Based on the novel by James Ellroy, Brian De Palma's THE BLACK DAHLIA stars Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart as a pair of LAPD detectives assigned to the most notorious murder in Hollywood history. De Palma takes things slow, spending a good 20 minutes establishing the relationship between Buddy Bleichert, Lee Blanchard, and their mutual love Kay (Scarlett Johanssen), before introducing the 1947 murder after which the film is named. In the haunting screen-tests left behind after her mysterious death, aspiring actress Elizabeth Short appears to want fame so badly she'll do anything to get it. Her pornographic film appearances, and a rumored affair with narcissist heiress Madeleine Linscott (Hillary Swank), provide just two clues in a sea of confusion.THE BLACK DAHLIA crams every subplot from Ellroy's novel into two hours, but only connects them towards the end of the movie. The screen-tests featuring a sadly desperate Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner) are captivatingly filmed in gritty black-and-white. These scenes succeed in showing the industry ugliness most likely behind Elizabeth's death, while the rest of the film self-consciously strives to be noir through elaborate set design, dramatic camera angles, and narration taken straight from the book. If De Palma's goal was to make us examine our own voyeuristic fascination with murder, particularly the gruesome murder of a beautiful young woman, then he succeeds, because throughout a film invested in so many different storylines, Short's remains the most interesting one.
Product Identifiers
UPC
0025192918124
eBay Product ID (ePID)
56208861
Product Key Features
Actor
Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Josh Hartnett, Mia Kirshner
Rating
R
Edition
Full Screen
Movie/TV Title
Black Dahlia
Director
Brian De Palma
Format
DVD
Release Year
2006
Genre
Drama
Additional Product Features
Number of Discs
1
Country/Region of Manufacture
USA
Display Format
Full Frame
LeafCats
617
Leading Role
Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Hartnett, Hilary Swank, Mia Kirshner