MovieChat Forums > Street Kings (2008) Discussion > The Enemy is Closer to Home

The Enemy is Closer to Home

posted 11 years ago by thinker792003
2 replies | jump to latest

James Ellroy brings back certain characters from L.A. Confidential with a common theme in contemporary times: the relationship between a not so by-the-book cop and his corrupt supervisor/commander in elite units, the commander using them as lapdogs to carry out assignments without question, with his boss cleaning up after him. When a close friend of the protagonist gets killed, he goes on to start his own investigation picking up a "clean" ally along the way, much to the chagrin of his supervisor (i.e. looking for fictional suspects and fingering perps with prior records to tie to the crimes, then finding out the evidence does not add up ). Once the lapdog catches on to his boss when he finds out he's involved in the cover-up and conspiracy, he turns on his master with a vicious bite.

Bud White/Dudley Smith (Russell Crowe/James Cromwell) L.A. Confidential

Eldon Perry/Jack Van Meter (Kurt Russell/Brendan Gleeson) Dark Blue

Tom Ludlow/Jack Wander (Keanu Reeves/Forrest Whitaker) Street Kings

[–] ajaddiction2004 10 years ago

You've made some awesome connections to all these films. I really like all of them.

[–] thinker792003 10 years ago

Yes, and I'm proud to own them all as well as one of Ellroy's books. In addition there is a common theme of secrets and blackmail in all these films.