Product Details

• Actors: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell
• Directors: Curtis Hanson
• Writers: Curtis Hanson, Brian Helgeland, James Ellroy
• Producers: Curtis Hanson, Arnon Milchan, Brian Helgeland, Dan Kolsrud
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: April 21, 1998
• Run Time: 138 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (339 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0790734850
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,164 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "L.A. Confidential" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

In a time when it seems that every other movie makes some claim to being a film noir, L.A. Confidential is the real thing--a gritty, sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal, and corruption of all sorts (police, political, press--and, of course, very personal) in 1940s Hollywood. The Oscar-winning screenplay is actually based on several titles in James Ellroy's series of chronological thriller novels (including the title volume, The Big Nowhere, and White Jazz)--a compelling blend of L.A. history and pulp fiction that has earned it comparisons to the greatest of all Technicolor noir films, Chinatown. Kim Basinger richly deserved her Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a conflicted femme fatale; unfortunately, her male costars are so uniformly fine that they may have canceled each other out with the Academy voters: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and James Cromwell play LAPD officers of varying stripes. Pearce's character is a particularly intriguing study in Hollywood amorality and ambition, a strait-laced "hero" (and son of a departmental legend) whose career goals outweigh all other moral, ethical, and legal considerations. If he's a good guy, it's only because he sees it as the quickest route to a promotion. --Jim Emerson

Product Description

Three police detectives each use their own approach to find the truth behind a group murder.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 7-JUN-2005
Media Type: DVD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern noir at its finest., January 20, 2002

By	Themis-Athena (from somewhere between California and Germany) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

What is a good cop? One who joined the police force because he was unable to save his mother from being killed by an abusive husband, but who now uses violence not only against wife-beaters but whenever called for by his superior officers; be it to beat a confession out of a suspect
or to discourage criminals from settling in town? Or one who joined the police force to emulate his father, a department legend; to go after "Rollo Tommasi" (the guy who thinks he can get away with anything), but who thereafter lets his career and department politics dictate his actions? Or, in the end, is it the one who has let corruption wipe out so thoroughly the reasons why he once joined the police force that he doesn't even remember a single one of them, but who for once in his life still finds it in himself to go after real criminals, even at the risk of his own life? This is just one, although maybe the central question asked in "L.A. Confidential," the movie based on James Ellroy's novel with the same name. And as does the book, the movie refuses to provide an answer to this and the other questions it asks.

The story is set up by tabloid editor Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito), who during the movie's opening credits gleefully sums up the L.A. clichés that still hold true today: "Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, ... there are jobs aplenty, and land is cheap. Every working man can have his own house, and inside the house a happy, all American family. You can have all this, and who knows, you can even be discovered - become a movie star or at least, singer. Life is good in Los Angeles: it's paradise on earth." Laughing sarcastically, however, he adds: "That's what they tell ya', anyway, 'cause they're selling an image. They're selling it through movies, radio, and television." Then Hudgens proceeds to tell the story of crime boss Mickey C.'s arrest, which left the void in the City of Angels's organized crime scene that sets the stage for this movie's story, and concludes with his tabloid's tag line: "Remember, dear readers, you heard it here first: Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush ..."

And as indicated in these opening lines, nothing is as it seems in this 1950s' version of a Los Angeles populated by hookers cut to look like movie stars and cops with more or less disreputable alternative sources of income. As the story progresses, its three heroes - career-driven and pseudo-correct Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), tough-fisted and golden-hearted Wendell "Bud" White (Russell Crowe) and nonchalant, corrupt "celebrity crime stopper" Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) - become unlikely allies in their search for their city's most elusive commodity: the truth. Shades of gray abound, and even the end, which (unlike the novel's) has at least some redeeming aspects, is not a happy ending by a long shot.

Just as many people longingly remembered the days of "The Maltese Falcon," "The Big Sleep" or, for that matter, "Chinatown," proclaimed "they don't make 'em like that anymore" and were ready to announce the death of the noir genre, along came a group of new directors and screenwriters and breathed new life into patient. "The Usual Suspects" is one excellent example, this one is another. Unlike other noir stories', this tale's heroes are no private detectives; but all the classic elements of a film noir are there, from a damsel in distress (Veronica Lake-look-alike hooker Lynn Bracken, award-winningly portrayed by Kim Basinger) to crime, corruption and abuse of power, and to dimmed lights and hard boiled dialogue with many memorable one-liners. In a year overshadowed by the success of the vastly overrated "Titanic," "L.A. Confidential" managed to at least collect the Academy Awards in the best supporting actress and best adapted screenplay categories (Kim Basinger and Brian Helgeland/Curtis Hanson, respectively; the movie had also been nominated in the best picture, best director - again Curtis Hanson -, best original score - Jerry Goldsmith -, best cinematography, best art direction and best editing categories). And while the 1990s have seen a revival of the noir genre, this one is a standout even among the new films noirs the past decade has brought us. It made the careers of its writers, director and two of its stars (Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe), and boosted those of several others of its cast members (Kim Basinger and Kevin Spacey, to name just two). I am sure it will find its eternal place in the annals of Hollywood, alongside its famous predecessors. There are way too few movies like this these days - if you haven't seen it already, go and buy or rent it soon. This is modern noir at its finest.

Also recommended:
L.A. Confidential
Raymond Chandler: Stories and Early Novels: Pulp Stories / The Big Sleep / Farewell, My Lovely / The High Window (Library of America)
Complete Novels: Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass Key, and The Thin Man (Library of America #110)
Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1930s and 40s: The Postman Always Rings Twice / They Shoot Horses, Don't They? / Thieves Like Us / The Big Clock / Nightmare ... / I Married a Dead Man (Library of America)
The Bogart Collection (Casablanca/The Maltese Falcon/To Have and Have Not/The Big Sleep/The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)
Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Chinatown (Special Collector's Edition)

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Movie, and Well Worth Owning on DVD, July 28, 2000

By	Sam Bethune (Lincoln, Nebraska USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"LA Confidential" takes detective film noir in a different direction-something I didn't think could be done. Director Curtis Hanson stated that he wanted the focus of this period piece to be on the characters and dialogue rather than the locations, clothing, cars, etc. I think he got it right for the most part, but the cinematography is so spectacular that you can't help but notice the backdrops against which the scenes are set.

The acting performances in this picture are for the most part first rate: Guy Pearce plays the ambitious Edmund Exley to perfection, Russell Crowe is superb as tough guy detective Bud White, and Kevin Spacey (one of my favorite actors of all time) turns in a stellar performance as the hip narco detective who also acts as a consultant on a Dragnet-like TV series. Strong performances by James Cromwell, Ron Rifkin, and the ubiquitous David Strathairn round out the picture. Although I liked Kim Basinger, I thought she was cast more for her look than for her acting skills. She played the role of a Veronica-lake lookalike prostitute quite well, but hers didn't look like a performance any other competent actress couldn't have pulled off.

The DVD version of this picture is more full of features than any other title I've owned thus far. It includes a documentary about the making of the film which includes cast interviews and clips of Crowe's and Pearce's screen tests. There's also a location map that tells the viewer about each of the major locations where scenes were shot, cast bios, a promo for the soundtrack (featuring some very good early 50's jazz courtesy of Chet Baker and other artists of the era), and the movie can be played with just the soundtrack running. Be warned-the features that come in the DVD version take more time to watch as the movie. But it's well worth the time! "LA Confidential" sets a high standard in terms of what studios should include in DVD's of their pictures. Are you paying attention, Hollywood?

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NEW VERSION DVD review...., September 20, 2008

By	Richardson "Clarence" (Sunny California USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: L.A. Confidential (Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD)

Rather than review this amazing modern Noir...I just want to say..BUY this new version...it looks fabulous and the bonus features are PLENTIFUL and very meaty with content and the good news is they ALSO have brought over the features from the first release allowing all of us to dump that one and that isn't always the case. They also have a nearly 1 hr TV movie/pilot called LA CONFIDENTIAL starring Keifer Sutherland which is fun. There is also a bonus CD disc of music which is icing on the cake. I just spent a few hours watching all the bonus features and will absolutely watch them again ( a rarity) and as I said..the movie never looked better..I've only checked out a bit of the commentary which has a staggering number of contributors and should make another viewing of the movie with it running a fun trip indeed. WB does it well when they re-issue and not just with the sexy new cover image ..this baby got a complete overhaul...

enjoy!