This is probably a result of our society's desensitization to them and our need to be continually entertained. Also, the circular pattern present in films like Chinatown is not present in L.A. Confidential. Though some aspects of the classic Film Noir film were omitted, the film still works within the genre and still construes similar values to the Noir Films of the 50's, 60's, and 70's. The convoluted relationship between love and money, the path to wealth, which also leads to death, and the dichotomy of reality and appearance are all still presented in the mysterious, slightly paranoid delivery of Hanson's masterfully fashioned movie. Although these items appealed to the post World War II world, they still draw modern audiences with these enduring themes.
People still end up very unhappy, unloved, and sometimes dead because of their pursuit of money.
As our society has changed with the times, so have the movies from which we draw entertainment, but Film Noir has subsisted through adaptation and the themes, which pertain to every society. Like the literary classics, which are still read after centuries, these films give us a window into what our society was like - what appealed to the people of previous years, while bringing across values and themes which still pertain to and fascinate people of the future, the past and everything in between. Characters expressed themselves fully and viewers never wondered what they were thinking. Hanson and casting director Mali Finn do a fantastic job with their choice of actors. She finds the truth in every character she meets, and inspires Bud to relook at the Night Owl Case, a case where the facts just do not seem right.