Mulholland Falls (released in theaters on April 26, 1996), directed by Lee Tamahori, is a lush, violent, and intensely atmospheric neo-noir that explores the dark underbelly of post-war Los Angeles. Arriving just a year before L.A. Confidential, the film captures the sun-drenched corruption of the 1950s with a gritty, hard-boiled sensibility.
It centers on the “Hat Squad,” an elite, four-man unit of the LAPD that operates with absolute autonomy, throwing criminals off cliffs and bypassing due process to maintain a fragile sense of order. The film is a meditation on the moral decay inherent in “doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.”
The story follows Maxwell Hoover (Nick Nolte), the stoic and formidable leader of the Hat Squad, which includes the wisecracking Coolidge (Chazz Palminteri), the volatile Eddie Hall (Michael Madsen), and the brawny Arthur Relyea (Chris Penn).
Their world is upended when the body of a young woman, Allison Pond (Jennifer Connelly), is found flattened at a construction site, looking as if she fell from the sky.
As Hoover investigates, the case becomes deeply personal; he had been involved in a clandestine affair with Allison.
The trail leads the squad away from street-level crime and toward a high-level government conspiracy involving the Atomic Energy Commission.
Allison had been filmed at a secret testing site in the desert, linking her to the powerful General Thomas Ames (John Malkovich) and a mysterious colonel (Treat Williams).
Along the way, Hoover must navigate the suspicions of his wife (Melanie Griffith) and the interference of a slick investigator (Andrew McCarthy).
The narrative builds to a harrowing confrontation where the squad’s brutal methods are pitted against a military machine that views human life as collateral damage in the pursuit of nuclear supremacy.
Bruce Dern, Daniel Baldwin, Kyle Chandler, William Petersen, Louise Fletcher, Ed Lauter and Titus Welliver round out the cast.
Rob Lowe has an uncredited appearance as a hoodlum.
Jennifer Connelly in Mulholland Falls (Photo/MGM)
Reception for Mulholland Falls
Mulholland Falls grossed $4.3 million on its opening weekend, finishing fifth at the box office.
The film would gross $11.5 million in its theatrical run.
Roger Ebert gave Mulholland Falls three and a half stars in his review.
Legacy
Mulholland Falls‘ legacy lies in its impeccable production design and its role as a precursor to the 90s noir revival. While it was overshadowed by other genre entries at the time, it has since gained a cult following for its powerhouse ensemble cast and its unflinching look at institutional power.
It is remembered for Connelly’s ethereal, haunting performance and Nolte’s quintessential portrayal of a man whose physical strength cannot protect him from his own moral compromises.
The film’s legacy persists as a stylish exploration of the “Atomic Age” anxiety, blending the aesthetics of classic noir with the looming dread of the Cold War.
Mulholland Falls remains a definitive piece of 90s cinema, celebrated for its “muscular” filmmaking and its reminder that beneath the glamour of 1950s California, there were secrets buried deep in the desert sand.
