Should have been given the 'Best Picture' Oscar and ... (Part I)

Rating: 10/10 (27 July 2009)

**** WARNING!!! POSSIBLE SPOILERS !!!!! POSSIBLE SPOILERS !!!!! ****
What some people thought and what I think about what they thought... (i) The Lana Turner gag was a huge nothing. --- All events in this movie have depths and these depths are the ones that are to be actually explored. This movie has a pessimistic atmosphere to it. So the Lana Turner gag was not actually supposed to be a joke to be laughed at. It was just to show what disgusting levels the plastic-surgery business had fallen to in those days and to what extent people can fall from grace to achieve name and fame even (if it is borrowed one). Fallen so much that even the REAL Lana Turner was suspiciously looked at to be a look-alike. (ii) The relation between White and Bracken was not required'--- Bracken is the one who inspires White to change himself from a bull-dozer to a microscope and White then starts working more intelligently and less physically on an individual case of his which latter provides him a big breakthrough. (iii) The only way that Ed Exley and Bud White can end their rivalry and unite to solve the crime is completely dependent on a scene where Exley visits the hooker. And that is a weak thread in the script.'--- Exley, White and Vincennes were working in not three altogether different continents but in the same city called ... 'LA'. Each of them found a thread for three different cases to work on, that anyway, would eventually have finally brought them together on One Big Case. What has the event of Exley (visiting/not visiting) the hooker got to do with it? The scene is in the script just to showcase the nature of Bud White and hasten the union of White and Exley.
(iv) Some people thought that the wrong officer gets the girl and hence the movie is bad.--- These people didn't like 'LA' merely because the girl goes to a brutal headstrong guy like White who they think is unworthy of the girl. Unbelievable! I hope these people do not take 'film-criticism' as a career. Anyway, it's the choice of the female who she goes out with and no male can enforce himself upon her else he is punishable by law. (v) Some people thought that Exley is supposed to be the face of Morality and he is shown to kill another officer -unnecessarily shooting him in the back which is wrong.--- Now this reason to justify that 'LAC' is a bad movie is ridiculous. 'LAC' is actually about the very process of gradual degradation of Exley as a cop. That's why Exley killed the Officer by the time the movie ends.(vi) Some people thought White was not required to account for his murder of the TV-watching black guy which is a flaw in the movie.--- A cop killing someone in self-defense is NOT guilty. In order to prove that he just defended himself, White shoots a bullet from the black guy's line of fire towards the door to set up that he (White) was attacked.(vii) Finally some people thought that this movie is so highly rated because of younger viewers like the lure of sex and violence regardless of quality. --- Ridiculous. Do only young guys watch movies and rate them ? AND are most of the young guys irresponsible in life ? I doubt heavily.
And this one... (vii) Some people thought it is one of those movies where everyone dies instantly from one gunshot except the main characters who get shot multiple times and take forever to die, if they do at all.--- What is trivial and non-vital to the cause of carrying the plot forward should be wrapped as early as possible. Which characters gets how many bullets to die is not at all important. But some particular characters who get shot multiple times and still live which is just to dramatically depict the grittiness, stubbornness of the nature of their character.
And Lastly,... Kim Bassinger deserved the Oscar she won. Now don't ask me 'Why?'.
By the way, this masterpiece was robbed of the Best Picture Win and some acting nominations as well. A perfect 10 on 10 from me.