Review of Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003, dir. Thom Andersen)

Genre and Mode
Los Angeles Plays Itself is an essay film constructed entirely from found footage. The mode leans toward documentary’s expository and reflexive traditions. The director uses existing material to argue about how Los Angeles has been represented on screen and what those portrayals say about culture, power, and place.

Narrative Strategies:
Rather than following a linear story, the film uses a thematic and argumentative structure. Andersen organizes clips into categories, such as how L.A. is depicted as “stand-in cities,” and how the city is framed through architecture. A voiceover essay offers analysis, critique, and personal reflection. The narrative unfolds as a conversation with cinematic history rather than a traditional plot-driven film.

Editing Techniques:
Clips from famous and obscure Hollywood films are juxtaposed to highlight contradictions or recurring tropes. Cuts are often quick and rhythmic, matching the commentary. There is no flashy transitions or effects.

Footage Sources:
Sources exclusively from pre-existing feature films and television shows that use Los Angeles as a backdrop. By collaging decades of Hollywood representations, he turns fiction into evidence, using “borrowed” material to build a non-fiction argument.

Why This Piece Stood Out:
This film stood out because it demonstrates how found footage can be transformed into a critical lens, where the act of re-editing becomes its own storytelling.

Aspects to Replicate in the Major Project:
I would like to replicate Los Angeles Plays Itself’s use of thematic structuring, where ideas unfold in chapters rather than a linear story, and its technique of juxtaposing clips to reveal hidden patterns. I am also drawn to the film’s use of voiceover commentary that adds a personal and reflective layer to the archival material. Careful recontextualization, guided narration, and critical montage will help me craft a piece that reimagines the source material in an original and thought-provoking way.

References

Andersen, T. (Director). (2003). Los Angeles plays itself [Film]. Cinema Guild.  https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/los-angeles-plays-itself