Women’s Role in the Film L.A. Confidential

Question

L.A. Confidential is an American neo-noir movie based on the eponymous bestseller by James Ellroy. This police drama opens the dark side of "glamor" Los Angeles of the early 1950s is portrayed in this police drama. The city with its film stars shows the world where everything is bought and sold including fame, love, and honor.

Generally, the public tends to believe that noir genre movies often send the age-old sexist message that women are evil, scheming, and corrupt everybody around them, especially their male counterparts. The paper analyzes the character of one of the women, who appeared in the film.

Lynn Bracken is a VIP-level prostitute, who looks like a famous actress Veronica Lake. She has a perfect frame, long blond hair, and sensual lips that make men crazy about her. She changed her appearance to become a VIP prostitute and attract more men for earning money. It became clear from the moment when her pimp insisted that all his fosterlings should make plastic operations to be like TV stars. So, is the main female protagonist evil, who cynically uses all men? It would be wrong not to mention the fact that she fell in love with one of the main characters of the film – "Bud" White. If she were so shallow-hearted, she would never fall in love with a cop. It was a pleasure for her to understand that somebody loves her not because of their attractive appearance, but her soul. Lynn was impressed by his ability to see her in a different way, not as a Veronica Lake. It became clear from her words:

"I see Bud because I want it. I see Bud because he cannot hide what is good inside of him. I see Bud because he treats me like Lynn Bracken and not some Veronica Lake look-alike who fucks for money” (L.A. Confidential).

On the other side, Lynn Bracken, who develops feelings for Mr. White, slept with his workfellow Edmund "Ed" Exley. James Ellroy, the writer of “L.A. Confidential”, makes people bethink about Lynn’s conduct. Finally, after all, she broke up the relationship with White. After those words, the film ends: ”Some men get the world. The others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona” (L.A. Confidential).

Contrary to the image of an exemplary woman, Lynn Bracken acts as a “bad girl”, which is capable of anything, even being cynical, thrifty, selfish, consistently betraying her partner. The film shows the majority of women as being the same. The peculiarity of the 50s is that a female figure was regarded as dishonest and far from an ideal woman.

As to the position of women, it is noticeable that the author shows the sexist position in his depiction of a woman. It is becoming clear from the very first minutes of the film. In society, women behave like pretty dolls wearing expensive clothes and accessories, who cannot even cook diner for their husbands and are not ready to work or raise a family.

In conclusion, one can say that a woman’s role in the 1950s was very miserable. Most of them appeared as tigresses, who are spoiled by money and are very far from ideal housewives. At the same time, among all of them, it is possible to meet another woman, who still can love and change herself for the sake of her beloved husband.