Monday, January 08, 2007
The Black Dahlia
Not enough can be said about this wonderfully intriguing film. The story, adapted from James Ellroy’s novel of the same name, is one of this country’s most infamous unsolved mysteries. The story well known is about a young struggling actress that is murdered in a most horrific way. Although that is the setting and title of the film, that story is second to the drama unfolding in our characters. The obsessions, emotions, and entanglement of Ofcr. Dwight 'Bucky' Bleichert (Josh Hartnett), Sgt. Leland 'Lee' Blanchard played by Aaron Eckhart and one Miss Scarlett Johansson in the role of Kay Lake, bring an emotional realism to this film that is untapped in any other roles to which they have played. The buildup and tear down of their relationships and emotional states out weighs the over arching story. James Ellroy manages to capture the realism of the emotion and the nuances of time. Brian De Palma brings to life this rollercoaster ride with stunning brilliance and captivating story telling. This is truly an amazing film. The only draw back is the Dahlia story of it self. It is a gruesome graphic story of a real person. That is made real to us through this film. Unlike most horrors or scary films the emotional attachment you start to feel towards Elizabeth Short played wonderfully by Mia Kirshner drives an even eerier shrill through your heart. If you enjoyed L.A. Confidential then you should enjoy this film. Set in a similar time period and both written by James Ellroy.
Happy Watching.
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