Corruption In L. A. Confidential

Jru Venerable
Eng. 100
T. Witcher
15 November 2010

L.A. Confidential, directed by Curtis Hanson in 1997, depicts the corruption in Los Angeles of 1953. Hollywood, a world of glamour, deceit and desire is represented as a false society where illusion dominates the headlines. The city is governed by corrupt politicians and police who control the activities of the city for their own personal greed. People come to Hollywood to fulfill their dreams but on the way to their ambition are prevented in a web of illegal activity and treachery.

In L.A. Confidential, the cops, sworn to uphold the law, lose sight of their vision but ultimately seek redemption in their search for the truth.
The film has an ominous tone, where police corruption
is evident in all of the characters. In the Nite Owl Massacre, three very different not-yet-hero cops are brought together in the investigation, where their fates are intertwined. The three protagonists all have different personalities with unique motivations, but as they search for the clues of the massacre, their investigations begin to overlap until it becomes clear that each is after the same thing; the search for a "truth" and in the process they will face their own evils and seek atonement.

Bud White (Russell Crowe) is a man prone to violence and quick to protect a battered woman in the eyes of justice. This is a valiant and impressive trait, however at times he takes the law into his own hands, as shown in the scene where he brutally kills a black man. In his own mind, he did what he believed was just, although it also placed him above justice. Bud entered the police force with good intentions to protect those, like his mother, who were brutally killed in the hands of his father. We see a man with good intent but also known as a thug, whose opportunity for redemption comes when his circumstances change. Initially he vows revenge against Sergeant Edmund Exley after his partner is dismissed from the Los Angeles Police Department but during the Nite Owl Massacre investigation, when deep indication of corruption is revealed, Bud takes control and helps in the final shoot down of Captain Dudley Smith.

Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) is a cop quick to accept bribes, working closely with the celebrity magazine editor of Hush Hush magazine, Sid Hudgens (Danny Devito). A policeman, who has a comfortable spot on the Narcotics squad, has forgotten why he entered the police force. Jack enjoys the glitz and glamour of L.A. and Hollywood immorality, holding little loyalty to justice and assisting the tabloids for kick back money. However, we witness a shift in his conscience, once he realizes that he may have been the cause of the death of a young gay actor. At that point he works diligently to bring justice and confront the corruption of the L.A. police force. Ultimately he unravels a long trail of deceit and corruption dying in the line of duty as a hero.

A third and very different cop is Ed Exley, (Guy Pearce) who seeks justice by abiding by the law.
The golden boy of the police force turns his back on his fellow cops who are corrupt, ignoring the "brotherhood" and loyalty of the L.A. cops. Rather, in his naivety he is willing to do anything for justice and more importantly for his own personal power. He attempts to remain true to the law although he also takes justice in his own hands when he shoots the chief of detectives (James Cromwell) rather than turning him in. Ed, like the two other protagonists, faces his own ghosts becoming heroic only once he became part of the team. His actions may not have always been valiant but taking responsibility for his actions and working with the team not only provided redemption but places him as a hero in the L.A. police
department
L.A.
Confidential, a dark and twisted tale of corruption in the backdrop of Hollywood's lights, presents characters that face their own evil and seek atonement. The police force of Los Angeles reflects the troubled time of the 1950s Hollywood society where many comprise their morals in pursuit of their own personal objectives. The three protagonists are initially not heroes, but rather abuse women, take bribes and seek power. However, they are seen as L.A.'s finest-sworn to uphold the law and all three of them seek redemption bringing justice to Los Angeles.

A few things that I thought related to this movie is the television show, Law and Order: SVU. The lead male-police role, Elliot Stabler, played by Christopher Meloni reminds me of Bud White. They have some of the same traits and their personalities match. Then the show itself, is almost a replica of L.A. Confidential. With Law and Order, they deal with victims, persons of interest, murders, and even police
corruption.

Overall, Ed's whole motivation towards solving the case was for his father who was murdered by an unknown person he calls 'Rollo Tamasi'. Ed and Bud both after a big fight, decide to work together and seek refuge in the Motel that Dudley kept using to convince unwanted guests to leave. The two become the target of many corrupt officers and they are caught in a shootout, killing all officers who try to get in. Dudley enters and shoots Bud, Ed discovers that Dudley is 'Rollo Tomasi'. Ed manages to get hold Dudley at gunpoint, he leads him outside where he shoots Dudley. Ed tells the Heads of the Department how the whole Nite Owl Massacre was a plot to get rid of Dick Stensland who (along with Leland 'Buzz' Meeks) betrayed Dudley over some heroin. They give Ed a medal and say that Dudley died a hero. Bud (who survived being shot) leaves with Lynn.