50's will have you screaming in outrage. "The Spirit" comic strip was/is a product of its time. Stereotypic of its depiction of blacks, women, asians and mexicans. Still, even then it broke some ground. The Spirit's main sidekick and assistant if a young black kid of indeterminant age called "Ebony White" (I know, I know). He's depicted in terribly caricaturized form, big lips, big eyes, big feet, but despite this flawed depiction he is not simple comic relief he saves The Spirits life time and again, captures Nazi Spies the works. And millions of black kids loved The Spirit comic because, even though they were depicted in a less than flattering manner AT LEAST THEY WERE DEPICTED!!!

Women fare little better with Eisner. Commissioner Dolan's daughter starts out being little more than bubble headed bleach blonde. But even she begins to evolve. She opens her own dective agency and eventually, over the years becomes a stronger and far more intelligent character who is strong enough to make her way in her own world. So while Eisner played to the predjudices of his audience at the time he also began to erode them, drip by drip by having his characters grow and evolve.

Worf

 

[Edward]

If you thought the Iron Man of the 60's was red baiting The Spirits of the 40's and 50's will have you screaming in outrage. "The Spirit" comic strip was/is a product of its time. Stereotypic of its depiction of blacks, women, asians and mexicans. Still, even then it broke some ground. The Spirit's main sidekick and assistant if a young black kid of indeterminant age called "Ebony White" (I know, I know). He's depicted in terribly caricaturized form, big lips, big eyes, big feet, but despite this flawed depiction he is not simple comic relief he saves The Spirits life time and again, captures Nazi Spies the works. And millions of black kids loved The Spirit comic because, even though they were depicted in a less than flattering manner AT LEAST THEY WERE DEPICTED!!!

Women fare little better with Eisner. Commissioner Dolan's daughter starts out being little more than bubble headed bleach blonde. But even she begins to evolve. She opens her own dective agency and eventually, over the years becomes a stronger and far more intelligent character who is strong enough to make her way in her own world. So while Eisner played to the predjudices of his audience at the time he also began to erode them, drip by drip by having his characters grow and evolve.

Worf

Everything has to deal with its time, I suppose. There's a point where if you're too radical, you simply don't get heard. Softly, softly, and all that. t certainly is interesting to look back at a lot of these things - it's the same with English sitcoms from the Seventies: a lot of them have jokes and racial stereotyping that would be frowned on now, and yet could at the same time be groundbreaking. In Rising Damp, it was always Rigsby's ignorance in relation to his black tenant that was the butt of the joke rather than the gentleman himself. I must give the Eisner stuff a go sometime, though.