While the film was gritty, it also had elements of superhero-like situations and main character plot armour reminiscent
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — L.A. Confidential
P.Error — 7 months ago(August 10, 2025 06:18 AM)
While the film was gritty, it also had elements of superhero-like situations and main character plot armour reminiscent of Commando and True Lies.
Bud’s unlawful antics were overdone to the point where he became an unlikeable character to me.
Yes, I know it’s the 50s. Yes, I know cops didn’t wear body-cams then. Nevertheless, police officers can’t press a knife into the tip of someone’s genitals as an intimidation tactic. Police officers can’t assault another detective at the station. Police officers can’t hold someone’s head in a toilet then pry them out a window to get answers. That’s literally assault and attempted murder.
The film glosses over Bud’s severe unlawful misconduct and brutality and treats it as levity. There could be a Hollywood film about a bad cop who held civilians he’s interrogating out of skyscraper windows. He abuses his power consistently; we move onto the next scene without mentioning it again, like it’s comic relief.
The most obvious cliche was the ending battle. The two protagonists are in a shootout with several gunmen. Never mind wearing suits and not SWAT gear. All of the bad guys die in a single shot. But of course the two “good guys” with plot armour get shot multiple times and are only wounded.
If this wasn’t cliche enough, I thought the end would be a good place where Bud would die, and Ed would be the lone protagonist survivor. But no. They even messed this up by tacking on a cliche American romantic comedy ending where Bud is only wounded and gets the girl, the girl that he physically assaulted prior.
And of course, he doesn’t have to answer for any his crimes. I guess the guy he held out a window and tried to drown didn’t go to the police.
I also do not think shooting the main villain from behind when he had his hands up is necessarily a good look for how you’d want a villain to meet his demise.
Not only did Ed commit murder, but the fact that he did this as a police officer, to a suspect who had his hands up and literally surrendering to law enforcement, is highly disturbing. There are too many cases of officers shooting suspects and we don’t need a Hollywood heroising unlawful conduct and murder by police officers.
This is a case where a “Han shot first” reverse scenario would’ve been beneficial. Have Dudley about to shoot Ed, and Ed gets him. Fixed.
Never lose your desire. -
P.Error — 7 months ago(August 11, 2025 07:33 AM)
It's not what Hollywood was like 1953 I'm judging; it's the message the film is sending about Hollywood in 1953 from a 1997 perspective (when the film was made).
Hence, it's dated.
If the film were made today, it would be better, and officers would be more accurate.
Never lose your desire. -
AnthonySocksss — 7 months ago(August 11, 2025 07:04 PM)
This is a Hollywood movie from the 90s, idiot
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P.Error — 7 months ago(August 12, 2025 07:59 AM)
Police officers in the 50s did not reguarly hold men they were questioning (who were not detained) out of a 10+ story window where there could realistically be a 40/60% chance of the guy slipping and dying.
I'm supposed to believe that an officer can demolosh a police station by assaulting another officer, and there're no consequences stemming from that?
It went into Last Action Hero terrority in that scene.
More importantly, it's what the film is saying about it. The message comes across as if it's supporting police brutality.
Bud consistently engaged in unlawful conduct as an officer of the law. He unlawfully assaults innocent civlians to get answers. He stages murder scenes. He hits women. All of this, and never answers for any of his crimes. He gets the girl in the end. He's painted as the hero of the story with a happy ending. He didn't deserve that ending.
Police are bad enough on bodycam, doing their normal jobs. Now, we're going to paint two officers abusing their power like this, including murder?
Never lose your desire. -
huwdj — 7 months ago(August 11, 2025 09:51 AM)
Nope, I've never found this film has dated badly. Most films do at some point but for me this one has not. The whole point is they were using gangster tactics to fight gangsters - who in turn
accepted
this level of violence as usual business practice.
And just killing/executing the villein seems fair given the circumstances and knowing that he will probably talk his way out of everything and carry on as a corrupt and murderous official.
I certainly don't find the ending
cliche American romantic comedy
. It's bitter and poignant. A physically broken Bud and his girl set off to find a new life waved off by the man who raped her.
I have always depended on the kindness of Strangers - and the bastards let me down! -
P.Error — 7 months ago(August 12, 2025 07:49 AM)
A physically broken Bud and his girl set off to find a new life waved off by the man who raped her.
Bud wasn't much different. His response to anger is physical violence, with both men and women. He hit her in the face.
I felt like the movie was absolving Bud. Ed should have ended up with Veronica Lake.
Bud didn't need to survive that shooting. We had Ed. It works better if Ed's the sole survivor. Bud was a morally gray character so his death would've been fitting. The two good guys happen to survive that shooting? Come on. One of the two had to go.
It's very Hollywood ending. Hero survives and drives off with girl in a car in last shot. It's straight from Grease.
Never lose your desire. -
huwdj — 7 months ago(August 12, 2025 06:45 PM)
He was a brutal man with brutal responses, but also some kind of honour and capable of change - which she recognised. I think limping off into the sunset with her was a good ending - though I've no idea what their future would be.
And why not have our two very flawed and totally unromantic heroes survive - it would almost have been too cheap a Hollywood trick to kill one off just to make the ending more poignant.
I have always depended on the kindness of Strangers - and the bastards let me down! -
AnthonySocksss — 7 months ago(August 11, 2025 07:05 PM)
Yeah the movie has a few turn your brain off moments, and is very Hollywood, but it’s still a good action/crime thriller.
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P.Error — 7 months ago(August 12, 2025 08:08 AM)
But it's supposed to be one of the great movies of the 90s, even in the Top 250. I didn't see that at all. It's glorifying police brutality and domestic abuse.
Suspects are already as a severe disadvantage when in feuds with police officers. They lack the weaponry, manpower, resources, and lawful options.
The thought of a police officer murdering a suspect with their hands up, surrendering, from the back, where he had no possible chance to defend himself, is a harrowing and disturbing image that deserves an explanation.
There's no excuse for that, ever, no matter how evil the surrenderer is. And the film was somehow saying, this is okay.
Never lose your desire. -
AnthonySocksss — 7 months ago(August 12, 2025 05:15 PM)
They killed him because they knew he’d get off on the charges and be protected.
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P.Error — 7 months ago(August 12, 2025 05:24 PM)
Only in a movie, maybe. Ed and Bud both survived so they’d confirm each other’s stories. With James Cromwell living, he’s be interrogated. There’s no way he’s getting out of it at that point.
Still not an excuse to kill someone unexpectedly via cheating.
Never lose your desire.
