Film Review: Chinatown (1974)

drax(76)

Published in

Movies & TV Shows

Words

707

Reading

4 min

Listen

Play

(source:tmdb.org)

Screenplay is arguably the most important, but also one of the least appreciated ingredients for the great film. This reflects in screenwriters being on the bottom of Hollywood food chain and few of them earned fortune, and even fewer earned fame as the authors of a single script. Robert Towne is one of those rare people who could pride himself with such achievement, due to his work on Chinatown, 1974 period thriller directed by Roman Polanski.

The plot is set in 1937 Los Angeles, where the protagonist, private investigator J. J. “Jake” Gittes (played by Jack Nicholson) earns his living by investigating marital infidelities. His latest client is woman named Evelyn Mulwray (played by Diane Ladd) who hires him to follow her husband Hollis Mulwray (played by Darrel Zwerling), chief engineer of Los Angeles Department Water and Power. Gittes follows him and makes photographs of Mulwray being in company of young woman, which are next day published in newspaper. Soon afterwards he is confronted by angry woman (played by Fay Dunaway) claiming to be real Mrs. Mulwray and Gittes thus discovers he was hired by an impostor. He begins another investigation, this time in order to find who the impostor was and for whom she was working. He gradually discovers that Hollis Mulwray was strongly opposed to controversial dam that could have wrecked farmer while enriching land speculators, including Noah Cross (played by John Huston), influential businessman and Evelyn’s father. Gittes’ investigation becomes complicated with Mulwray’s suspicious death and even more complicated because feelings he has developed for Evelyn who nevertheless hides something important from him.

Chinatown is often called the ultimate film noir, despite its style and setting not being completely within the parameters of the genre. The plot takes place in 1930s instead of 1940s, and it is made in colour. But, the “noirish” atmosphere is undoubtedly there, thanks to the excellent cinematography by John A. Alonzo and the haunting soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith who provides listeners with effective combination of romance, nostalgia and feeling of upcoming doom. Jack Nicholson in his prime again brings his enormous talent on the screen, creating another iconic character of 1970s cinema. Faye Dunaway delivers another strong performance, arguably the best role of her career in which she both resurrects and transcends femme fatale stereotype. The supporting cast is also excellent and John Huston delivers strong and disturbing performance in the role that could be described as one of the most evil characters in the history of cinema. In the end, it is Roman Polanski, who also appears in small but memorable role of violent thug, who makes Chinatown grand by adding another dimension to its darkness. Los Angeles, a sunny city which symbolises American dreams and prosperity, have rarely looked so sinister and its underbelly of corruption, depravity and evil revealed in so effective way. Polanski was probably inspired by his own tragic experiences in that city. This is best seen in the brutal and shocking ending that defies Hollywood conventions. Ironically, it was that very ending in which Polanski strayed from Towne’s otherwise perfect script.

Towne’s script, with or without its original ending, is another essential element of the film and it is crucial in providing its bleakness. Towne cleverly created film noir by having plot inspired by real events that had transpired decades before the time presented in the film, but he cleverly brought it in more “noirish” time period. Effectiveness and the ultimate success of Chinatown, however, owed more to the 1970s present than distant past. In a time when Towne was writing his script, America was, due to aftershocks of 1960s turmoil, Vietnam War fiasco, Watergate scandal and economic crisis, finally facing some unpleasant and conveniently forgotten truths about itself. The film also reflected feelings of helplessness, futility and despair of an entire generation, and this is most evident when those same emotions can be seen on the protagonist. Yet, despite that overwhelming bleakness, and contrary to the advice given in the film’s last memorable lines of dialogue, Chinatown should never and will never be forgotten.

RATING: 9/10 (++++)