By Carten Cordell
If time is indeed a flat circle, then TV watchers will be at full rotation when season 2 of “True Detective” debuts Sunday on HBO.
This season, the series shifts from the murky swamps of Louisiana to smoldering asphalt of L.A., abandoning a Gothic mysticism worthy of Flannery O’Connor or Carson McCullers for the hard edge of Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy.
To get you ready for the show of the summer, we’ve picked four movies reminiscent of this season’s backstory.
1. The Big Sleep
The 1946 adaptation of Chandler’s first Philip Marlowe mystery stars Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. A twisting, weaving tale of sex, corruption and blackmail that is so complex that when director Howard Hawks reached out to Chandler for clarification on who had murdered a specific character, the author had to admit, “Dammit I didn’t know either.”
“The Big Sleep” helped set the standard for the seedy Los Angeles detective story that new season of “True Detective” will recast.
2. L.A. Confidential
The 1997 adaptation James Ellroy’s novel bears striking resemblance to the narrative structure of the new “True Detective,” with three protagonists (Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey and Guy Pearce) cast against a raft of corruption in early 1950s L.A., which they occasionally also take part in.
Crooked land deals, corrupt cops and a character haunted by the violence he sees committed against women, “L.A. Confidential” strikes many of the tones expected in this season of “True Detective.” Gifted with an extraordinary cast, including Best Supporting Actress Kim Basinger, the film is a must-see period crime drama.
3. Chinatown
The granddaddy of detective movies, Roman Polanski’s 1974 classic serves as the blueprint for any modern-day film-noir.
Jack Nicholson stars as J.J. Gittes, a down-on-his-luck P.I. that gets wound up in seemingly simple adultery case that reveals greed, corruption and darker turns as it reaches its dramatic conclusion.
Nicholson chews the scenery, but is nearly equaled by performances from Faye Dunaway and John Huston. The ultimate homage to detective lore, “Chinatown” is a brilliant film and is expected to draw many comparisons to “True Detective’s” new season.
4. The Long Good Friday
Far from the sunny shores of L.A., this 1981 film takes place in London, depicting the waning days of gangster-gone-straight Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins).
While Shand is in the middle of negotiating a massive real estate deal, one mistake unleashes an unseen enemy bent on ending his reign.
Hoskins’ character draws striking similarities to Vince Vaughn’s Frank Semyon in “True Detective,” a mobster looking to land a high-speed rail deal when a partner turns up dead.
“The Long Good Friday” unweaves in dark turns, leaving you feeling trapped right alongside Hoskins. With a top-notch cast that includes Helen Mirren and mysterious wordless-performance from a young Pierce Brosnan, “The Long Good Friday” ditches the detective, but tells an ultimately thrilling tale of a fall from grace.
