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The Black Dahlia

  • 20062006
  • RR
  • 2h 1m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
74K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,064
376
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Mia Kirshner in The Black Dahlia (2006)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer2:25
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Mystery

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

IMDb RATING
5.6/10
74K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,064
376
  • Director
    • Brian De Palma
  • Writers
    • Josh Friedman(screenplay)
    • James Ellroy(novel)
  • Stars
    • Josh Hartnett
    • Aaron Eckhart
    • Scarlett Johansson
Top credits
  • Director
    • Brian De Palma
  • Writers
    • Josh Friedman(screenplay)
    • James Ellroy(novel)
  • Stars
    • Josh Hartnett
    • Aaron Eckhart
    • Scarlett Johansson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 686User reviews
    • 119Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 4 wins & 16 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:25
    Official Trailer

    Photos325

    Aaron Eckhart, Josh Hartnett, and Scarlett Johansson in The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Josh Hartnett and Scarlett Johansson in The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Aaron Eckhart and Josh Hartnett in The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Josh Hartnett and Hilary Swank in The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Josh Hartnett and Scarlett Johansson in The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Josh Hartnett and Hilary Swank in The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Aaron Eckhart, Josh Hartnett, and Scarlett Johansson in The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Scarlett Johansson in The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Arielle Kebbel at an event for The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Brian De Palma at an event for The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Brian De Palma and Scarlett Johansson at an event for The Black Dahlia (2006)
    Cameron Goodman at an event for The Black Dahlia (2006)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Josh Hartnett
    Josh Hartnett
    • Dwight 'Bucky' Bleichertas Dwight 'Bucky' Bleichert
    Aaron Eckhart
    Aaron Eckhart
    • Lee Blanchardas Lee Blanchard
    Scarlett Johansson
    Scarlett Johansson
    • Kay Lakeas Kay Lake
    Hilary Swank
    Hilary Swank
    • Madeleine Linscottas Madeleine Linscott
    Mia Kirshner
    Mia Kirshner
    • Elizabeth Shortas Elizabeth Short
    Mike Starr
    Mike Starr
    • Det. Russ Millardas Det. Russ Millard
    Fiona Shaw
    Fiona Shaw
    • Ramona Linscottas Ramona Linscott
    Patrick Fischler
    Patrick Fischler
    • Deputy DA Ellis Loewas Deputy DA Ellis Loew
    James Otis
    James Otis
    • Dolph Bleichertas Dolph Bleichert
    John Kavanagh
    John Kavanagh
    • Emmett Linscottas Emmett Linscott
    Troy Evans
    Troy Evans
    • Chief Ted Greenas Chief Ted Green
    Anthony Russell
    Anthony Russell
    • Morrie Friedmanas Morrie Friedman
    Pepe Serna
    Pepe Serna
    • Tomas Dos Santosas Tomas Dos Santos
    Angus MacInnes
    Angus MacInnes
    • Capt. John Tierneyas Capt. John Tierney
    • (as Angus MacInnis)
    Rachel Miner
    Rachel Miner
    • Martha Linscottas Martha Linscott
    Victor McGuire
    Victor McGuire
    • Sgt. Bill Koenigas Sgt. Bill Koenig
    Gregg Henry
    Gregg Henry
    • Pete Lukinsas Pete Lukins
    Jemima Rooper
    Jemima Rooper
    • Lorna Mertzas Lorna Mertz
    • Director
      • Brian De Palma
    • Writers
      • Josh Friedman(screenplay)
      • James Ellroy(novel)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In 1946, the former boxers Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert and Lee Blanchard are policemen in Los Angeles. Lee has a good relationship with his chief and uses a box fight between them to promote the department and get a raise to the police force. They succeed and are promoted to homicide detectives, working together. Bucky becomes a close friend of Lee and his girlfriend Kay Lake, forming a triangle of love. When the corpse of the aspirant actress Elizabeth Short is found mutilated, Lee becomes obsessed to solve the case called by the press Black Dahlia. Meanwhile, Bucky's investigation leads him to a Madeleine Linscott, the daughter of a powerful and wealthy constructor that resembles the Black Dahlia. In an environment of corruption and lies, Bucky discloses hidden truths. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    • 1940s
    • black dahlia
    • voyeurism
    • voyeur
    • lingerie
    • 279 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Inspired by the most notorious unsolved murder in California history.
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Mystery
      • Thriller
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Brian De Palma: The voice behind the camera interviewing Elizabeth.
    • Goofs
      Characters who knew Elizabeth Short refer to her as 'Betty' constantly. Though Elizabeth Short was known during her childhood as Betty in her hometown, she used the name 'Beth' not Betty throughout her stay in Los Angeles.
    • Quotes

      Kay Lake: [to Bucky, about Madeleine] She looks like that dead girl! How sick are you?

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Black Dahlia/The Gridiron Gang/Everyone's Hero/Haven (2006)
    • Soundtracks
      In the Mood
      Written by Joe Garland (as Joseph C. Garland)

      Used by Permission of Shapiro Bernstein & Co. Inc. (ASCAP)

    User reviews686

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    A Black Comedy?
    De Palma's staged, theatrical style has always felt like an in-joke: an expressive homage (or sometimes a slap in the face) to the conventions of cinema. And in the case of his high- energy thrillers, the joke is funny and damned entertaining. But in the case of his dramas, De Palma constantly walks a thin line between evocative melodrama and camp (The wonderful "Carlito's Way," in my opinion, is the exception). And "The Black Dahlia" often steps over that line.

    With a steady build-up of noir conventions, the film hearkens to the expressionistic film and acting styles of the 40's -- a style which can induce giggles in audiences raised on irony. And I can count a few musical swells, flamboyant acting choices and dramatic fade-outs which caused unwanted comic relief. Or did it? If there's one thing De Palma loves more than entertaining his audience, it's confounding them. How else do you explain the two-hour joke that was "Raising Cain"? (Although I, for one, found that particular joke damned funny).

    You watch "Dahlia" with the distinct impression that De Palma is enjoying every minute of it. He's copying Wilder, Welles and, you guessed it, Hitchcock -- and he's having a blast doing it. So when Josh Hartnett's character pulls a full dinner setting (including the turkey) off a table and throws Scarlett Johansson down lustfully upon it, should we also smile and remember "Double Indemnity"? I guess it would help if you've seen "Double Indemnity."

    That said, the film's biggest flaw is that it smiles at itself for so long that it leaves little time to wrap up the plot. The onslaught of last-reel revelations seems to exist only to give the actors more opportunity to relish in the delicious mood De Palma has created. We never really cared about the plot in the first place because De Palma didn't care about it either. He's more interested in the shadows, the thrills, the drama, the lurking killers, swelling music, lusty confrontations and blood splatters. And the plot points get lost somewhere in the mix. So who can blame us for glazing over when Hartnett finally starts to care about the mysteries rather than just being mystified by them? De Palma has painted such an odd, exciting picture (even when it turns to camp) that the audience would rather keep watching the elaborate set-ups than sit through the convoluted solutions.

    But then again, what good is a joke without a satisfying punch line?
    helpful•107
    81
    • Rooster9
    • Sep 13, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 15, 2006 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Germany
      • France
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Cehennem Çiçeği
    • Filming locations
      • New Boyana Film Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • Millennium Films
      • Signature Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $50,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $22,545,080
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $10,005,895
      • Sep 17, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $49,332,692
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 1 minute
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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