The Black Dahlia Review Country : USA Year: 2006 Genre: Mystery Format: Cinema Running Time: 119 minutes Distributor: Universal Pictures The violent murder of a young actress spurs two L.A. detectives into investigating the seamy world of 1940's Hollywoodland.... Credits Directed by Brian De Palma. Screenplay by Josh Friedman, based upon the novel by James Ellroy. Starring Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Mia Kirshner, Fiona Shaw, John Kavanagh and Rachel Miner. Clocking in nineteen years after the successful James Ellroy novel (and fifty-nine years after the true-life murder case that inspired it), Brian De Palma's screen adaptation of The Black Dahlia is a lot of things--a period piece literally bathed in post-WWII Hollywoodland ambience; a spot-on homage to the film noir detective potboilers of that same era; a complicated but ultimately compelling effort in storytelling which can occasionally be difficult to follow; and graced with top-notch performances. It's probably even more things than that, but let's digress. In 1947, a young and mostly-unknown actress named Elizabeth "Betty" Short was found brutally murdered in an abandoned lot near Los Angeles. Her body had been sawed in half and eviscerated, and her face sadistically disfigured. That's the true-life portion, and the murder has never been solved. The fiction begins with two L.A. detectives, Dwight Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart), newly assigned as partners, who become involved with the case. All of this doesn't happen immediately, though. The first thirty minutes of the film sets up the characters, as both Bleichert and Blanchard were one-time prize fighters before turning to law enforcement, and as a publicity stunt to raise money for charity, the two are tapped to engage in a non-grudge boxing match, which Blanchard wins. Shortly after, the two begin to bond, and Bleichert is introduced to Kay Lake (Scarlett Johansson), Blanchard's live-in girlfriend, although it is hinted that the relationship is platonic. During a routine shakedown, complete with some unexpected shoot-em-up action, Bleichert and Blanchard are on-hand as Betty Short's (Mia Kirshner) mutilated body is discovered nearby, and the two are assigned to the case. What ensues is a richly engrossing immersion into the sleazy underworld of 1940's Los Angeles as Blanchard shortly becomes obsessed with the case. It begins to affect his relationship with Kay, who starts making passes at an initially-unwilling Bleichert, while he meanwhile becomes deeply immersed in the case himself. The press quickly dubs murder victim Short "The Black Dahia" as a play on a first-run movie title which was showing in cinemas. Bleichert gradually links Short to Madeleine Linscott (Hilary Duff), a spoiled trollop whose rich-bitch mother (a compelling Fiona Shaw) objects to her bringing "a common cop" to dinner and whose millionaire Scottish dad (John Kavanagh) has ties to Hollywood old money. Blanchard, on the other hand, has become addicted to prescription medication and spends much of his time hopped up on goofballs while he's obsessing over the Black Dahlia case as well as demons from his own past--and those demons just may have some connection to his current assignment. When reviewing these kinds of films, there's a temptation to pad the review with as much plot information as you can so the synopsis is properly represented; the old adage "But there's plenty more later in the film that will still surprise audiences" rears its smarmy little head every chance it gets, conflicting with the sensible rebuttal "Stop summarizing now, or you're going to spoil the movie." I'm going to listen to the latter voice right now and reveal no more of the plot. Enough pieces are in place, and if it will shut these bitchly voices in my head up (you guys have those, too, don't you?), I'll be one happy man. Let me not beat around the bush on one item: the film is visually stunning. Much like the Coen Brothers' The Man Who Wasn't There, just about every frame of The Black Dahlia is postcard-worthy, literally candy to the eyes--that kind of old-fashioned candy that you bought from street vendors for a nickel but which tasted better than any saccharine tripe you can buy today at Wal-Mart. The film is bathed in amber hues and sharp contrasts which, especially in the 2.35:1 theatrical scope, briskly escort you back to 1947. As the end credits suggest, much of this was obviously accomplished through post-production digital color correction, much like the splendid Oh Brother, Where Art Thou (another Coen Brothers film, I curiously note). Adding to the visual delicacies, the film noir approach is further enriched by a voice-over narration by Bleichert, giving us an after-the-fact rundown on what's happening. The performances are also first class, most notably Josh Hartnett as Bleichert. He first came to be known to horror fans because of his breakout role in Halloween: H20 and later starred in the morbid and acclaimed Sofia Coppola directoral debut The Virgin Suicides. Here he's tasked with not only carrying his role but also acting as the centerpoint; no matter what happens to anyone else in the film, we know he'll survive, because he's narrating to us, so that element of suspense is automatically removed. And he handles it with remarkable grace, making his character believable, even when acting alongside powerhouse Aaron Eckhart. Who can forget Eckhart's sadistic turn in In The Company Of Men, or his tormented character in Suspect Zero? In this role, his main job is to react rather than act, because that's what his character does. It's an admirable case of restraint, which just happens to be the mark of a skilled actor. Scarlett Johansson, who wowed critics in Lost In Translation, sparkles as the vulnerable and love-starved Kay, although she possesses far more resolve than we're first led to believe. Expect a possible Oscar nod for her this year, and I don't say that kind of thing lightly. And in supporting roles, both Hilary Swank and Rachel Miner (who plays Swank's younger sister) rightly underplay, so that plot revelations later in the film will have greater impact. Especially curious is an uncredited cameo from kd lang, who appears as a lounge singer in one scene and delivers a positively riveting rendition of Cole Porter's "Love For Sale." It's a particularly indicting moment for the decadent nature of Hollywood, even sixty years ago. I imagine that in about 2050, some murder mystery flick set in the 1980's will include an L.A. dance club performance of 2 Live Crew's "We Want Some Pussy" as a point of reference. Brian De Palma's resume is pretty varied in terms of genre, but whenever he does a thriller or murder mystery, you know you're in for a real treat. Check out Dressed To Kill, Blow Out or Snake Eyes if you require citation. As a mystery, The Black Dahlia does throw in a few last-minute revelations, and as a result, some of what happens earlier in the film make you wonder "Okay, why did that just happen?" or "Okay, why is that person important?" until it's all explained in the final reel. The popular industry term for that is "cheating." I haven't read James Ellroy's novel, so I don't know whether to pin this minor quibble upon it or upon Josh Friedman's otherwise fine screenplay. But I will pin the accolade "Fine Filmmaking" upon Mr. De Palma and his outstanding cast for their efforts in bringing The Black Dahlia to life. OFFICIAL SITE DISCUSS ON OUR FORUMS Review by Petch Lucas, for Pitofhorror.com