The Black Dahlia

By Amit Kalra

So last night I got suckered into seeing The Black Dahlia. First of all, I thought I was seeing the new Sophia Coppola movie about Marie Antoinette and the French revolution. Her movies are like music videos and I was extremely excited. The previousKa Lamakua music editor is so inspired by her that he has decided to put music to an old silent film from the thirties. Once I realized that that movie didn't come out for a month, I thought I was seeing Hollywoodland, another movie about an unsolved mystery in guess-where.

So there are two movies coming out already out about unsolved mysteries in Hollywood. I hope Hollywoodland is better because The Black Dahlia gets about one and half stars from me. It tries hard to be a period piece like L.A Confidential, but doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence. Although both movies were based on novels written by James Ellroy. There are a couple blatant references to the former, but I'll let you movie buffs look for them. The movie is about an unsuccessful actress that gets brutally murdered. Basically, she gets hacked up and the movie isn't shy about showing it. The movie also details somewhat of a love triangle between two cops (Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart) and one girlfriend. The main character is the usual Matt Damon and Brad Pitt look-a-like. He tries to display a type of vulnerability through his "puppy dog" eyes and attempts a few emotional outbreaks. The person I went to see the movie with commented, "I hope that guy is never in a movie again". (Perhaps my friend just doesn't like Brad Pitt.)

No one does a bad job of acting, but the plot and dialog are not the movie's strong suits. The plot isn't horrible, it just drags on for two hours. When it does finally end—in true irrational fashion—there is not punch-line to the mystery. I expected something much better from director Brian De Palms (Scarface, Carlito's Way). The dialog is a little less kitchy thenL.A. Confidential, but that is perhaps a weak point. It is worth seeing this if you like the madness, sex, and violence approach to movie-making, but for most people your time is better spent watching something else.

And a final note: I do not remember seeing a single face that was not white in the movie. This always bothers me when I see movies. The only Jewish guy in the movie is called a "Jew Boy". Excuse me while I put the race card back in my stack, but come on! Can't we get a single brown or Asian face in the movie? Frankly I'll settle for a Jewish guy that is not called "Jew Boy". Perhaps the movie is just not shy about showing the racially charged period of the thirties and forties, but I would be happy if these details were left out.

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