A Comparison of the Opening

sequence for ‘LA Noire’ and ‘LA Confidential’

Introduction

In this short presentation I will be comparing the similarities and differences used in the two clips from LA .Noire and L.A Confidential.

L.A. Noire is a 2011 neo-noir detective video game set in 1947. You also have the choice of playing it in black and white (this is not a key aspect of the game but I thought it was worth mentioning to show you the style they were going for).

L.A. Confidential is a 1997 neo-noir detective film based on a James Ellroy novel, the third book in his L.A. Quartet series. Like the book, the film follows a group of LAPD officers in the year 1953 (only 6 years after L.A. noire) while they battle police corruption and hollywood fame.

Mise En SceneThe setting In ‘L.A Noire’, the setting is based on a bustling, urban, business environment.This screen shot shows an expanding city, this suggests that they have only recently come into money, which is further developed by the opening line “A city on the verge of greatness”, meaning that they have only just recovered from substantial financial difficulty and have experienced major problems in the past. L.A Noire is set in 1947, this is only 2 years after World War II and 8 years after the Great depression. Essentially, Los Angeles is depicted as the perfect place for a hard working family man.

In comparison, the setting in L.A confidential has a similar theme of a thriving urban environment that is teeming with life. However, it also draws our attention to the rural side of Los Angeles, the wide and inviting beaches and the fields of orange groves that stretch for “as far as the eye can see”. ‘L.A Confidential’ begins by concentrating on the beaches and countryside surrounding Los Angeles, suggesting that it is a happy relaxing place to live and to go on holiday to.This idyllic image of L.A soon changes at the introduction of the leader of organised crime, ‘Mickey C’. The setting soon changes from the bright, sunshine filled outdoors, to the black and white, dark inside settings of clubs or by crime scenes.

Colours and LightingThe colours in L.A Confidential are used to change the atmosphere or mood of the scene from happy and healthy to dark, mysterious and dangerous: “you’ld think this was the garden of eden, but there’s trouble in paradise”. Black and white is is used in this change which could suggest that the scene was from the past, a flashback, however it could also be used to hide certain details, this enhances the obscurity and secrecy.

Similarly, the colour was used in ‘L.A Noire’ to make the viewer feel uneasy. This clip begins with the morning and the man going to work then progresses to the evening. As the day turns to night the narrative turns dark. “A city of undercurrents where not everything is as it seems.” In one shot it shows the city at night With a tall tower block depicting the image of an eye and an ear overseeing the city. These both could represent the two main characters, the detective and his partner (the narrator). The shot also shows the city full of light even though it is night, delineating L.A as a city that never sleeps.

Props and CostumeEvidence of a city recovering from troubled past can be seen in the surrounding props in L.A. Noire. For example, the old tatty car being replaced by a new shining car. This, along with the worn out road, emphasises the lack of investment due to the Great Depression(1929-39) and WWII(1941-5 (for America)). In the same shot you can also see a sign saying “Attention, veterans, use your bond to buy a car today.” This suggests that the average man cannot afford a car, it also shows that the war was still very recent and is still having a large effect on peoples lives. The car is also very significant in this clip, this importance is presented to us in the first few moments of the excerpt at a car dealership. In this specific part, the car fills up most of the shots, having the car in the foreground and the man in the background, highlighting the dominance the car has over the mans life, this idea is supplemented by the quote “A new type of city, based not on the man but the automobile”. This all suggests that because the city has grown, the road network is improving and so are the means of transport around this vast city. Further adding to the notion that the city is on the ‘verge of greatness’ as network links improve between Los Angeles and the surrounding towns.

Differentiating from L.A. Noire, in the first half of the extract from L.A. Confidential features peculiar props and costumes to seem diverse and quirky, this can be seen in the shot where a waitress brings milkshakes to a car while wearing roller skates and a dress. These particular props/costumes juxtapose that used in L.A. Noire and reflect the fun and relaxed image of Los Angeles that the narrator is trying to impress upon the reader. These props soon change to cameras and TV’s as the narrator describes how the media are celebrating the success of Los Angeles. There is also another change, this change arises as ‘the dapper little gent’ Meyer Harris Cohen’s style comes into play. In this screenshot it shows a tray of champagne, a very expensive beverage and is very uncommon for people to drinking it considering its price. These evince the style of the gangster and how he only likes the best. In the next screenshot it shows him and his business partners sitting around a table. In this photo the costume says a lot about his character, it shows he is far wealthier than the majority of L.A.. A suit is also very distinctive clothing and commonly shows that they are high up the social and business hierarchy.

Mise En Scene Pt.2

Themes

L.A. Noire displays themes of glamour, fame and extravagance as well as mystery and possibly corruption. We can see a clear representation of the themes of glamour, fame and corruption in the clip. The other themes, however, are hidden and concealed from view. The more obvious themes are presented to us through the use of narrative and mise en scene, an example of this is when the narrator says ‘a city of dreamers’ with a shot of the first HollywoodLand sign, this show that in the game Los Angeles is still brand new so will be attracting many film stars. This means that most of L.A.’s population are famous and the rest are seeking fame. Although most of the themes are distinct, some are less blatant, for example, we can see the theme of mystery and possible corruption, in the last few lines; “A city of undercurrents where not everything is as it seems”, this shows that there is something hidden or lurking in the shadows in Los Angeles. The word under currents suggests that it is a large movement like we see in L.A Confidential, but with a few differences; in L.A. Noire it is hidden where as in L.A. Confidential it is a large, momentous movement, mocking the police.

L.A. Confidential has very similar themes, such as, crime and corruption but also glamour and style, however instead of hiding the crime it points it out showing Mickey C’s confidence in the whole affair, this makes the viewer feel slightly uneasy. The evidence for this can be found when the narrator says “and every time his pictures are plastered on the frontpage”, this shows that his crimes not only make their way into the paper they make their way to frontpage which shows how popular they are with the media and that everyone knows Mickey C and his crimes.

Cinematography

In ‘L.A. Noire’ cinematography is key to displaying the themes, as described in the last slide. For example, the extreme long shot of the hollywoodland establishes its importance and its hold over the city. The use of this shot suggests that the hollywoodland sign is putting pressure upon the city because the world is watching, this is also suggested in L.A. Confidential when he says ‘ the hit show...’, meaning the show is viewed all over america, causing people to believe that the L.A. police force is invincible. All of this means that the games are implying that there was a great deal of pressure on Los Angeles to be a great city.

The cinematography in L.A Confidential is used to change the atmosphere of the scene from overjoyed to sincere. Black and white cameras are used in this vicissitude, the more obvious interpretation of this is that the scene was from the past, a flashback, however it could also be used to create an atmosphere for darkness can hide certain details, which enhances the obscurity and secrecy of the shots. L.A. Noire also uses darkness to add a perplex mood, although they also pair it with long shots, these make every detail seem small and unimportant. It is also, as I said before, hides specific details.

Conclusion

In my opinion they both are very similar, using congruent techniques to portray almost identical themes. we can see this by looking at the different key elements; themes, cinematography and mise en scene.

We can see this when we examine the key aspects as a whole. For example, both use the same style of music, with similar voices narrating, some of the same lines used and even the same location. We can, however, see differences in whether or not they mention crime, in L.A. Confidential it shouts it out and emphasises it using a dramatic twist, differentiating to that L.A. Noire subtly hints at crime, concealed from the public eye.