Monday, May 9th, 2005

LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF

Tonight I went to the Egyptian Theatre to see LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF which is an amazing documentary about how Los Angeles is portrayed in films.  It covers many aspects of the city and how it has been used and misused as a cinematic backdrop.  The span of the film covers the 1930s through 2001.  There is so much amazing footage in this film and it gives you a real sense of how Los Angeles has evolved as a city over the years.  The theatre was completely packed.  That’s pretty impressive considering the film is a 3 hour documentary playing on a Tuesday night.  There are a ton of inside jokes that everyone was laughing at.  Seeing the film in such a crowded theatre really made it a great community experience. 

There was one section of the film that just covered LA architecture and showed the homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra and how they’ve been used in films.  What interested me about the film was how it addressed the disparity between “Hollywood” and Los Angeles and how they exist in the public perception.  The film even covered racial issues and how racism and stereotyping has been often a staple of movies and of the culture of Los Angeles itself.  The ending of the film discussed the Neorealist movement of the late 60s and early 70s brought about by the efforts of many great African American filmmakers.  The film also delved into issues of class and how the lower class in particular has been falsley portrayed in films.  There were so many little points that were made and things that were addressed that I never really noticed before.  The director of the documentary narrated it as well and his delivery is dry, flat and lifeless.  At first this really annoyed me, but as the film progressed its tone became much more sarcastic and the narration seemed much more in tune with the film. 

Another chapter of the film covers various directors and their relationship to Los Angeles.  That was also an incredibly interesting approach.  It was a documentary about a city reflecting on directors and how THEY see the city. 

LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF is really fascinating in its portrait of the city as a symbol, a location, an urban battle ground, a myth, and ultimately a complicated and misunderstood city where real people live, work and struggle to survive.

I find myself wanting to watch it again… and again.  This is one of those films that you can get something new and fresh out of with each viewing.

Due to the sheer number of movie clips used in the film, I highly doubt it will ever get a VHS or DVD release so please make sure to see this film.  It is an important piece of work and well worth 3 hours of your time.