People hate this movie, or at best, seem to be apathetic.
And... I don't get that. I loved The Black Dahlia. I was giddy for like two and a half hours after watching it. It made me want to go back and watch every Brian De Palma movie I own and bask in the warm glow of a man whose sense of visual style seems tailor-made for my very own eyes. I loved this movie.
The acting? Top notch. Hilary Swank, who I never really liked, was at her gorgeous, sexy best in a classic femme fatale role. Mia Kirschner was absolutely heartbreaking as the titular corpse. Aaron Eckhart was perfect for his detective role, as hard-boiled and on-the-edge as a person could hope for, and looking the part to a flawless degree. Early in the film, I had my doubts about Josh Hartnett, whose look and mannerisms seemed a bit too modern for the rich saturation of 40s speech and style, but he got into the swing of things by the second act, and by the end, you'd have sworn he was born with a fedora on top of his head. My one complaint came in the form of Scarlett Johansson, who I normally enjoy. The delivery of her dialog seemed way, way off. Too modern, too East Coast, and too apathetic for her role as a plucky survivor. She had the perfect look; the costuming, hair, and make-up were stunning, but every time she spoke, it distracted completely.
The cinematography is the real star, however, with sets and editing to bring you instantly to that place and time that is something akin to Camelot for movie fans. It's film noir in technicolor, gritty and dark, but with a greased-lens glossiness and brilliant colour where it needed it. Everyone smoked, and a haze hung over just about every scene. With De Palma's old school editing techniques, you not only feel as if you're watching a movie about the forties, you feel like you're watching a movie during the forties.
Some have taken exception to the way the story jumps from mystery to mystery, as the Black Dahlia's death is not the only murder in Tinsel Town. However, at no point did I feel the film was scattered. It was anchored with the characters, with Hartnett's portrayal of Bucky, of the way the whole world seems to be unravelling and out of control. Yes, the events in the film were all over the place, but the film itself remained cohesive and tight throughout.
While nowhere near as good as L.A. Confidential (a film with which obvious comparisons will be made, due to the James Ellroy connection, as well as similarities in plot and setting; murder in Hollywood's golden age and whatnot), I really don't think it was trying to be. L.A. Confidential was a movie about character and honor, about fighting your way through the muck of corruption to find and reveal the truth, no matter the cost. The Black Dahlia... was not about those things. It's about sex and style and sinking into that muck and rolling around instead of climbing out of it. It's pure, unapologetic pulp, and to that end, Brian De Palma succeeds unerringly.
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