this new film called the black dahlia's tagline is "inspired by the most notorious unsolved murder in californian history", but if you look it up, it says its an adaptation of James Ellroys novel! So is it fact or fiction?
2006-09-14 10:54:56 · 18 answers · asked by genie 2 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Movies
It is fiction. The Black Dahlia murder really happened but most of the characters and events in the novel are fictional. The novel was based on the actual case but it is a fictional account. I'm a forensic science graduate student so I have read both the James Ellroy novel and several other books about the case and there are some elements of truth (for example some of the suspects in the novel were real people) but for the most part it is fictional.
2006-09-14 11:00:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
James Ellroy's novel is a highly fictionalized work in the noir style written in the context of the Black Dahlia case. Someone I know said, "Ellroy uses the real-life incident as a touch point for the fictional story he wants to tell. I suspect the reason he chose that incident is because he wants to parallel the media frenzy/obsession the case caused at the time with the downward spiral of obsession and self-destruction the two main characters face." I think that explains it pretty well.
The case is real; it is one of the most notorious unsolved murder cases, unlikely to ever be solved, especially now. I suggest you look up Elizabeth Short on Wikipedia and CrimeLibrary.com if you don't know much about it and want to find out more. A lot of details about her are confused now (such as whether she was nicknamed the "Black Dahlia" before or after her death, whether she had a genital defect or not, etc.), but the basic story is always the same.
2006-09-14 17:35:41 · answer #2 · answered by trypanophobic34 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Black Dahlia is an actual murder case from California history. I am guessing that the screenplay is an adaptation of James Ellroys novel. So the movie in inspired by the actual Black Dahlia, who was Elizabeth Smart, but is fictionalized by Hollywood to fill in the pieces that are still a mystery.
2006-09-14 11:18:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is a real murder. Learned about it in forensics class but you can always assume movies will embellish what really happened to make it more interesting so it is possible that this James Elroy's book did just that so they made it into a movie.
2006-09-14 10:59:13 · answer #4 · answered by Rx 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It was a true murder case. A really gruesome one. I don't know but I'm guessing James Ellroy wrote a story around it and the film has been adapted from that.
2006-09-14 10:59:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
There was an unsolved murder in England at the turn of the last century nicknamed "the black dahlia" but I dont know if the film is based on this or not.
2006-09-14 21:22:29 · answer #6 · answered by Catwhiskers 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The murder case is a fact. The woman who was murdered was Elizabeth Short. I'm sure the movie will take liberties with the truth.
2006-09-14 11:11:03 · answer #7 · answered by dashelamet 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm pretty sure its just based on the real story. I know its not supposed to be a biopic of her real life, so I'm sure they took a lot of liberties for dramatic effect.
2006-09-14 12:01:36 · answer #8 · answered by sunflower 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
fiction me thinks
2006-09-14 11:07:45 · answer #9 · answered by manda_ecosse 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fact
2006-09-18 00:11:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋