admin @ Fri, 2006-09-15 08:00
While demonstrating that he still knows his way around a movie camera, director Brian De Palma, the man behind such cinematic nuggets as The Untouchables, shows in The Black Dahlia his storytelling skills have eroded greatly.
Not a patently bad film, Dahlia -- based on a James Ellroy novel -- is a convoluted, confusing affair lacking the emotional depth to draw you into its story of police corruption, murder, sex and mystery. In more than a few instances, time stands still, inducing audience narcolepsy.
The film misfires in many other directions as well. Much of it is nonsensical as we try desperately to piece together motivations and the plot's twists and turns. The Black Dahlia, a real-life murder victim and wannabe actress named Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirschner), allegedly captured the eye of anyone she met, including the police officers working her murder. One is Det. Leland Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart), who goes off the deep end while trying to solve the crime.
Short apparently had that effect on others who came into contact with her, including socialite Madeleine Linscott (Hilary Swank) and assorted roommates and lovers. But De Palma's efforts to show us her allure are never truly convincing, so Blanchard's obsession comes off as disingenuous -- even after it's explained.
One aspect of the film that works is Josh Hartnett's portrayal of Bucky Bleichert, Blanchard's partner, who possesses more than a passing interest in Blanchard's girlfriend Kay (Scarlett Johansson). Hartnett delivers a key performance as a cop duped by almost everyone around him.
While he and Blanchard are on a stakeout, they stumble upon Short's murder. Never one to shy away from a career opportunity, Blanchard gets them assigned to work the case. As they begin sifting through the details of Short's life, they learn how seedy it was -- from an indifferent father to the men who used her at will.
This is where the film takes major stumbles. You need to feel Short's ability to draw people to her, and we do not. As Blanchard and Bleichert study film of her script readings and a pornographic movie, De Palma doesn't convince us that this alabaster-complexioned woman with the raven-colored hair could do such things. There's literally nothing to feed the desire. He also does the impossible, misusing Swank, who is far from believable as a woman with ties to Short.
The Black Dahlia can be visually stirring, but De Palma misfires on so many other levels. My view may be tainted by Curtis Hanson's masterful interpretation of Ellroy's L.A. Confidential. It would have helped had De Palma stolen generously from that film.
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