L.A. Confidential: Difference between revisions

* [[Dirty Cop]]: Every variation imaginable is in here somewhere.

* [[Distinguishing Mark]]: A mother cannot initially identify her daughter at the morgue due to the girl's extensive plastic surgery. The coroner prompts her with Detective Lieutenant Exley and Officer Bud White hanging on her every word:

'''Mrs. Lefferts''': She has a birthmark on her hip. It's her. My baby! }}

** The scene won the [http://www.skinema.com/Skinnies1998.html 1998 Skinny Award] for "Best birthmark used to further the plot".

* [[Fake American]]: The two leads are actually Aussies.

** In the 'Making of' featurette, the producer relates his reaction to the casting decision.

* [[Fake Irish]]: James Cromwell as Irish-American Dudley Smith, with a pretty decent accent.

* [[False Roulette]]: Played straight during the interrogation of the Nite Owl suspects, when Bud realizes the suspects have kidnapped and raped a woman who's still being held hostage. However, in the film we never actually see if Bud takes the last round out of his .38.

* [[Horrible Hollywood]]

* [[Ho Yay]] / [[Foe Yay]]: [[In-Universe]]. Half the characters are convinced there's something more to Bud and Ed's rivalry than just hatred.

 

* [[Important Haircut]]: Lynn in the end cuts her hair to show her rejection of her former life.

* [[I Never Said It Was Poison]]: "Vincennes mentioned a suspect he was hunting down. Rollo Tomasi?"

* [[Pretty in Mink]]: Lana Turner is wearing a white fox wrap in her scene in the movie.

* [[Pyrrhic Victory]]: Ed Exley.

* [[Rabid Cop]]: Pretty much everyone, except for Ed (and even he hits it at the end of the movie).

* [[Reality Is Unrealistic]] / [[Your Costume Needs Work]]: Exley thinks {{spoiler|Lana Turner is just one of the hookers dressed up to look like a star.}}

{{spoiler|(Lana throws a drink in Exley's face)}} }}

* [[Reckless Gun Usage]]: In the film, Exley sees the Nite Owl suspects pile into an elevator and quickly jams his shotgun through the doors and fires, without first checking to see if there was anyone else in there with them.

* [[Slashed Throat]]: "The proof had his throat cut."

* [[Smith Will Suffice]]:

'''Patchett:''' No, Mr. White, Pierce Moorehouse Patchett. }}

* [[Spiritual Successor]]: To ''[[Chinatown]]''. Even though they both have a completely different cast and crew, both are set in Los Angeles, both were made 40 years after the time period in which they are set, and both feature themes of betrayal, corruption of public institutions and officials, and "neo-noir" values. Oh, and both have scores by [[Jerry Goldsmith]].