The Black Dahlia
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Written by: Josh Friedman, James Ellroy
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johannson, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank

If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard the name “The Black Dahlia” uttered somewhere before without really knowing who it was or what it meant. And although you might think a movie called The Black Dahlia would clear some of these questions up for you, well, that’s not entirely true. This film is a period piece and a noir-esque crime thriller, but it’s certainly not bound to historical accuracy in any way. Whether or not you allow that to detract from your enjoyment of the film is completely up to you.

The Black Dahlia was the nickname of Elizabeth Short, an aspiring actress who was killed in Los Angeles in 1947, which became one of the most notorious unsolved murders of all time. Her name was apparently a play on the title of a 1946 movie, The Blue Dahlia, and the fact that she often wore black. The thing that really shocked people about the murder, however, was the grisly state of the body when it was found — her face had been sliced from ear to ear and her body had been cut in half at the waist.

This movie is based on a fictional book written by James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential). It uses Elizabeth Short’s murder as a springboard for a bigger story, much more focused on the detectives themselves. In fact, within the first half-hour or so of the movie, there isn’t any mention of Elizabeth Short at all. Instead we meet two cops, Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Leland Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) who are both boxers, and compete in a match to generate publicity for the police department. Blanchard wins, but over time, a friendship develops. Bleichert doesn’t hold a grudge because he respects Blanchard, and a strange love triangle starts to take shape between the two cops and Blanchard’s girlfriend Kay Lake (Scarlett Johansson). When the body of Elizabeth Short is eventually discovered, Blanchard and Bleichert are at the scene of the crime and Blanchard starts to become obsessed with finding the killer, slowly descending into madness.

The lack of focus strictly on the murder may be seen as a weakness by some; personally I did feel like I went into the movie with slightly false expectations, but for the most part I still enjoyed what I saw. Brian De Palma is not known for telling straightforward stories, and this is perhaps the biggest flaw in the movie: it is too long and a bit convoluted. It’s also slow paced, and there’s not all that much action, even though there are some rather gory scenes. Don’t go in expecting Scarface, that’s for sure, and don’t expect a serial killer movie like Seven or Kiss The Girls or something (ie. there’s a reason this movie does not star Morgan Freeman).

That said, this movie has more than its share of really cool cinematic moments. The climactic shoot out scene on the staircase is heart-pounding and a thrill to watch. There are also some interesting experiments with camera work, such as the the first person scene when Bucky meets the parents of Madeleine Linscott for dinner (this was also one of the few scenes featuring some flat out comic relief, which some people might find out of place — I loved it). Yes, Hitchcock-inspired techniques abound, but it doesn’t become a distraction.

The style of the film is very much the hard-boiled detective story, which I enjoy when done well. This is going to turn off some people who will find it corny, but Hartnett in particular has proven he suits this type of role well with his recent performances in Sin City and Lucky Number Slevin. His dry narration really holds the film together. Scarlett Johannson and Hilary Swank also make for great eye candy as 40’s dames, and Aaron Eckhart once again proves himself to be a presence on screen.

Could the movie have been tighter? Absolutely. The ending trudges along much farther than we want it to. I was wondering how they could come up with a satisfactory conclusion for a movie about an unsolved murder… in this case, they invent a perpetrator and a motive, and it still doesn’t wrap up nicely! But even though I’m sure The Black Dahlia will bore more than a few casual theatregoers, I was really taken by the style and the look of the film. It’s definitely not solid enough to be called a masterpiece, but hardcore cinephiles will still revel in its texture and technique. — Sean

SCORE:

Recommended If You Like: Sin City, L.A. Confidential, The Untouchables, Blow Out

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