L.A. Confidential

James Ellroy said that when he sold the movie rights to L.A. Confidential he sold his soul however upon seeing the film he got his soul back. A bit of grandiose statement to be sure, however a statement worthy of this film. L.A. Confidential is potentially the greatest neo-noir, or noir for that matter, film ever made. This film written in fate almost as the one film director Curtis Hanson had to make as he was not an overly notable director before or after this film. With this film he managed to craft a masterpiece. The question though is how? Well by simply having everything that makes a great film great I suppose. There is the atmosphere so beautifully realized in the lush atmosphere created around the Hollywood scene of L.A., but also making the murky details in the underbelly just as vibrant. It's a film that simply puts you there, but that's just the beginning. As also needed for a noir there needs to be a plot which this film has in all of its rich complexity. Along with Chinatown this film is the gold standard in terms of making a complex plot. The only moments of confusion are intentionally there to leave you in the dark, as it manages to make every single detail clear that you need, while most importantly keeping this all compelling all the same. You want as a viewer to get to the next point of the twisting plot, it excites rather than dulls at every point, including one the greatest "gotcha" moments in film. It even manages to be a hilarious film despite its dark subject matter, with the "She is Lana Turner" moment being a particular highlight. Now all that would make a pretty great film anyways, but perhaps just an exercise, well the film tops it off again with such absorbing characters. The three central character of Bud White, Ed Exley and Jack Vincennes are all brilliantly played and written. You get to learn and understand each man. Not just in a cursory way but in a deeper way in how each approach their lives as cops, and as men. All three are utterly fascinating and made all the more so when these conflicting values comes into conflict, or into compromise. This takes a film far beyond a engrossing noir plot, and towards a truly emotional experience as you come to understand and invest in all three of the men.
5/5