Chinatown (1974)

Director: Roman Polanski

Story: Robert Towne

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway

Music: Jerry Goldsmith

Time: 130 minutes

Bottom-line: A tense, engrossing neo-noir 

Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.

Roman Polanski’s 1970 mystery thriller stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in the lead roles, with John Huston, Perry Lopez and several others in supporting roles. Nominated for 11 Oscars and winning one for Best Screenplay, Chinatown is considered to be one of the best mystery films ever made and has been ranked 19^th in AFI’s list of the top 100 films of the past century.

Politicians, ugly buildings, and harlots all get respectable if they last long enough.

A woman named Evelyn Mulwray hires private investigator J.J. “Jack” Gittes (Nicholson) to tail her husband, Hollis Mulwray, Chief Engineer of the LA Department of Water and Power. Gittes follows him, hears him publicly oppose the construction of a new reservoir, and later shoots pictures of Hollis with another woman. Later, the real Evelyn Mulwray (Dunaway) confronts Gittes. The latter realises that Hollis and himself are being set up, and decides to meet up with Hollis, who is soon found to be drowned in a freshwater reservoir. Gittes notices several other incidents that don’t add up: Evelyn decides to drop the lawsuit against him, the reservoir releases huge quantities of water every night but the land is dry, the land of the entire Northwest Valley is suddenly being bought by people at one particular old-age home… As Gittes probes more, he discovers a plot far more sinister than just one murder.

 

Nicholson as Gittes

Chinatown would have been way different in its appeal if it weren’t for Jack Nicholson in the lead. Suave, sarcastic and charismatic, he fills his role with such energy and style – despite appearing with a bandage on his nose for nearly half the film! Gittes is no superhero, nor is he a mastermind; the detective’s character is made simple enough for us to solve the mystery with him, together. Faye Dunaway plays the role of a femme fatale. The charming lady we feel pity for following the death of her husband has a vast range of secrets behind that pretty face. And yet, if her charm, bravery and actions impress you, credit goes to Dunaway for putting on such an incredible performance.

The climax is not exactly the happy ending you would wish for as a viewer, but, like the climaxes of films like The Departed, The Town and Gone Baby Gone, it brings out the dark reality of the people and the surroundings of that period (as the Rotten Tomatoes consensus also agrees). The multi-layered story is quite effective for the mystery genre, and Chinatown is one of the best examples. New characters and plot twists are introduced at the right moments and the climax is fitting. The background score suits the atmosphere well; it has been considered the 9^th best film score of all time by the AFI.

Dunaway as Evelyn

With Towne’s solid script, and Nicholson’s first-class performance, Chinatown is one thrilling ride from start to finish. The only thing you may not like about the film is its climax, and it will certainly give you an uneasy feeling in the stomach. But, at a time when such events were part of reality, this ending adds flavour to the film. As the policeman tells the detective, “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%