Los Angeles Plays Itself A Cinematic History of Los Angeles
Thom Andersen's landmark documentary LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF explores the tangled relationship between the movies and their fabled hometown as seen entirely though the films themselves.
From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.
Winner of the Independent/Experimental Film and Video Award at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards. Winner of the Best Documentary Feature Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival.
"The best documentary ever made about Los Angeles." - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
"One of the great films of the century to date, poignant and affecting." - Calum Marsh, Village Voice
Running Time
174 mins
Year
2004
Kanopy ID
6430733
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Comments (18)
I don't always agree with Thom Andersen's opinions here, but this is really a great movie. There's nothing else really like it. I've lived most of my adult life in Los Angeles, and I like to say it's an incredible and fascinating place to live, but a terrible place to visit. You can get a ...Read more
I don't always agree with Thom Andersen's opinions here, but this is really a great movie. There's nothing else really like it. I've lived most of my adult life in Los Angeles, and I like to say it's an incredible and fascinating place to live, but a terrible place to visit. You can get a feel for most cities pretty quickly. Los Angeles takes years.
Read less@Cosmic: Yes, as an ex-Angeleno (myself) I totally agree. ;-)
I wanted so much to love this piece. I appreciate being exposed to lesser known films and their specific locations, but, I think this could have benefited from a tighter script and smoother editing. The narrator became annoying a half hour into the film.
Agreed. Living in LA I take pride in stating, "I've been there" throughout movies, however, this film makes my triumphs feel boring or even tainted.
I love L.A. and wanted very much to like this, but the narrator's line deliveries (which, yes, I know, are meant to be deadpan in the tradition of certain old Dragnet-type films) drains the life out of the film. Five minutes into it I couldn't bear one more downward inflection and had to cut ...Read more
I love L.A. and wanted very much to like this, but the narrator's line deliveries (which, yes, I know, are meant to be deadpan in the tradition of certain old Dragnet-type films) drains the life out of the film. Five minutes into it I couldn't bear one more downward inflection and had to cut out.
Read lessExceptionally good film with lots of great shots from movies that use L.A. in one way or another.
Very, very good. The narrator's deadpan delivery is poignant and sometimes hilarious. An expansive and fascinating exploration of our beautiful, ugly, expansive, meta-metropolis!
wow.
I disagree with some of the narrator's opinions, but, overall, I found this to be an excellent, and nostalgic, documentary about L.A. (yes, I call it that, and I'm from there) and the movies' takes on it!
I'm just here for the wonderful display of patience and communication the Jeff/Geoffs have shown us in this thread.
Ha! Totally. I misunderstood the comment in the film apparently. It was the beating that was mentioned and that was '91. When I think of Rodney King, I think of my gf of 6 years and I breaking up and then a week later my friend Alan dying trying to jump into a pool from the roof of an ...Read more
Ha! Totally. I misunderstood the comment in the film apparently. It was the beating that was mentioned and that was '91. When I think of Rodney King, I think of my gf of 6 years and I breaking up and then a week later my friend Alan dying trying to jump into a pool from the roof of an apartment building and then two days later, the RK riots beginning. Just hearing RK's name sends me right back to April '92.
Read lessOne of the best. Andersen's passion is infective.
This was pretty good but I'm in disbelief that the narrator could get the year of the Rodney King riots wrong by saying they took place in 1991 when they happened in April of 1992.
So what?
At precisely 2:28 in the film the narrator informs us "after the videotaped and then televised beating of Rodney King in 1991..." There is no mention of the later riots, and 1991 is the correct date for the Rodney King beating. Wha?...did we watch different films?
I'm not sure I understand your reply but the Rodney King riots were began in April of 1992. I remember it well. The week before, my girlfriend of 6 years left and few days after that, my friend Alan died in an accident and two days after his death is when the riots began.
No one is disputing that the riots happened later but there is *no* mention of the riots. There is simply the quote I have offered concerning the initial beating and televised videotape of the beating of King. And that happened in 1991, just as the narration informs us.
Oh!!! Got it now. I'm a dumbass. Ha!