The Black Dahlia (R, 2006)

In THE BLACK DAHLIA, hardboiled detective Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) becomes obsessed with the murder of struggling actress Betty Short (Mia Kirshner). Bucky's troubled partner Lee (Aaron Eckhart), who is mixed up with stolen money and ex-prostitute Kay (Scarlett Johansson), also finds a distraction in the Black Dahlia case. While Lee pores over crime-scene photos, Bucky watches Betty's audition reels in which she panders to an off-screen director. Bucky's interest in Betty's films represents the titillating effects of movies and stardom, as manufactured by the bottom line-driven film industry. Bucky imagines himself as a deep thinker, though Kay suggests that he's not so bright. His dimness is evidenced by his interest in Madeleine (Hilary Swank), an angry rich girl who resembles Betty. Their relationship highlights the differences between the haves and the have-nots; Bucky must figure how those differences affect his case (and they always do affect it). Meanwhile, although he sees himself as a man in control, it's increasingly clear that he's not. And so, viewers begin to suspect his judgments.

While the film opens on the racially driven "Zoot Suit" riots, it soon leaves behind this broader social context in order to focus on individual pathologies. The story draws comparisons between Betty and Bucky; both seeking celebrity in Hollywood -- he as a boxer (who ends up as a detective), she as a starlet -- they share a combined sense of hope and dread. These feelings are reflected repeatedly in their environment.

Overall, The Black Dahlia takes up obsession as a concept, abstracted and insistently masculine. While director Brian De Palma's work is famously misogynist and self-referential (not to say self-obsessed), it's hardly unique. The film is invested in the usual subjects -- the lurid murder, the business of Hollywood, the pain of sex, the objectification of (dead) women, the resolve of the dumb detective -- that make movies both disappointing and mesmerizing.

Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Brian De Palma
Cast: Hilary Swank, Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson
Genre: Drama
Run time: 121 minutes
Theatrical release: September 15, 2006
DVD release: December 26, 2006
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and language.