L.A.Confidential

L.A. Confidential

Possessing a double identity seems like it would be extremely difficult for the average individual. A person who tries to lead more than one life, or has multiple personalities can’t be healthy. If you are trying to be not only yourself, but someone else as well your mind would have to be going non stop. Of course at some point in one’s life they will come to the decision to portray a persona that is different than their own, but it will probably be because they are trying to fit in during a certain situation.

Throughout the movie “L.A. Confidential” it was apparent that many of the characters possessed double identities. I believe that betrayal was the theme in this movie because when leading a double life, you are deceiving the people around you. From the audience’s point of view, it looked as if the cops in this movie were friends and shared a close bond. The public viewed the Los Angles Police Department as the heroes of the city. But it was soon apparent that almost everyone in the police department had a double identity and they were definitely not the people that the public thought they were.

I believe that the characters in the movie were affected in various ways by leading double lives or identities. Throughout the film Ed Exely had a difficult time trying to forget the identity that the public had given him of the “son of the legendary Preston Exely”. This was an identity that Ed did not choose for himself. It was evident that he wanted to prove to everyone that he was more than just a legend’s son, but that he could make a name for himself as well. Each character chose to have more than one identity and would try and use it to their advantage. For Lynn Bracken, her double identity made men want her, but made her forget her true identity. She felt as if she had to portray someone else to be noticed and we found that is not the case. I believe that there are negative aspects of portraying a double life or identity and Ms. Bracken is a good example. When trying to be someone you’re not, you loose sight of who you truly are.

I think that having a secret identity can be both empowering and damaging. Sometimes it can work in your favor and sometimes it can work against you. When leading a double life you are able to get the best of “both worlds” and that isn’t realistic. People who portray multiple personas are cheating themselves because they are trying to escape who they truly are. It really depends on the situation, in which you are portraying this secret identity. When having more than one identity, there are various circumstances that can alter the outcome. For instance, people can possess secret identities online, in a relationship, in business…There are so many ways, in which people can deceive and be deceived and I think that through L.A. Confidential we are able to see that.