Film Review: L.A. Confidential (1997)

Film noir is a genre traditionally associated with 1940s and 1950s Hollywood, but even the most purist among the film scholars might admit that some of the genre’s best known works were made in latter decades. One of such examples is Chinatown, made in 1974, which is often considered to be the best film noir of all times. Roughly quarter of century later another grand piece of film noir was presented to the world in the form of L.A. Confidential, 1997 film directed by Curtis Hanson.

The film is based on the eponymous novel by James Ellroy, third in L.A. Quartet cycle that dealt with dark underbelly of Los Angeles in 1940s and 1950s. The plot begins in late 1952, when Los Angeles still enjoys benefits of post-WW2 economic boom and, thanks to Hollywood, presents the image of sunny beaches, idillyc life in quiet and perfect suburbs and beautiful people. But, as Sid Hudgens (played by Danny DeVito), editor of “Hush Hush” tabloid explains to the audience in opening narration, this perfect image hides the another layer of Los Angeles that represents cesspool of crime, depravity and corruption. The boundary between those two worlds is maintained by Los Angeles Police Department whose three members represent the protagonists. Wendell “Bud” White (played by Russell Crowe) is quiet, violent and seemingly not too bright man who doesn’t mind bending the law and having his hands dirty, but still maintains his very personal moral code based around protection of women. Edward “Ed” Exley (played by Guy Pearce) is young man who, unlike most of his colleagues, follows the law and regulations to the letter, but his keen instinct for office politics allowed him to quickly rise at the ranks. Jack Vincennes (played by Kevin Spacey) is less a policeman and more of playboy who likes to mingle with celebrities and serves as technical advisor to popular TV series Badge of Honor, using his connections to Hollywood and corrupt media to make extra money. Those three men are very different and, at the start, they can’t stand each other, but they are brought together by massacre that took place in a diner and where one of the victims was policeman. While investigating, they gradually reveal conspiracy that involves elite prostitution ring, large-scale heroin smuggling and corruption that involves local politicians and high ranking members of LAPD.

L.A. Confidential is film noir, but its visual style is more modern. Instead of black-and-white cinematography and even dark overtones cinematographer Dante Spinotti prefers bright warm colours. Most of the action is set during the daylight or in brightly lit interiors of police offices, luxurious villas or film studios. Curtis Hanson also pays a lot of attention to period detail, which is meticulously researched and the film features proper costumes and props, with meticulously researched Los Angeles locations giving the perfect impression of the city as it was in middle of 20th Century. That effort is well-matched by the script Hanson co-wrote with Brian Helgeland, which deservedly won Oscar for excellent adaptation of Ellroy’s epic 500 page novel. Hanson and Helgeland, aware that couldn’t adapt Ellroy’s text with its entirety, focused mainly on the three major characters and had later built the plot around them, slowly but skilfully connecting the dots and providing a lot of interesting details about life in Los Angeles and the sharp contrast between Hollywood glamour and city’s dark underbelly of corruption. The plot starts slowly and there are lot of details and subplots that appear that go nowhere, but they finally connect with each other in powerful and effective finale. Because of that L.A. Confidential functions both as classic film noir, historical drama with social commentary (mostly dealing with semi-institutional racism and homophobia characteristic for 1950s America) and, last but not least, exciting police action film that could be set in 1980s or 1990s. Jerry Goldsmith, composer who did excellent work with Chinatown, delivers another soundtrack, although much subdued and overshadowed by period pop songs that serve as ironic commentary to the plot.

Hanson had great luck in picking the perfect cast for three main roles. Two of the actors were non-Americans, relatively unknown by Hollywood, but they both used this opportunity for greater things. Guy Pearce, who became international star thanks to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, is very effective in seemingly easiest role among the trio of main characters. Exley begins as rather unsympathetic young man who takes a little bit too much delight in showing his presumed superior intellect and political skills; it takes a while before Pearce shows that beneath the surface lies someone who became policeman to exercise some very personal demons. Russell Crowe, who became famous for playing neo-Nazi skinhead in Romper Stomper, shows even greater skill in playing a character that begins as violent troglodyte, only to very gradually reveals himself as a vulnerable man and policeman who would ultimately do the right thing. Kevin Spacey, who was already established as one of the greatest character actors of his generation, is incredibly relaxed when playing the most sympathetic character of them all; Vincennes is, thanks to his irresistible charm, forgiven by audiences even when his activities include corruption and media manipulation.

Excellent work by three main actors is complemented by the rest of the cast in supporting roles. Kim Basinger, who plays closest thing to femme fatale from film noirs, is overshadowed by his male colleagues but few people would complain about her winning Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Very good work was provided by James Cromwell in the role of protagonists’ superior, David Strathairn as pimp who dreams of becoming major legitimate entrepreneur and Danny DeVito as corrupt and cynical tabloid publisher. As a result, L.A. Confidential turned out to be the best film noir of 1990s, and although its initial push towards prestigious awards and proper recognition had been extinguished by Titanic hype, it ultimately stood the test of time. Hollywood attempted to repeat its magic and even toyed with television remakes, but the most successful film to be built on its legacy is video game L.A. Noire.

RATING: 9/10 (++++)

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