RARA-AVIS: L.A. CONFIDENTIAL/CHINATOWN

BaxDeal@aol.com
Wed, 24 Sep 1997 13:52:21 -0400 (EDT) since James Ellroy's sprawling novel untimately is about a Walt Disneyesque
epic villain, and the movie version of said work has no such character, the
filmmakers did an astounding job of capturing the spirit of the author's
work.

after Chinatown... no film that deals with corruption on a grand scale is
going to surprise anybody. people today are much more cynical and in fact
expect that from our politicians and developers. but contrasting the two
works, the Polanski film is more meditative and melancholy, and has a sense
of outrage over the immenseness of its evil. while L.A. Confidential
cheerfully accepts that evil as a starting point and still holds the power to
stun its audience. no small feat in this day and age. Chinatown left Gittes
forever tainted by its events. Exley and White in L.A. Confidential are
redeemed by their actions in their circumstances.

recommended for anyone who loves noir.

John Lau
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