'' The Black Dahlia '' is a 2006 neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Brian De Palma and written by Josh Friedman . It is drawn from the novel of the same name by James Ellroy and stars Josh Hartnett , Scarlett Johansson , Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank . The widely sensationalized murder of Elizabeth Short inspired both the novel and the film . The film was screened at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival on August 30 , 2006 , and was released in the United States on September 15 , 2006 . Despite its failure both critically and financially , effectively ousting De Palma from the Hollywood studio system ( his subsequent films have been filmed and financed overseas ) , it was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 79th Academy Awards , losing to '' Pan 's Labyrinth '' . Mia Kirshner 's performance as Short was also widely praised , as was that of Scarlett Johansson
79th Academy Awards
79th Academy Awards
The Black Dahlia (film)