Black dull-ia
De Palma bores, Johansson lulls
RYAN HLADUN
PHOTO: COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES
In The Black Dahlia, Scarlett Johansson and I are trapped on a deserted island, stranded after a storm destroyed our boat and tore off most of our clothes, with nothing to do but give in to our raw animal urges . . . or at least that’s what I found myself daydreaming about while being bored out of my mind watching the actual movie.
The movie is inspired by a novel about the murder of an actress in ’40s Hollywood, a time and place in which making a name for yourself often comes at the expense of dignity (much like today), and corruption runs through the police department like the blood that is spilled on the streets on a daily basis. It sounds like the perfect setting for a murder mystery from the man that brought us the much-loved Scarface.
The story surrounds two exboxers turned detectives, Dwight Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart), as they try to uncover a murder that has transfixed Hollywood. The body of young Elizabeth Short, a budding actress, was found with her head detached, vital organs removed, and her mouth slashed from ear to ear. De Palma isn’t known for his subtlety, as anyone who remembers the chainsaw scene in Scarface knows.
Unfortunately, De Palma is also less than consistent. In addition to Scarface, he’s given us favourites like The Untouchables and Carlito’s Way, but is also the man behind the travesty Mission to Mars. The Black Dahlia is stylish and cool to look at (which is very much De Palma’s trademark), but for those of us with the ability to hear sounds and think clearly, this is one to steer clear of.
It tries to play much like a silent noir film from the 1920s, in which telltale music and character facial expressions hold the audience’s attention. The music is jarring and awkward and the only expression the unibrowed Josh Hartnett knows how to make is the one that says, “How the hell did I get here?”
The movie’s only bright spot is Scarlett Johansson. Love her or hate her, she fits perfectly into 1940s
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Now Playing
♥♥ out of 5
Hollywood. With her blonde hair, soft complexion, and provocative voice, you could put her beside Cary Grant and not be able to tell she was out of place.
Unfortunately, she has little do to with the plot of the film, which suffers from an identity crisis (more like a complete mental breakdown). De Palma never quite figures out whether he wants Dahlia to be a satirical black comedy or a serious period mystery. His characters are either placed in highly emotional situations (like an early scene where Blanchard saves Bleichert’s life during a shootout), or in strange, almost slapstick-like comedic situations, like when a suspected woman (played by the very out of place Hilary Swank) invites Bleichert over, and he meets her bizarre parents. In the end, it turns out to be more of a staged version of the game Clue than anything else.
If there’s one positive reason to go and see The Black Dahlia for, it’s that you’ll have the chance to get in a good daydream — only yours will have to be of someone else (Scarlett’s mine!).
