Continuity mistake: In the scene where Lt. Exeley resets the clock, the first time you see the clock it is exactly 5 minutes after 2. When Exeley puts on his glasses to see the time, it is clearly only 3 minutes after 2 oclock! (00:30:30)
Continuity mistake: When Bud White pulls into the driveway at Pierce Patchett's house to question him about Susan Leffert's murder, the wind is causing a tree top (top center of the frame) to sway. Before Bud opens the car door, you can see the tree come to a sudden stop in a position different than that of the last frame. (00:37:40)
Continuity mistake: Lynn gives Bud White a glass of scotch at her house but it disappears and reappears again. (00:43:35)
Continuity mistake: Mrs. Lefferts' glasses move from being under her handkerchief that's on her head to on top of it without her taking them off. This is when Bud White interviews her in her home. (01:20:30)
Continuity mistake: When Bud White beats up on Exley the light on the desk gets blown out. Later in the scene it's back on again. (01:48:15 - 01:48:55)
Continuity mistake: When Exley ends up at the boxes at the end the fight, they are in a different position than at the beginning of the scene. The third row of boxes are now pushed in so that there is a place for Bud White to put Exley's head. (01:48:20)
Continuity mistake: Right after the fight the folder behind Exley's head is yellow, yet later it changes to dark green. (01:48:25 - 01:51:05)
Continuity mistake: Exley has gauze or cotton stuffed on the left and right side of his upper lip (a la The Godfather). It's supposed to look like swelling from the unbelievable beating he just took. If you look at him closely in these several shots, the amount of cotton in his lip changes. Then later the bruises are only on his left cheek, with no swelling of his lip. (01:50:45 - 01:52:20)
Continuity mistake: Exley's little cow lick bangs, on the left side of his forehead, changes a lot throughout this scene. (01:52:10 - 01:53:20)
Continuity mistake: The extras out on the road below the ledge of DA Lowe's office are trying to be inconspicuous, but you can see that they are aimlessly walking in one direction, then the other, each time you see them. (01:53:50)
Continuity mistake: It's the scene where Russell Crowe is holding the D.A. out of a window. On the wide shot, he is holding only one of his legs, and the other is flailing about. But in the tight shot, he is holding on to both of his legs. (01:53:55)
Continuity mistake: Bud and Exley are sitting in their car talking - Exley looks OK. His lip and eye are almost healed and there's only a little black and blue on the upper part of his left cheek. Than in the next scene with Lyn he looks like he's been beat up again worse than before. (01:56:10 - 01:56:40)
Continuity mistake: They shut all the blinds at the Victory Motel, but later some are open again. (02:00:00)
Continuity mistake: Exley's eye injury is much worse at the Victory Motel, and it's on the wrong eye all of a sudden - for the rest of the movie. (02:01:30)
Continuity mistake: In the final shoot out, Dudley Smith shoots Bud White in the right cheek as Bud stabs Dudley in the leg with his knife. Later, when you see Bud sitting in the car, he has bandages and tape only on his left cheek, and his right cheek is completely okay.
Continuity mistake: When White shoots Fitch in the chest, at first there's only a little blood around the bullet hole, but in the next shot there's instantly much more blood.
Suggested correction: It's not uncommon for dead bodies to continue moving after death. Many internal parts of the body continue functioning in some fashion for hours after death and nerves and muscles can twitch.
raywest ★