Los Angeles Plays Itself
Directed by Thom Andersen
2004Documentary163 minUnited States
Thom Andersen's essay on how the movies have seen, and misrepresented, Los Angeles, from Chinatown and Blade Runner to Killer of Sheep.
Synopsis
LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF is an essay on how the movies have depicted Los Angeles a city symphony in reverse — a symphony with many directions and speeds. A critical history — and counter-history — of Los Angeles via clips from an eclectic list of movies. Many of them are well known (Chinatown, Blade Runner, L.A. Confidential); others are rarer finds (The Exiles, Bush Mama, Killer of Sheep).
The director
Thom Andersen
Thom Andersen is a Los Angeles filmmaker, critic and longtime CalArts teacher. His essay films, including Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer and Los Angeles Plays Itself, are landmarks of film thinking.
