L.A. Confidential (1997) - Parents Guide Movie Rating

MPA: R BBFC: 18 Maturity Rating 18+

MPAA Reason: Rated R for strong violence and language, and for sexuality.

BBFC Ratings info: L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is a crime thriller in which the investigation into a murder exposes layers of corruption. Violence: Scenes include beatings and shootings with resultant bloody detail. Sequences also depict multiple dead bodies, including a man with a cut throat. There are strong sexual images, including photographs of S&M activity. There is occasional use of strong language ('f**k', 'c**ksucker').

Sex & Nudity

moderate

A woman's breasts are briefly seen during an autopsy. Women's breasts are seen about three times very briefly throughout the movie. Sex is implied between two characters, but not shown. An officer finds a nude woman tied to a bed and with a gag in her mouth. It is stated that she was raped. Some pornographic photos are visible. Two men encourage a man to have sex with another man. It is later confirmed he performed fellatio on the man. A cop enters a house and finds a man half naked with a prostitute and makes him leave. Two characters have sex while another man is taking photographs of them. In the course of questioning a confidential informant, policeman grabs the man's testicles in order to gain his cooperation. The man grimaces and complies. No nudity. Prostitution is a main theme in this film As an officer making an arrest enters a house a woman's breasts are briefly seen for a split second. A main character is a prostitute. The film is about the exposure of a prostitute brothel

Violence & Gore

severe

Lots of violent takedowns and standoffs. Two police officers watch a man abuse his wife. A police officer then beats up the husband. Two men are shot up inside a car with some blood mists. Blood can be seen coming out of their mouths. Two men get shot up inside a house with blood spurts. Corpses of a women and men are briefly seen. A girl is seen tied up with several bruises on her body. It is stated that she was brutally raped and beaten. A detective finds an extremely rotten corpse underneath a house. A woman is punched in the face twice. Two police officers fight each other. During an interrogation scene, a man's face is bashed into a mirror and dunked in a toilet, and then he is shoved through a wooden screen and dangles from a balcony. A man is shown dead inside of an office, we see some blood on his mouth. It is implied that he was beaten to death. The final action scene is a lengthy shootout. Corrupt cops are shot at point-blank range by shotguns and pistols. A man is shot in the shoulder, then shot in the face. Blood splatters onto the floor. A man is shot in the back with a shotgun. One character is something of a loose cannon and violence usually occurs around him. A police officer walks into a diner and finds a corpse with blood a very bloody wound. He walks into a bathroom and finds a whole bunch of extremely bloody corpses with graphic gunshot wounds. A man is unexpectedly shot in the chest, we see blood pour out of his wound. Very shocking and disturbing. A man is seen dead on the ground with his throat slit. A man is seen in a chair with his wrists slit and two of his fingers broken. Several gunshot sequences resulting in death and violence. When someone is shot blood mist sprays and splatters on the surroundings and blood pours from the wound. In a bloody sequence, two men shoot at another group of men with shotguns. One is hit in the chest with a bloody wound spewing blood, a shotgun wielding man is shot several times which results in blood spray, another man is shot with a shotgun splattering blood and blood smoke. Some blood is seen on a police officer's face. A group of men are beaten in jail by police officers. A newspaper story is shown with such a photo. Several scenes of police interrogation sessions, and the people being interrogated are often beaten with a belt by Russell Crowe's character. A rapist is shot in the chest, blood pours out of the wound, it is later revealed he was innocent

Profanity

severe

1 use of "cocksucker". 24 uses of "fuck" (mainly by Russell Crowe's character). Several uses of "shit", "whores", "hell", "goddamn", "bullshit", "ass", "bastard", "Jesus", "Christ", "jerk-off", "prick", and "dykes". Some uses of older language like "Negroes", "queer", "homo", and "swishy".

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

moderate

There are also drugs that are openly discussed such as heroin and marijuana. Some drinking. Characters are shown drunk. Some smoking. There are scenes where drugs are visible, but not used.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

moderate

There's a seedy tone pervading much of the film, and the violence can be rather gritty in nature. The beating, the abrupt kill-shot, and the climactic shoot-out are all fairly intense.