La confidential is a movie dictated in the 1950’s an era in which Hollywood ruled the streets of America when it came to movies. This movie is the type that highly shows the corrupt systems in the society by telling a story about cops who are unethical and dishonest than the so-called criminals they arrest. It is based on the book authored by Ellroy James, but the film is later brought into the limelight in the 1990’s. It’s a film that was proposed for nine accords but won only two losing the rest to Titanic. In addition to La Confidential providing ninety-eight minutes of intense simulated action, it also portrays the policing issues in the police department, social injustices in the state which are shown through the rape, beating of prisoners, drug abuse, and secret alliances .
Based on the era where the white regime was not supposed to face any criticism and anyone who offered criticism to the authority was sabotaged. A neo-noir film that shows the dirty work going on in the Los Angeles police department which entailed corruption and loyalty. According to the western films an American was depicted as an intelligent man, one who can be relied on, one who is less attracted to civilization, an introvert and if he has to talk it would be in the company of men and not women. The man in contention was a just man who could be able to defend himself and others through the use of a gun. Quite the exact opposite of what is portrayed in the movie La confidential where men are attracted to civilization, they are more self-centered and take advantage of the gun not to protect themselves or others but to take advantage of others and rob them.
It goes ahead to depict the culture of racism at that time during the “bloody Christmas incident” where several prisoners were battered, the majority were Mexicans, and this was due to some deceitful rumors that the prisoners had injured some officers in the prison. The American life according to la confidential shows the blacks and Latino’s to be the criminals of the state which were the American way of life unlike in the western movies where the black people are depicted as hardworking, people who have a control of the alcohol intake and are accepted in the society. The film goes ahead to show the difference in financial status between the whites and the nonwhites, and this is a different case when it comes to the western films whereby the society is almost equal.
The main principal character is Jack Vincennes whose real name is Kevin Spacey, in this film he is also an advisor in one of the television shows and who does not oppose the idea of corruption and mostly he is a narcotics detective. The other two main characters are Officer Bud White whose real name is Russell Crowell, who happens to be portrayed as a person who loathes men, beats and abuses women. In one of the scenes when bud is coming from a bar he happens to see a woman with a dressing on her nose approaching a taxi, and when she follows her a man gets out of the car shouting to Bud to mind his own business but this clearly clarifies his idea that the woman had been abused. He jumps to beat the man thinking that he was the one responsible for the injuries on the woman. This was not the case as the woman had sustained injuries when playing tennis. This in a way shows Bud as a protective guy but with the wrong judgment since he does not dwell on the details he quickly concludes matters in his ways. In the movie, Bud also talks of himself as someone who is huge, and he is always brought in to scare the other guy, this portrays him as an ignorant person but towards the end of the movie he proves himself to be an intelligent man whom we all get hooked to.
The other personnel is Ed Exley whose real name is Guy Pearce of black origin.Ed is passionate about his work, he is also morally upright and ethical and due to his principals he faces friction with the department. According to Denhardt and Joseph, ethics entails identifying what is right or wrong and hence work towards the right thing or act while morality entails acts that are right or wrong. His father was also a Los Angeles police who died a mysterious death. He is loathed by the other officers as he is the one who tells of the Mexicans prisoners being beaten. It is evident from the beginning that there is a distance between him and the other officers as he is a self-interested man who is depicted as ethical but a call from a lady proves him not.
This film depicts the period of racism very well even in the systems the struggles the minorities used to go through even in the workforce. This was during the after world war two era and thus, why the film was about the 1950’s, during this era there were no buildings bigger than the city hall. This was something well portrayed in the shooting of the movie as the angles of the cameras were placed in a manner that on the city hall building was the biggest building in the scene.
It gives an urban setting as we can see the officers going to dance in the night which is a rare thing in the rural areas, another aspect entails formation of gang groups which is not the case in rural areas. This setting enables to depict the all-white culture that cared less about the non-white people in the city. This type of films are stylistically associated with low black and white visuals which also helps bring down the cost of production.
Corruption, double-dealing, and lies are the major themes in this film. Throughout the plot, you are never sure of who turns out to be the enemy until the end when one clearly turns out to be the foe. All the characters seem to be one united force which is working together to achieve a common goal, but it’s not the case towards the end.
The height of racism is clearly shown when white bud goes to the rapes victim house and shoots the black man who had no clothes on. This brings out the criminal culture in the black people but also Budd goes ahead to humiliate him. The white race do commit crimes as a form of generating income, but this is done so as part of a conspiracy and corruption through the city. Officer Jack who also happens to know about the offence is part of it, and he does nothing to stop it. He is the first officer to jump and accuse others of their wrong doings.
Another theme brought out in LA confidential is the aspect of immorality that is spearheaded by the love of sexuality by Officer Jack. This is clearly shown when he goes out at night looking for the hooker. It is also shown when the black guy commits rape. This depicts how the morals of the society are rotten beyond salvage.
Ideas concerning the elements of the film narrative are clearly brought out as the black people have played the role as criminals to depict the idea that black people were associated with immoral activities. Also in jail, the majority of the people are not white but are the nonwhite race making the white race as the moral people in the society.
Throughout the movie, the character in which Ed plays shows that the black people are depicted as confused as they do not know what they want with life. They are also portrayed as selfish people and this is seen when he volunteers to be a witness in a case for the sake of getting a promotion. Through the use of a narrator, the movie ensures that the basics of the story are well understood by the audience.
In conclusion, a major lesson is taken from the movie La Confidential, which prepares the audience to the corrupt systems in the government more so the police department. And due to the bad behaviors they highly undermine the constitution of the state especially in the main urban areas. Corruption and abuse of power are still part of the society and that one person can make a huge difference no matter the race or how big or small he or she is. It is among the best films of the 1990’s which is well and thoroughly designed to show how corruption used to work in the 1950’s and still how it affects us in the modern world.
Works Cited
Denhardt, Robert B. and Grubbs W Joseph . Public Administration: An Action Orientation. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2003.
L.A. Confidential. Dir. Curtis Hanson. Perf. Russell Crowe, et al. Warner Bros. Pictures. 1997.
