“The Black Dahlia” (2006)
Directed by: Brian De Palma. Starring: Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Hillary Swank.
In “The Black Dahlia”, the actual mystery of the notorious case takes a back seat, or at least shares the spotlight with the stories of the men who were assigned to solve it. These men, Ofcr. Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Sgt. Leland “Lee” Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart), investigate the case. They are initially recruited to fight one another in a charity-boxing match. Because of the success of the match, and the legislation that somehow passes as a result of it, they are promoted and made partners. For a little while, Bleichert, Blanchard, and his girlfriend Kay Lake (Scarlett Johansson) live a happy, carefree existence. But then, the partners are assigned to investigate the murder of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, a struggling actress found brutally murdered.
The case strikes a chord with Blanchard, and he soon becomes obsessed with it. As he descends into the murky waters of the case, he drifts further and further from his partner and his girlfriend.
Even without the Black Dahlia case, Blanchard’s life is filled with intrigue. From the start, Bleichert is suspicious of his partner. As the film progresses, he investigates the case on his own and slowly pieces together his partner’s dark secrets.
The film is based on James Ellroy’s novel of the same name, which is a fictionalized version of the case. Audiences will be disappointed if they expect the mystery to be truly solved. The case was never solved in real life, and although the film presents an interesting conclusion, it’s not based on fact, only the ideas Ellroy put forth in his book.
Based on all the murmurs of confusion I heard in the audience when I viewed the film, the biggest problem with it is that it’s pretty complicated. Blanchard’s adventures are especially hard to follow. Add that to similar character names and appearances, and it could easily make for a confusing movie going experience.
Story: C-
Acting: A-
Visuals: A-
Originality: C
Enjoyability: C
Overall: C+
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