Review of Chinatown (1974) by Movie G — 23 Aug 2011

What hasn't really been said about Chinatown? Like the Godfather before it it's one of those movies that it's impossible to right an original review for. Every point imagineable has been covered so if you don't want to read another of the same review I suggest you stop now.

Set in 1937, Chinatown is the tale of private investigator Jake Gittes. After Jake is hired to find out if a man is cheating on his wife he finds out that the wife wasn't really his wife and that he was being blackmailed. The man was the head of all water for the city of Los Angeles which was going through a drought at the time. After he winds up dead Jake and his real wife embark on a crazy investigation to find out what is actually going on.

The story is amazing to say the least. I'd recommend watching it a few times to completely understand it, but even on a first viewing it's amazing. It's essentially a 40s style mystery movie, but instead of the over the topness of that period, it's given the gritty style of most 70s crime dramas.

The film's screenplay is one of the greatest ever. It combines the perfect amount of mystery, violence, suspense, and everything else moviegoers love and some of the most well written dialogue ever. Robert Towne and uncredited co-writer/director Roman Polanski won the only oscar this movie go for it's screenplay and it's damn well deserved.

Jack Nicholson plays Jake and it's still my favourite performance of his. He gives one of his more laid back perfromances compared to the rest of his career where he's pretty much played crazy guys like Jack Torrance, The Joker or Frank Costello, or his legendary R.P. McMurphy (he technically wasn't crazy but he acted like it). He's slick and knows exactly what he's doing even when he seems like he's baffled. He walways thinks a few steps ahead and it's his brilliance that solves the mystery and it's in no small part to Nicholson. Faye Dunaway plays Evelyn Mulwray, the wife of the murdered Hollis Mulwray and she's amazing as well. She comes off as a sophisticated and well tempered women, but in reality is a sad, lonely, broken down one who wants nothing more than to get out of her life. Dunaway probably is the highlight of the movie acting wise. I realise I didn't describe either of these performances all that well, but I can't, they're just so good you have to see it to understand it. There are also some great but brief appearances by John Huston, Burt Young and Higgins from Magnum P.I. who I apologize for not remembering his name, and even an awesome cameo by director Roman Polanski.

The movie has easily some of the greatest camerawork in film history. It all has a slow, soft, sophisticated look to it and really help's show off the beautiful landscape of L.A. which we all doesn't look like that anymore. My favourite shots imparticular are any where people are driving. The camera is always in the back seat. It seems so simple but no other movie to my recollection does it and it just adds to this movie's uniqueness. How this category never one an oscar is beyond me. The Towering Inferno can this movie's ass because it doesn't hold a candle to this!

The movie's score is good aswell. Written and composed at the last minute by Jerry Goldsmith it holds up surprisingly well. It builds up tension and suits all the scenes but unfortunately lacks a memorable theme like a lot of classic movie scores do.

All of Chinatown's art direction and costumes are amazing. They all suit the period perfectly. I particularly like the suits that are given to the men. They could have given them any suits, but they went far enough to give them one's that would accomodate the weather and style's for L.A. and not just general America. Evelyn also has a definite style to her. Her clothing is all pretty well done. I have no idea if it's accurate, but it's unique and a few subtle touches like her really thin eyebrows really help her seem different even though they seem so small.

The movie's editing and effects are very well done aswell. The whole movie flows very well and keeps up at a nice pace, even during the slower scenes, thanks to the proper placement of the music. The film isn't really all that effects heavy but the few scene's that use it look pretty good, particularly the shot where Jake gets his nose sliced by Polanski in his cameo. There are a few shots like the infamous bullet through the eye, but you barely see it and should just ignore it.

The film also has a great use of night and day. It's like the film starts off in bright sunny L.A. when everything is all fine and dandy. As the mystery unfolds the movie moves to nighttime settings and a lot of the dirtier area's of the city, like the title area of Chinatown. It took me a few viewings to notice this but it's very effective at setting the mood.

Chinatown is a thinker movie aswell. It deals a lot with corruption which not only reflected that period but the 1970s themselves. It's a brilliant case of using an older setting to display modern thoughts, kind of like Bonnie & Clyde did in 1967, but where that movie kind of became themeatically irrelevant, Chinatown is still relatable and hold up well.

As for the directon, you can't go wrong with Polanski in what is by far his best movie. The whole movie is his vision, and what a damn god vision it is. Polanski never made another movie in America after he was exiled for pedophilia and rape, but maybe that's for the better because if he made a better movie we might forget about how astounding Chinatown is. Another category that Chinatown severely lost out on at the oscars. This is one case where I really just like to think that as much as I like to think that awards are important, sometimes they just don't make a difference. Francis For Coppola didn't do a fraction of te good job Polanski did with this movie, and nor have few people in history.

To conclude, Chinatown is an absolute, 100%, 5 star, must see, epic, incredible, unforgettable masterpiece. I can't use enough good adjectives to describe how good this movie is. If you haven't seen it put it straight to #1 on your must see list. It's just so amazing that I can't possibly recommend it enough. Watch it now, pure and simple. You won't regret it.