CineVerse peeled back the layers on the stellar crime thriller "L.A. Confidential" yesterday and came away with some pretty fascinating conclusions. Here's a recap:
HOW IS THIS FILM SIMILAR TO AND YET DIFFERENT FROM
CLASSIC FILM NOIR MOVIES OF THE 1940S AND 1950S?
·
It employs classic noir conventions, including a
femme fatale who leads men into danger, a dark, gritty, corrupt urban underworld,
voiceover narration, flashback scenes, and a documentary style realism (the
home movie opening scenes, photographic images and references to actual events
that occurred in L.A., such as Robert Mitchum’s pot bust)
·
However, it is not filmed in black and white nor
does it use chiaroscuro (high contrast) lighting with heavy shadows; instead,
it showcases lush, deep colors and realistic looking photography
·
It doesn’t utilize a subjective camera that
provides a particular character’s point of view to the audience, as many noir
films do
·
Unlike many films noir, which end bleakly and in
a pessimistic tone, this one has a happy ending: Bud gets the girl, Exley gets
recognized for his heroism, and the villain, Capt. Smith, is vanquished.
·
Many noir films and crime movies avoid delving
into psychological character aspects; this one is chock full of psychological
subtexts (the love triangle, the rivalry between White and Exley, their choice
to collaborate, the redeeming of their characters, etc.).
·
It’s considered a “neo noir” (new breed of film
noir) shot with modern sensibilities and subtle references to modern events
(white cops harassing minority suspects) and color photography yet firmly
anchored in the tropes, conventions and styles of classic 1940s/1950s noir
·
It’s been called a postmodern film; according to
Frederick Jameson, postmodernism is characterized in films in a variety of
ways, as demonstrated in L.A. Confidential:
o having
a sense of nostalgia as embodied through pastiche, which is a form of satire
that is non-humorous; its intent is to imitate; the film imitates styles from
1940s noir films and classic 1950s TV programs (the Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd
movie, the Dragnet TV show);
o lacking
individualism; the viewer can find it challenging to identify with or root for
any one particular character, as there are 3 main protagonists; and it is not
clear and evident who the hero is in this film;
o and
a breakdown of the relationship between signifiers; according to writer Autumn
Miller, “L.A. Confidential’s imitation for imitation’s sake makes it not a
movie about 1953 Los Angeles, but a movie about other movies.”
WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THE FILM’S 3 POLICE OFFICER
LEADS? HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT AND SIMILAR, AND WHAT DOES EACH REPRESENT?
·
Exley is the upright letter-of-the-law cop; he’s
self-righteous, priggish, brown-nosing opportunist. He thinks he’s doing the
right thing, but he’s capable of making mistakes—including killing the wrong
men. He thinks with his head, which can get him into trouble. He’s the intellectually
superior of the 3.
·
Bud White believes in the law’s true meaning,
but his steely resolve and tunnel vision intensity can lead to cruel and unfair
justice; he thinks with his emotions and his heart, which can blind him to the
truth. He’s the physically superior of the 3.
·
Vincennes doesn’t have a problem with bending
the law and taking advantage of his power and authority to profit and get
ahead. He abuses his power for personal benefit. He’s the most street smart and
opportunistic of the 3, and yet the most vulnerable, as evidenced by the fact
that he’s rubbed out.
·
Before the film concludes, all three change
their imperfect ways: as Autumn Miller puts it: “Ed matches his strictness with
leniency, Bud similarly tempers his violence with lawful conduct, and Jack
reverses his desire for personal gain as he loses his life in an effort to save
an innocent.” All three characters, who start out as anti-heroes, turn out to
be heroes with virtuous qualities.
WHAT OTHER FILMS COME TO MIND AFTER VIEWING L.A.
CONFIDENTIAL?
·
Chinatown, another neo noir about corruption in
old-time Los Angeles
·
Mulholland Falls
·
The Black Dahlia (Brian DePalma remake, also
written by James Ellroy)
·
The Departed (police corruption)
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