Devil in a Blue Dress

“Carl Franklin gives new meaning to ‘film noir’ in this adaptation of a Walter Mosley
mystery. Denzel Washington’s Easy Rawlins, as the name implies, is not
particularly hard-boiled; it’s life in postwar Los Angeles that’s hard,
especially for blacks who came west for the wartime work in the aircraft industry
and now find themselves laid off. So a veteran like Rawlins, trying to make the
payments on his house, becomes a P.I. for the bucks, his being black drawing
him into an intrigue involving some very wealthy, very white and shady local
politicos.”

— BAMPFA

Film Details

Country: USA
Language: English
Year: 1995
Running time: 102 min
Format: 35mm
Director: Carl Franklin
Screenwriters: Carl Franklin
Producer: Jesse Beaton and Gary Goetzman
Cinematographer: Tak Fujimoto
Editor: Carole Kravetz
Source: Swank

Films and schedules may be subject to change.

Modern Cinema’s Founding Supporters are Carla Emil and Rich Silverstein. Generous support is provided by Nion McEvoy and the Susan Wildberg Morgenstein Fund.

Community support for Black Powers: Reframing Hollywood is provided by the Museum of the African Diaspora.