A remarkable achievement
Chinatown.
What a film - what a story. Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, and directed by Roman Polanski.
It is 1937 Los Angeles. Private investigator Jake Gittes (Nicholson) is working for Mrs. Hollis Mulay (Diane Ladd), he thinks, as she believes her husband is cheating on her.
Mulwray is the chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Los Angeles suffers from chronic drought; the need for fresh water is critical, so Mulwray is very high profile. (This part of the story, and the water politics, are based in fact, though the big water grab occurred in 1908.)
Gittes follows Mulwray and observed him at a public meeting opposing construction of a new dam that would create a new water supply for the city. However, he also sees him with a young woman. That hits the newspapers.
Suddenly, the real Mrs. Mulwray, Evelyn (Dunaway) appears and hits him with a lawsuit. Obvious Mulwray is being framed, and Gittes is being used.
Once Evelyn grasps the situation, she helps him, though Gittes thinks she is not being totally honest. Mulwray is later found dead, murdered despite the appearance of an accident.
Eventually he and Evelyn become involved, and Gittes learns some business secrets which put him in danger. And the unknown woman - let's just say the answers about her are plenty confusing.
The performances are right on - Nicholson and Dunaway are fantastic. As Dunaway's father, Huston is a threatening presence even when being friendly and exudes power and danger.
Violent, sordid, filled with reprehensible characters, Chinatown takes us to the seamy side of humanity. From Polanski, we get a slow-burn noir with a shocking denoument, and a powerful closing line as we realize the sordidness isn't going to stop.
The best part for me, of course, is the oft-parodied slapping scene and accompanying lines, though the first time one sees it, it's a disgusting shock.
Beautifully photographed and detailed, Chinatown is true masterpiece.
What a film - what a story. Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, and directed by Roman Polanski.
It is 1937 Los Angeles. Private investigator Jake Gittes (Nicholson) is working for Mrs. Hollis Mulay (Diane Ladd), he thinks, as she believes her husband is cheating on her.
Mulwray is the chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Los Angeles suffers from chronic drought; the need for fresh water is critical, so Mulwray is very high profile. (This part of the story, and the water politics, are based in fact, though the big water grab occurred in 1908.)
Gittes follows Mulwray and observed him at a public meeting opposing construction of a new dam that would create a new water supply for the city. However, he also sees him with a young woman. That hits the newspapers.
Suddenly, the real Mrs. Mulwray, Evelyn (Dunaway) appears and hits him with a lawsuit. Obvious Mulwray is being framed, and Gittes is being used.
Once Evelyn grasps the situation, she helps him, though Gittes thinks she is not being totally honest. Mulwray is later found dead, murdered despite the appearance of an accident.
Eventually he and Evelyn become involved, and Gittes learns some business secrets which put him in danger. And the unknown woman - let's just say the answers about her are plenty confusing.
The performances are right on - Nicholson and Dunaway are fantastic. As Dunaway's father, Huston is a threatening presence even when being friendly and exudes power and danger.
Violent, sordid, filled with reprehensible characters, Chinatown takes us to the seamy side of humanity. From Polanski, we get a slow-burn noir with a shocking denoument, and a powerful closing line as we realize the sordidness isn't going to stop.
The best part for me, of course, is the oft-parodied slapping scene and accompanying lines, though the first time one sees it, it's a disgusting shock.
Beautifully photographed and detailed, Chinatown is true masterpiece.
- blanche-2
- Jun 30, 2025