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 19th 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 9th 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%
