Film Noir

In the documentary "Film Noir" there is a quote that I think fits the film LA Confidential like a glove. The quote is by Errol Morris, and he says that "Noir is concerned with error, with confusions." LA Confidential  is filled with any number of errors committed by the characters. One good example of this would be how the three main characters initially misjudge each other, or rather they let their first impressions of one another shape their attitudes and actions. Perhaps a better and certainly a more obvious example of errors and confusion in this film would be the initial conclusions that the detectives come to when investigating the "Nite Owl" murders. They once again fail to look at the evidence closely enough and end up accusing, and subsequently killing the wrong people. This feeling of confusion permeates the entire film, as the detectives struggle to determine the identity of those responsible.

Spotting the Femme Fatale in a noir film is not difficult. She is usually a very attractive, sexual and intelligent woman, however the Femme Fatale almost always has some sort of hidden ulterior agenda that conflicts with that of the protagonist. While she may appear to like, or even love the protagonist, she is usually using him to achieve her own ends. In these ways Kathie from "Out of the Past" fits the bill as the classic Femme Fatale. On the other hand Lynn from LA Confidential, while she does fit the intelligent, sexual woman, she is not a selfish person. She has no ulterior motives, and genuinely cares for officer White. Thus she is not a Femme Fatale.

Film noir is know in part for it's use of chiaroscuro, the use of deep gradations and variations of lights and darks in a scene. Another aspect of great importance to noir is the setting, usually but not restricted to an urban area. The art director (now usually called the production designer) of "Out of the Past" used these elements to great effect, to create a classic noir film. LA Confidential contains many of the same elements in it's design. The urban environment and the light dark contrast that helps set the mood. However, the fact that LA Confidential was shot in color seemed to lessen the effect of the chiaroscuro.