L.A. Confidential

A closer look at the story

In the early 1950s, Los Angeles is turning from a small town into a city of dreams, but behind its glittering face lies a corrupt and brutal police force. When underworld boss Mickey Cohen is sent to prison, a power struggle breaks out among the city's criminal outfits. One night, at an all-night diner, the customers, among them a former police officer, are massacred with shotguns. Three cops with utterly different personalities and methods are assigned to investigate. Each going his own way, the detectives find that their inquiries lead them to a beautiful woman and to a vast conspiracy buried deep beneath the surface. Adapted from James Ellroy's novel and directed by Curtis Hanson, the 138-minute 1997 film stars Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and Kim Basinger in a neo-noir thriller.