L.A. Confidential has more than earned its place as one of the most influential movies ever made. Not only did it launch the careers of Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe, but it's also one of the first films I think of when I think of the term "neo-noir." Based on James Ellroy's novel of the same name, L.A. Confidential covers the corruption within the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1940s, leading to a clash between Pearce's Ed Exley and Crowe's Bud White, along with the lurid lives of Hollywood stars and the criminal element that ran underneath the city. Add in a star-studded cast that includes the likes of Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, and Danny DeVito, and it was clear that L.A. Confidential was going to be special.
When Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland were adapting L.A. Confidential for the screen, they chose to streamline the novel's events by cutting whole plotlines to focus on Exley, White, and the fame-chasing "Hollywood Jack" Vincennes (Kevin Spacey). The end results speak for themselves, and show that a director should always go for what makes the right story in an adaptation, since books and films are two different mediums. Ellroy even approved of the changes, telling the Dallas Reporter, "They preserved the basic integrity of the book and its main theme." But even though it isn't 100% faithful to its source material, L.A. Confidential still has some real-life events woven into its narrative.
The "Bloody Christmas Riot" in 'L.A. Confidential' Is Real -- But There's a Catch
The incident that kickstarts most of L.A. Confidential happens during Christmas Eve. A confrontation between drunken LAPD officers and seven inmates leads to the horrific beating of those inmates, which Exley uses the aftermath of to pursue crooked officers. This event actually happened, and was referred to as the Bloody Christmas riot. It was especially notable for leading to a staggering number of LAPD officers either being suspended or transferred, including two officers named Trojanowski and Brownson. In L.A. Confidential, their names were changed but the brutal behavior they engaged in was very real, showcasing the darker side of the City of Angels.
Mickey Cohen Was a Real-Life Gangster
L.A. Confidential opens with a major moment in real-life history: the arrest of notorious gangster Mickey Cohen (Paul Guifoyle ). Cohen's bodyguard Johnny Stompanato (Paolo Seganti) plays a major role in the narrative, as he has connections to a corrupt officer that is tied to a massive conspiracy involving the LAPD. Stompanato was involved at the time with actress Lana Turner (played by Brenda Bakke in L.A. Confidential). What the film doesn't get into is that Stompanato was abusive to Turner, to the point where he threatened Sean Connery with a gun on the set of Another Time, Another Place. Eventually, Turner's daughter Cheryl Crane stabbed Stompanato to death. Cohen wound up paying for Stompanato's funeral, then leaked the love letters he wrote to Turner to the press to discredit his abuse.
The LAPD Gangster Squad Was a Real Group
Cohen's arrest in L.A. Confidential leads to a power vacuum, and has LAPD police captain Dudley Smith (Cromwell) task White and other officers with making sure no other gangsters fill his spot -- even if they have to go outside the law to do it. This group was known as the LAPD Gangster Squad, and they were a very real organization. One of its members, Jack O'Mara, was very frank about the skirting of the law the Gangster Squad did, saying that he'd be indicted for his actions in the present day. Ironically, Smith himself turns out to be using the LAPD to take over Cohen's empire and cut off any loose ends, and Wexley eventually kills him.
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Another movie would chronicle the origins of the Gangster Squad, and that was the self-titled Gangster Squad. Like L.A. Confidential, Gangster Squad featured Mickey Cohen (played this time by Sean Penn) and a group of cops determined to take him down. It also had a star-studded cast including Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone, but reviews weren't kind, unfavorably comparing it to L.A. Confidential. Also, while L.A. Confidential is able to weave actual historical events into its narrative, Gangster Squad took more than a few liberties with real life events.
'L.A. Confidential' Takes Its Title From an Actual Scandal Magazine Close
The element of L.A. Confidential that is most rooted in real life is the title, which is based on a real life magazine. Confidential was founded in 1952 by Robert Harrison, who reported on everything from stars' relationships going south to their actual criminal behavior. He became extremely rich doing so, but eventually ran into legal issues when he was charged with criminal libel. Harrison won the case, promising to only publish positive stories. Eventually, Confidential's numbers dropped, and the magazine was canceled in 1978, the same year Harrison died. L.A. Confidential presents a unique take on the magazine in its narrative; instead of being called Confidential, it's now called Hush-Hush. Journalist Sid Hudgens, played by DeVito, is more or less a stand in for Robert Harrison as he strikes deals with Vincennes to stage celebrity arrests for front page news (and a cut of the profits). Both men wind up victims of Smith's conspiracy.
L.A. Confidential manages to weave several real-life events into its narrative, only slightly altering them to make its story more compelling. The end result is a film that's stood the test of time, showcasing how corruption grows within certain institutions and the lengths that others will go to for power. Hegleand even revealed that he and Ellroy had developed a sequel to L.A. Confidential, with Pearce and Crowe reprising their roles alongside the late Chadwick Boseman portraying a new protagonist. Sadly, the pitch failed to take off even at Warner Bros., where the original film was produced! Regardless, L.A. Confidential is worth a watch if you're a film buff, a history buff, or both.
LA Confidential RCrimeDramaMystery
Set against the backdrop of 1950s Los Angeles, a trio of detectives with vastly different styles and motivations investigates a series of crimes that reveal the depth of corruption in their own police force. Their quest for justice leads them through a labyrinth of deception and betrayal in the glittering world of Hollywood.
Release Date September 19, 1997 Director Curtis Hanson Cast Kevin Spacey , Russell Crowe , Guy Pearce , James Cromwell , David Straitham , Kim Basinger , Danny DeVito Runtime 138 minutes Main Genre Crime Writers James Ellroy , Brian Helgeland , Curtis Hanson Cinematographer Dante Spinotti Producer Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson, Michael G. Nathanson Production Company New Regency Productions, Warner Bros., The Wolper Organization Budget $35 million Expand
L.A. Confidential is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
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