Chinatown

Truly deserving of its title as one of the greatest films of all time, Chinatown delivers in spades. Everything about the film shines, and it looks better now than it probably did in 1974; of course, there's a lot of junk in the theaters these days. Acting, cinematography, script, atmosphere, it's all 10s baby. The story of a struggling P.I. getting a case that has more twists and turns than a mountain road is still one of the most crafted storylines ever concocted. Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, John Hillerman, and everyone else deliver superb performances. Robert Towne's script, John A. Alonzo's camerawork, and Polanski's direction all make this a classic. You can't be a movie buff if you haven't seen this one.

If it wasn't for the fact that most of the cast would have been too young or not born yet, this movie could have been made in the 1930's or 1940's. It reminds one of the film noirs that Hollywood used to make during that time period. It is a superb example of film making, certainly among the 20 best movies I have ever seen.

Jack Nicholson is private detective Jake Gitties, who can be as hard-boiled as Humphrey Bogart's Phil Marlowe. But Gitties is different: He is intelligent, dresses well and has associates whom work with him. Gitties is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to investigate into an extra-martial affair she believes her husband is having. However, the investigation leads into bigger things involving the water supply of Los Angeles, which is in the middle of a drought. A series of double-crosses, murders and plot twists all lead into a climatic showdown in Chinatown which has a surprising conclusion.

If the saying `They don't make them like they used to' was ever more true, it was with this movie. Sex is only suggested between the Nicholson and Dunaway characters, yet it is convincing enough. And although Faye Dunaway is a beautiful woman, we never see frontal nudity of her (Directors today would do just the opposite). Some of the plot twists also would not be possibly made today, especially the ending (Which, if you haven't seen the movie, I cannot reveal).

Nicholson is a tour de force in his role as Gitties, but the rest of the supporting cast (Including John Huston as Mulwray's deceptive father) is equally superb. As to how Nicholson could loose the Best Actor Oscar to Art Carney in Harry and Toto is beyond me. Faye Dunaway was also nominated for Best Actress, only to loose to Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Fortunately, Nicholson and Duanway have both won Oscars since. In addition, the film itself received nominations for Best Picture and Best Director for Roman Polanski (Who has a cameo in the movie as the knife-welding thug who cuts Nicholson's nose), but those Oscars would be lost to The Godfather, Part II. The only Oscar won was for Robert Towne's screenplay, which is today considered the model for film writing. After watching the movie, one will know why. From the stellar performances to the sharp direction to the superb screenplay, this is a cinema treasure.

Chinatown sits securely at the pinnacle of the Neo Noir genre. Fueled by Polanski-Nicholson synergy, anchored by one of greatest-ever original screenplays (written by Los Angeles native Robert Towne), brought to movie-life via PanaVision by brilliant cinematographer John Alonzo, and produced by the industry icon Robert Evans, this is one of film's greatest works of art, and being imo one of the top 20 greatest films ever made - it is a must-see movie.

Chinatown represents the art of film-making in its finest form, exceeding expectations in every reel.

This was Polanski's last film he made in the USA, and the best and last opportunity to see Nicholson's brilliant acting prowess before his characterization method became (to a large degree) a caricature of himself (albeit doing so perhaps better than any other icon-level movie-star).

Often, this much talent on one set becomes a disappointment. Not this time.

Like many successful collaborations, there were major style differences between Evans, Polanski and Towne - Such "manageable stress" can sink a film, but instead served as a positive catalyst in raising the bar of production and execution.

For those who haven't seen the film, it is "required" viewing. For those who haven't seen it in a while, cue it up, and enjoy - like most great films, it just seems to get better with age.

Polanski's style of film making utilizes a classic Noir movie-making "complete-the-scene" method before moving on - similar to live theatre (Act I, Scene 1, etc) The benefit is fulfilling each scene's importance to the story and film as a whole - this style works well in Noir films, and his set-up, detailing, and execution is brilliant.

The immaculately detailed set designs, wardrobe, makeup, and authentic restored vintage cars were painstakingly orchestrated by Polanski to transport us back to atmosphere and feel of the golden age of Hollywood circa 1937.

Chinatown is one of the greatest films ever made making it a must-see.

So I finally watched one of the most iconic films ever made. The mystery and suspense in Chinatown is fully-blown as a neo-noir film. It perfectly captures the time period in which it takes place, and its central story is very well-written. The performances are fantastic, the highlight being Faye Dunaway, whose only other performance I have seen is Network and she plays both characters with such precise distinction and force. The cinematography, art direction, and music give it the right mood as well, and the ending is quite brilliant, in fact, perfect. Overall, I don't know if I would say I loved it, but this is a film I can see revisiting in the future no doubt about it.

I knew CHINATOWN was hailed as the paragon of a film noir, and that's why I finally got down to watching it. However, despite having known about the movie for quite a while, I wasn't really prepared for just how dark it could be. The movie starts slowly, with a private detective taking on what looks like a routine case. But soon he finds himself enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, murder, lies and deceit. The plot is like a perfect machine that relentlessly moves towards a final resolution that is truly epic and truly soul-wrenching.

In a recent New York Times piece, they called CHINATOWN "a meditation on evil", which is spot-on. Set in 1937, this movie is just all-round perfect, first and foremost how everything is connected within the grand structure of the movie, that is rich in themes (water, evil, trust, guilt, greed) and even richer in suspense, as the audience—just like our protagonist—tries to find out what is happening. The story is "complex" for sure, but it's not "complicated". Everything makes sense in the end and the complexity pays off big time.

Besides the impeccable screenplay, everything else about this movie is perfect as well. Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway carry the movie with sophistication and dignity. Dunaway's stunning performance in particular fills every scene with an aura of mystery as you are trying to find out what her motives are. The set pieces are beautiful, the score is compelling; and camera-work and editing could not be any better. There is a reason this one is called a classic! So, if you're ready to delve deep into a richly layered exploration of the dark side of humanity—enjoy the ride. But don't expect to come back unscathed.