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The Black Dahlia

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The Black Dahlia (2006)

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Reviews Counted:179

Fresh:61

Rotten:118

Average Rating:4.9/10

Consensus: Though this ambitious noir crime-drama captures the atmosphere of its era, it suffers from subpar performances, a convoluted story, and the inevitable comparisons to other, more successful films of its genre.

Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $22,518,325

Synopsis: Based on the novel by James Ellroy, Brian De Palma's THE BLACK DAHLIA stars Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart as a pair of LAPD detectives assigned to the most notorious murder in Hollywood history.... Based on the novel by James Ellroy, Brian De Palma's THE BLACK DAHLIA stars Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart as a pair of LAPD detectives assigned to the most notorious murder in Hollywood history. De Palma takes things slow, spending a good 20 minutes establishing the relationship between Buddy Bleichert, Lee Blanchard, and their mutual love Kay (Scarlett Johanssen), before introducing the 1947 murder after which the film is named. In the haunting screen-tests left behind after her mysterious death, aspiring actress Elizabeth Short appears to want fame so badly she'll do anything to get it. Her pornographic film appearances, and a rumored affair with narcissist heiress Madeleine Linscott (Hillary Swank), provide just two clues in a sea of confusion. THE BLACK DAHLIA crams every subplot from Ellroy's novel into two hours, but only connects them towards the end of the movie. The screen-tests featuring a sadly desperate Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner) are captivatingly filmed in gritty black-and-white. These scenes succeed in showing the industry ugliness most likely behind Elizabeth's death, while the rest of the film self-consciously strives to be noir through elaborate set design, dramatic camera angles, and narration taken straight from the book. If De Palma's goal was to make us examine our own voyeuristic fascination with murder, particularly the gruesome murder of a beautiful young woman, then he succeeds, because throughout a film invested in so many different storylines, Short's remains the most interesting one. [More]

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Mia Kirshner, Rose McGowan, Fiona Shaw, Jemima Rooper, John Kavenagh, Pepe Serna, Troy Evans, Gregg Henry

Director: Brian De Palma

Director: Brian De Palma
Story: Josh Friedman
Producer: Rudy Cohen, Art Linson, Moshe Diamont
Composer: Mark Isham
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for The Black Dahlia

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato

Urban Cinefile Critics

The Black Dahlia revels in its stylish noir production, even though it gets lost in the maze of its zigzagging plot lines.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 18 2006 08:08 PM

Urban Cinefile

splat
1.5/4

Garth Franklin

An over cooked ham of a film, overstuffed with vampish performances and a narrative far too convoluted for its own good

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 10 2006 02:48 AM

Dark Horizons

tomato

Fernando F. Croce

Visual marvel after visual marvel

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 30 2009 12:44 PM

CinePassion

N/R

Peter Keough

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 23 2009 03:15 AM

Boston Phoenix

tomato

Brian Holcomb

DePalma is like a magician who dazzles us with a trick only to show us, alas, it really was only a trick, and in the meantime he's stolen our watch.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 26 2008 08:18 AM

Beyond Hollywood

splat
2.5/5

Amber Wilkinson

You've barely time to soak up one revelation before another one is dumped on you from a great height.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 07 2007 03:15 AM

Eye for Film

splat
2/5

Rob Gonsalves

Won't do much to dissuade the common rap against De Palma as a cold technician who takes projects just for the elaborate set pieces they provide him.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 23 2007 06:14 PM

eFilmCritic.com

splat
1.5/4

Joe Lozito

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 14 2007 03:34 AM

Big Picture Big Sound

splat
1/4

Kam Williams

With skeletons flying out of the closet at every turn, this overplotted mess unfolds more like a dumb, daytime soap opera than a well-crafted crime thriller.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 27 2007 09:41 PM

EURWeb

splat

Brian Tallerico

You have to wonder just how vibrant the film would have been during the Reagan or Clinton administration, when De Palma was in his prime.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 24 2007 11:45 AM

UGO

splat

Doris Toumarkine

A stellar cast of marquee names, coupled with an all-star crew, can't make this entry work.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 01 2007 03:27 AM

Film Journal International

splat
1.0/4.0

Kevin A. Ranson

... ends up being forgettable enough that someone else in the future may still be able to take another stab at the idea.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 28 2007 08:39 AM

MovieCrypt.com

splat

Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel

I can’t say anything really stood out in a positive way.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 30 2006 04:20 AM

3BlackChicks Review

tomato
4/4

Michael A. Smith

Filled with atmosphere and attitude to spare, "The Black Dahlia" is film noir at it's finest.

Full Review Source: | comment 1 Comment | Dec., 13 2006 10:17 PM

Nolan's Pop Culture Review

tomato

Mark Palermo

It meticulously resembles a 60 year-old Hollywood artifact, but with a contemporary cynicism.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 22 2006 09:24 PM

Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

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Keith Uhlich

Ghost World: Keith Uhlich on The Black Dahlia for Reverse Shot's Brian de Palma symposium.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 11 2006 10:42 AM

Reverse Shot

splat

Stuart Klawans

The Black Dahlia turns out to be something of questionable structural integrity, pieced together from old movies.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 11 2006 04:03 AM

Nation

splat
2/4

Greg Maki

De Palma ... does little more than retrace his steps ...

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 05 2006 09:04 AM

Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

splat

Stephen Cole

At no time does the film turn into a satisfying mystery where the audience feels compelled to guess along with our racing detectives.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 04 2006 03:51 AM

CBC.ca Arts

tomato

Nathaniel Rogers

Frustrating but fascinating, with moments that refuse to be shrugged off

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 20 2006 08:03 AM

Film Experience

 
 
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