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Chinatown by contrast is a perennial classic thanks to it's razor-sharp screenplay, well realized themes, Nicholson's iconic portrayal, and Polanski's direction. Long story short, I think LA Confidential is good fun but Chinatown is one of the most enduring works of the American New Wave.
Jul 18, 2021 · The Chinatown screenplay is viewed as the Hollywood gold standard; Jack Nicholson’s performance is considered among the all-time best; and Roman Polanski’s direction is irrefutably masterclass. We’re going to break down our Chinatown movie analysis – its legacy, historical context, and influence.
- A catchy premise. A cool and nonchalant detective in 1930’s Los Angeles finds himself, upon pursuing a routine investigation, in the midst of an ultra-complex corruption scheme involving greed, fake contracts, and assassinations.
- Amazing architecture of vision – the script. Jack Gittes, a charismatic and moderately successful detective, is hired by a rich woman, Ms. Evelyn Mulray.
- Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway – top artists at the service of the story. Both actors earned nominations Oscar nominations for their performances in “Chinatown.”
- Roman Polanski’s tragic vision subverts and transcends the neo-noir conventions. All directors working from the 1960s on in any neo-noir picture were hyper-aware of the genre’s thematic and aesthetic conventions.
- Jerry Goldsmith’s Soundtrack
- The Unorthodox Setting
- John Huston as Noah Cross
- Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Cross
- Jack Nicholson as Jj “Jake” Gittes
- The Script Is Pretty Much Perfect
- The Subtle Way The Mystery Unfolds
- The Tragic Ending
- Chinatown Solidified The Neo-Noir
- Chinatown Is The Culmination of The Entire Film Noir Genre
One of the most memorable elements of Chinatown is its soundtrack, which echoes the classic Noirs of the past. Composed by none other than Jerry Goldsmith, the movie’s haunting score is an integral part of the viewing experience that only adds more emotion to the most powerful scenes. What’s even more impressive about this score is the fact that it...
Unlike many detective movies before it, Chinatown takes place in the sunny and sandy streets of Los Angeles. While this may seem a bit mundane by today’s standards, this was a pretty titanic shift back in the day. The unspoken rule among detective movies of the time was that they always took place in some city’s grimy underbelly. Meanwhile, Chinato...
It’s practically a genre tradition to have a corrupt politician or business mogul at the center of the conspiracy, but none are as vile and despicable as Noah Cross. Not only did he kill some business rivals to monopolize Los Angeles’ water supply, but he also fathered his own granddaughter after having an incestuous relationship with his daughter....
Upon first glance, Evelyn Cross may look like the usual damsel in distress for the detective to save or the femme fatale he has to be wary of. While Evelyn has shades of both, in the end she reveals herself to be a tragic figure and victim who’s at the mercy of an immoral world. RELATED: Faye Dunaway: 10 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes Fa...
When it comes to cinematic private eyes, none could be more iconic than Jake Gittes. While he’s obviously not the genre’s first sleuth, Gittes became an entire generation’s default hardboiled detective to emulate in their works. Jack Nicholson’s performance (and writing) helped make Gittes more than just another stereotypical detective, instead of ...
Aside from the famous line about the eponymous location (you know the one), Chinatown is loaded with quotable quotes that only use a few words to deliver one hell of a suckerpunch. Not only that, but the central mystery and everything that happens in between is airtight, with nary a plot hole in sight. This is because Robert Towne’s script is as cl...
A common practice in older detective movies was to have a narrator or to give the focal private eye a lot of monologues for the audiences’ sake. This was done for exposition’s sake and while it was appropriate back then, it can come off as tedious or on-the-nose today. Chinatown, on the other hand, chose to handle its investigations silently, letti...
Chinatown is best known for its heartbreaking ending, where Evelyn dies, Gittes is left broken, and Cross gets away. While depressing endings are common today, Chinatown’s came out in a time when detective movies usually ended happily. This risky creative decision paid off well, as it’s considered to be one of the best endings ever seen. What makes...
Chinatown is obviously not the first Neo-Noir of its time, but it’s undoubtedly the most important one. While gritty detective movies were pretty common in the ‘70s, few were made in the style of The Maltese Falcon and its ilk. At the time, these movies were often criticized for prioritizing violence over the actual mystery, with many filmmakers ex...
Chinatown may bear the hallmarks of a classic Film Noir but technically speaking, it’s a Neo-Noir. Simply put, Neo-Noirs were a revival of the classic Film Noirs of the ‘40s and ‘50s. During the resurgence’s early days, most of its examples were modernizations (ex. Dirty Harry and The Long Goodbye), with Chinatown being the rare period piece. By fo...
Feb 6, 2000 · Reviews. Chinatown. Crime. 131 minutes ‧ R ‧ 1974. Roger Ebert. February 6, 2000. 7 min read. Jack Nicholson as private eye Jake Gittes in Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" -- an epistemological mystery about seeing, the moral responsibilities of (mis-)interpreting what you see, and the inevitable tragic consequences of flawed vision. (JE)
However, this new 4k Ultra HD collector's edition is a reminder of just how painstakingly crafted a film this is, and when contextualised through the lens of Polanski's prolific abuse, becomes all the more haunting and poignant as its final frames roll.
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Jun 18, 2024 · Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, and John Huston. SYNOPSIS: The classic Chinatown makes its 4K Ultra HD debut with a stunning transfer, a trio of...
