3 Examples Of Neo Noir: 1 LA. Confidential

Set during the 1950s, L.A Confidential centres around three policemen working to in the corrupt and seedy town of Los Angeles, the film follows their differing approach to policing. First is Ed Exley played by Guy Pearce, an ambitious young policeman who does everything by the book and seeks justice for his murdered police-officer father. Secondly is the uncontrollable and violent Bud White played by Russell Crowe, who watched his father beat his mother to death and therefore takes out of his childhood rage on any abusers he can get his hands on, so arrogant is he that he plays by his own rules. And lastly is Jack Vincennes played by Kevin Spacey, money loving and living the highlife through corruption at first until his conscience gets the better of him and he decides to joins the other two cops in the quest for truth. All seems to go well when the threesome team up however when Bud White falls for prostitute Lynn Bracken played by Kim Basinger, everything becomes a lot more complicated.

Seen time and time again in both neo and classic noir, these lead males are moody and gritty much like their hardboiled ancestors like Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon and TR Devlin in Notorious.

The character of Lynn Bracken is also true to the stereotypical femme fatale – gorgeous amoral and a taste for the lead male protagonist, much like previous fatales such as Katherine "Kitty" March played by Joan Bennett in the 1945 film Scarlet Street directed by Fritz Lang.