description Los Angeles Plays Itself Overview
Thom Andersen’s *Los Angeles Plays Itself* examines the city’s cinematic representation from the early 2000s. The documentary utilizes archival footage from Hollywood films to explore how Los Angeles has been constructed and presented to audiences. Andersen analyzes these portrayals, revealing a persistent tension between the city's lived reality and its idealized image on screen. It is valuable for film scholars, urban studies researchers, and anyone interested in understanding the complex relationship between place and representation.
help Los Angeles Plays Itself FAQ
Why was Los Angeles Plays Itself hard to watch for so long?
Thom Andersen's film is built largely from clips of other movies, which made normal commercial release complicated for years. Cinema Guild eventually gave the 2003 documentary an official release in 2014.
How long is Los Angeles Plays Itself?
The film runs about 169 minutes. That length gives Andersen room to examine Los Angeles as a real city, a filming location, and a fictional stand-in for places such as Chicago or New York.
What movies does Los Angeles Plays Itself argue with?
The documentary discusses many Hollywood images of the city, including noir, disaster films, modernist houses, and police stories. Andersen has specifically been linked to objections around L.A. Confidential, the 1997 Curtis Hanson film based on James Ellroy's novel.
Who narrates Los Angeles Plays Itself?
The narration is performed by Encke King from a script written by Thom Andersen. The voiceover gives the film its essay structure rather than a normal talking head documentary format.
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