“Even though I probably was a victim to a degree, I was certainly not a victim by any means to the extent that other people have been to sexual predators.” Pearce went on to say that the only time he felt safe on set shooting the film was when Simon Baker was around – because then Spacey shifted his attention onto him.
Although Crowe is around 5.9 ft himself, to mirror his character’s stature Crowe moved into a tiny flat before filming (where he could hardly stand straight and had to duck in the hallways), which he said made him feel like a giant when he came to set to start shooting the film.
Set in Hollywood in the 50s, the film tackles complex themes of police corruption, justice and the world of celebrity, received praise for its slick visual style and introduced viewers to then-unknown actors Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce.
He made them work with dialect coaches, watch old police training films, and even introduced them to modern police officers – although he found that the latter wasn’t of use as the police force had changed so much since the 50s, with Pearce especially disliking one officer he believed to be racist.
In addition to Basinger’s award, the film won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (it’s based on the novel of the same name by James Ellroy) and has been preserved by the National Film Registry in the US for its cultural significance.
