The Black Dahlia (2006)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers (WGA):

Josh Friedman (screenplay)
James Ellroy (novel)

Release Date:

15 September 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Inspired by the most notorious unsolved murder in California history.

Plot:

Two policemen see their personal and professional lives fall apart in the wake of the "Black Dahlia" murder investigation.

Plot Keywords:

Black Dahlia | Death | Murder | Corpse | Boxer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Josh Hartnett	...	Dwight 'Bucky' Bleichert
Scarlett Johansson	...	Kay Lake
Aaron Eckhart	...	Lee Blanchard
Hilary Swank	...	Madeleine Linscott
Mia Kirshner	...	Elizabeth Short
Mike Starr	...	Det. Russ Millard
Fiona Shaw	...	Ramona Linscott
Patrick Fischler	...	Deputy DA Ellis Loew
James Otis	...	Dolph Bleichert
John Kavanagh	...	Emmett Linscott
Troy Evans	...	Chief Ted Green
Anthony Russell	...	Morrie Friedman
Pepe Serna	...	Tomas Dos Santos
Angus MacInnes	...	Capt. John Tierney (as Angus MacInnis)
Rachel Miner	...	Martha Linscott

Also Known As:

Black Dahlia (Germany)
Die schwarze Dahlie (Germany) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and language.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Australia:MA | Ireland:16 (theatrical rating) | UK:15 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:18A (Manitoba) | Malaysia:18PL | Indonesia:Dewasa | Singapore:M18 | Taiwan:R-18 | Philippines:R-18 | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Germany:16 | Finland:K-15 | Greece:K-13 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Hong Kong:IIB | USA:R (certificate #41496) | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Brazil:16 | Spain:18 | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | Denmark:15

Filming Locations:

Alto-Nido Apartments -1851 N. Ivar Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Mark Wahlberg had initially signed on to play Lee Blanchard opposite Josh Hartnett, but scheduling conflicts with the planned The Brazilian Job (2011) prevented him from taking part even though production on The Italian Job (2003) sequel was eventually pushed back.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The period shots of Los Angeles City Hall, supposedly happening in 1946-47, include modern railings added many years later.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ofcr. Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert: [voiceover] Mr. Fire versus Mr. Ice. For everything people were making it out to be, you'd think it was our first fight. It wasn't. And it wouldn't be our last.

Movie Connections:

References The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Soundtrack:

In the Mood

My wristwatch was more compelling than this movie.

Artistically, this movie should get some extra points. The use of color, the sharp contrast of black and white, good and evil, and so on. Based on that, I'd probably give the movie a 3.

However, to put it simply, the plot and acting in this movie is terrible. Here is me fundamental rule in movies: You have to actually CARE about the characters and what they were going through. And, trust me, I didn't care. Admittedly, the introduction was quite compelling, and I was drawn in a bit. However, after the introduction, my mind slowly turned to mush and my eyes de-focused. This is my altruistic warning to the masses: Don't watch this movie.