Word count: 528
Narrative structure
Various theories have been written regarding narrative, some of which are relevant here. Torodov (cited in Branston 2003: 36), the Russian Formalist, developed the equilibrium theory. This theory can be applied to LA Confidential therefore helping to identify how the narrative is moved forward. The original disruption to the equilibrium is the mass murder at the Night Owl café. This is observed by the narrative by the ensuing investigation. The new equilibrium is then established when Captain Smith is killed and his corruption no longer has a hold over the police department.
Given the complex nature of the ‘syuzhet’ (Shklovsky cited in Branston 2003: 38) the film wisely adheres to a linear narrative ensuring that the audience does not become confused. The use of a closed narrative ensures that the audience is sure of the ‘fabula’ and ‘syuzhet’ by the end of the film.
LA Confidential is a largely character driven film as it follows the three main detectives as they uncover the ‘fabula’. Propp (cited in Branston 2003: 34) coined the term ‘spheres of action’ and analysed traditional character roles which can still be applied today. Within this film the traditional roles of ‘villain’ (Smith), ‘helper’ (Vincennes/White/Exley), ‘princess’ (Bracken) and ‘dispatcher’ (Smith) can be identified. It is difficult to identify a hero, however. Initial assumptions would be Exley but it is White who gets the ‘princess’ or prize reward, usually reserved for the hero. Exley, however, is rewarded but with a medal and recognition. The characters also swap roles throughout the film and it is possible to identify certain role traits in different characters. Smith started as the ‘dispatcher’ but becomes the ‘villain’ by the end of the film. It is also possible to interpret White’s thuggish behaviour and corruption as being that of a ‘villain’, however, given his weakness for protecting women the audience does not jump to this conclusion. Instead it serves to justify the characters as human and not infallible thus creating a more realistic film.
Branston and Stafford (2003: 37) cite Claude Levi-Strauss’ ‘binary oppositions’ as another means of advancing the narrative. The following oppositions can be identified in the narrative: good cop/bad cop; morality/corruption; brains/brawn; masculinity/femininity; committing crime/solving crime; black/white (race); protection/abuse of women. The first opposition can most easily be attributed to Exley and White; they are even accused by the DA as playing the roles. Both seem to push the narrative along at relatively equal levels. It is the quest for justice despite the corruption within the department that causes Vincennes, Exley and White to continue to investigate the Night Owl case but it takes some ‘bad cop’ techniques such as hanging the DA out of a window to achieve this end.
Word count: 450
The Codes and Conventions of Genre
LA Confidential is a film which can very much be described as a genre-led film, although it is possible to attribute it to several different genres. The film self-consciously imitates and pays homage to classic film-noir and detective genres. It contains typically different varieties of cop whose personalities clash with each other. It is also fairly typical for these cops to be forced to work together and swallow their differences in the name of justice. Hanson himself admits to the similarities between LA Confidential and films such as The Big Sleep (1946) in an online interview with SLICEDwire [WWW 1997]. According to James Monaco (2000: 297) The Big Sleep is a ‘classic film noir detective story’. So Hanson did not try to avoid the film being classified according to genre as some directors do.
There are a variety of character roles such as the justice-driven ‘good cop’ who will sacrifice his good relations with the other police men in order to do his duty whilst simultaneously furthering his own career. This contrasts with the corrupt, thuggish Bud White who maintains good intentions and the slick, attention-seeking Jack Vincennes who grows a soul during the course of the film. Lynn Bracken is possibly the most typical of the genre as the glamorous love interest and reward for one of the heroes. ‘In contemporary crime genre texts the protagonist…is usually a cop or private eye detective’ (Lacey 2000: 137). This certainly is true in LA Confidential.
The disruption of the equilibrium is also very revealing of the genres. Being crime driven and circled around an investigation makes it impossible not to define the film as a detective story. The period and location of the film is also made indisputable by many factors such as the costumes and the characters. The sharp suits worn by the men who have any degree of power and the elegant outfits worn by the prostitutes are associated with the image of Hollywood during the boom years.
Film Noir is described as ‘part detective story, part gangster, part urban melodrama… [with] dark and pessimistic undercurrents’ by Monaco (2000: 304). All of these elements can be found within LA Confidential. The drugs and Mickey Cohen part of the plot justify the gangster element and the negative depiction of corruption within the police department hold ‘pessimistic undercurrents’.
However, a text can usually be as part of a number of genres. Crime, detective, Film Noir and gangster have all been validated as possible genres. It is also possible to attribute romance and comedy, although these could not be considered dominant. The love story between Lynn Bracken and Bud White creates romance. Comedy is sporadically included, usually involving Vincennes, probably to prevent the film from getting too dark and alienating its audience. Examples of this are in the scenes where White interviews Lynn and Exley forgets his glasses when going to arrest the Night Owl suspects.
Word count: 484
Audio-visuality
The mise-en-scene within LA Confidential is very revealing of its genre, period and location; these seem to be the three most obvious and influential factors in an audience’s reading of the film. Being set in Hollywood it focuses largely on the more glamorous areas so illustrated by the colourful cinematography. The less appealing areas of the suburb where the blacks and Mrs Lefferts live are revealed by their cheap, basic-looking décor. For example as Bud White walks through the back of Mrs Lefferts’ house we see a dirty screen and peeling paintwork.
The costumes the characters wear also tell us a great deal about who they are. Sharp suits worn by the police reveals how even they gain from the glamorous lifestyles of Hollywood. Again the audience learns much about Mrs Lefferts just from her costume. The hairnet, large glasses and apron reflects how she is far removed from the side of town her daughter became a part of. Lynn, on the other hand, wears very elegant and stylish outfits and we can tell she must profit from looking the way she does, like most women who work in the movie industry.
Lighting is used to reflect the mood and atmosphere of each location. The low lit bars reveal potential seedy goings-on. Similarly the flattering low lighting in Lynn’s house may appear to make her look elegant but can also reveal similar such events given her profession. The restricted harsh light which streams throught the window of the Victory Motel is something associated with the Film Noir genre. It casts shadows over the dubious interrogations carried out by Captain Dudley Smith.
The acting styles of the characters are also particularly revealing of the period. All the actors are articulate and each line is delivered with perfection. Lynn’s movements are slow and controlled as they are designed to look elegant and sexy. Such styles were commonplace in early 1950s films as they were made before the discovery of method acting (On The Waterfront did not come out till the following year, 1954). When Exley is revealing the plot in the penultimate scene of the film, despite the complexity of the story he retells it without a single mistake or hesitation. Not a realistic portrayal but one which uses the codes and conventions of the period. Camera angles and framing remain consistent with this claim as they are also typical of the period remaining within standard long and medium shots and close ups.
Non-diagetic music is used heavily to represent and reinforce the actions and emotions on screen. When Exley, Vincennes and two other detectives arrest the Night Owl suspects the music is pacey using string intruments and booming drums to reflect the tension and apprehension felt by the men as they burst in. Authentic easy listening music by artists such as Dean Martin is also used as it reinforces the time frame of LA Confidential. It is used as part of a montage sequence to represent the passage of time. After the Night Owl suspects are killed the audience is shown everything going back to the usual police routine. The use of everyday music emphasizes this.
Word count: 525
Editing Techniques
As a Hollywood film that is set in the 1950s and draws on the techniques and genres from that era it would be reasonable to expect the editing to obey the conventions of standard continuity editing which Nick Lacey outlines in Image and Representation (1998: 47-51). In the scene which involves White going to speak to Mrs Lefferts we can see evidence of all these techniques. The first shot used is an establishing shot of the house which identifies what sort of area of Hollywood the narrative has moved to. During the conversation inside the house the shot/reverse shot edit is employed. An eyeline match edit is evident as she looks at the card he shoes her then frame cuts to a shot of the card. As White opens and walks through the back door we are given an example a match on action edit. The 180-degree and 30-degree rules are always obeyed ensuring the editing remains invisible to the audience.
For most of the duration of the film the rhythmic relationship between the edits (Lacey 1998: 47-51) remains at a normal pace with each shot averaging at about seven seconds in length.This pace quickens rapidly when the action on screen increases. For example in the early scene where Stensland attacks the mexicans who injured two police officers the length of the shots becomes shorter and the frequency of edits becomes quicker.
Given that LA Confidential is not an experimental film, rather one that draws on old techniques it is not surprising that the editing performs little function other than to add pace and rhythm to the narrative. The story takes place over a period of weeks but this is edited down to just over two hours. The passage of time is indicated by montage sequences like the one mentioned earlier or by simple cuts to different locations.
The only use of fades or dissolves is during the two brief flashbacks. By using this technique the audience reads this as being at a different time to the one already on the screen. They do this because the fade and dissolve are conventions used to indicate the passage of time. However, it is not used elsewhere in the film to achieve this result. For example, after Exley has told all of the events at the Victory Motel a dissolve could have been used to indicate the time passed until he got his medal but instead a simple cut is used. It is Lynn’s hair and the reduction in Exley’s bruises which are the most revealing of the time passed. This shows how the producers have kept the editing very simple preferring to allow what is in the frame to tell the story.
Word count: 451
Total word count: 2438
Bibliograpy
Branston, G and Stafford, R (2003) The Media Student’s Book. Routledge: London.
Lacey, N (2000) Narrative and Genre. Macmillan: Basingstoke.
Lacey, N (1998) Image and Representation. Macmillan: London.
Monaco, J (2000) How to Read a Film. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
LA Confidential (1997) dir. Curtis Hanson
On The Waterfront (1954) dir. Eli Kazan
The Big Sleep (1946) dir. Howard Marks
SPLICEDwire: Curtis Hanson interview (1997) [WWW] <URL: http://www.splicedonline.com/features/la_hanson.html> [accessed 10 March 2004]
