Chinatown

Rating:
Summary: Film Noir Reinvented Into Cinematic Masterpiece
Review: The title of this movie does not refer to the story's setting, at least not until the very end. Rather it is a metaphor for a complex and confusing place that is best left alone lest one ends up getting hurt. It's hard to imagine a better period crime drama than "Chinatown". In what remains his career-best film (in spite of his recent and amazingly first Oscar win for "The Pianist"), Roman Polanski made a neo-noir masterpiece in 1974 full of elaborate plot twists, morally ambiguous characters and moody, authentic-feeling atmosphere. This movie is not a tribute to film noir as has been concluded by casual viewers, it's a complete reinvention of that genre into a more complex mindset thanks to Robert Towne's superbly written script.

Having just completed the crudely funny "The Last Detail" and going next to his Oscar-winning "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", Jack Nicholson was on a career-high roll when he played Jake Gittes, a struggling private eye in 1937 Los Angeles. Even in the midst of such an accolade-laden career, this is my favorite of his performances probably because he plays the role so against expectation. Bogart has so clearly etched the world-weary, dame-slapping gumshoe in our collective memories that Nicholson decided to take a less obvious approach here. He plays the detective as a relatively decent guy, who treats his often unsavory job as an honorable profession, even if he has to grub around to serve his clients. In walks Evelyn Mulwray, a mysterious woman with many secrets, who also happens to be the wife of the LA County water commissioner. But is it the real Mrs. Mulwray? What seems like a straightforward adultery case becomes much more as Gittes gets involved with the then-scandalous San Fernando land buying conspiracy, corruption around water politics and of course, murder. In what has to be her career-best performance as well, Faye Dunaway is picture-perfect as Evelyn with her pencil eyebrows, iron-shingled coiffure and cool aura of heightened glamour and deceit. The surprising element to her character is that she looks so right as a femme fatale, and yet she exposes herself as a much more complex person full of emotional scars and trembling self-denial. As her backstory is divulged to both Gittes and the viewer, it becomes clear that her sophisticated veneer has shattered into a desperate scramble to escape her fate and exposes the purest of motives. It's a memorable transformation. In fact, the real core of evil in the story emanates from her father, Noah Cross, a charmer who hides a deeply disturbing soul. Polanski chose director John Huston to play Cross, and it's an inspired choice as he, of course, directed several classics of the same ilk - "The Maltese Falcon", "Key Largo", "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre". This in-depth understanding of the genre allows Huston to imbue Cross with the right spirit, enabling him to essay the part perfectly - a thoroughly amoral individual whose apparent good nature can't conceal the stench of corruption that clings to him.

The main plotline has Cross and some others planning an elaborate scam to dry up the San Fernando valley by diverting water away from it, then buying up the land cheaply, then re-diverting the water back to the valley, so the property becomes fertile and the price skyrockets. Evelyn's husband has the misfortune to figure out what's going on, and now Jake, following the dead man's trail, comes to the same conclusions. A young girl enters the picture, originally thought to be Cross' mistress, but her identity is far more convoluted. Of course, the disclosure of her identity becomes the point of one of cinema's most unforgettable confrontation scenes between Jake and Evelyn. At the end of the film, Gittes stands by helpless as the woman he has tried to save dies violently despite his best efforts because there are no sure things in the world of "Chinatown" and certainly no predictable endings. All the period flavor is impeccable from John A. Alonzo's burnished gold-and-brown-hued cinematography to Jerry Goldsmith's moody, insinuating musical score to W. Stewart Campbell's spot-on art direction. A monumental achievement strongly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Movies Ever Made!
Review: This film noir about a woman with a terrible secret is great. I have seen it so many times I've lost count. Good thing I bought it on DVD. It was the first video I ever bought, a long, long time ago! The DVD contains a really great interview with Roman Polanski and Robert Evans. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Artistic Experience
Review: I saw a PBS special on Production Designers (those who plan the overall look of the film), and I found out that the man who worked as Chinatown's Production Designer is considered a legend in Hollywood: Richard Sylbert.

According to Mr. Sylbert, the central design metaphor was decided to be "burnt grass" because the plot is centered on a drought crisis in Los Angeles. Indeed, the drought in Chinatown is both actual and spiritual in that the "pillar" of its society, Noah Cross, is finally exposed as pure evil.

This is an adult film (in the best sense of the word) and works perfectly at every level: acting, writing, musical score, production design and direction. I am hard pressed to think of any other film that matches it in its flawless artistic execution.

Rating:
Summary: One of my Top 5 Movies of all Time!
Review: As little as possible! That's the best advice I can give to people who haven't seen this film but going to. The payoff is so much more rewarding when you don't know anything about the movie. The last 20 minutes of the film is a rollercoaster ride, just when you thought it's over, it's not. Just when you thought you're going to leave the theater with a smile on your face, your not. This has to be one of the most memorable extended endings in the movie history together with Seven and Casablanca to name a few.

The performances are all phenomenal. Jack Nicholson gave the performance of his career. He gets to exhibit a range of emotions combining subtlety and intensity. Faye Dunaway has the perfect mystique to capture the character and she made it really touching and compelling especially towards the end of the movie. John Huston has the creepy evil vibe that's both disgusting and freaky.

But the real star of the movie is the screenplay of Robert Towne. This is the best screenplay in movie history. Period. Overflowing with style but not in any way pretentious, compelling and deeply moving without being sentimental, mind-boggling without being contrived, and memorable scenes all through the movie. Perfection. But of course huge credit should be given to Roman Polanski who combine all this film making aspects and turn into a masterpiece unparalleled in it's genre up to this time.

The DVD is a little disappointing, totally disrespected the film. A commentary would suffice but I guess we have to wait because this film is so much good it deserves better treatment in DVD. As little as possible shouldn't apply here!

Grade: A+

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Homage To Film Noir
Review: "Chinatown" was the signature achievement of Roman Ploanski's career before personal peccadilloes forced his flight from the United States. From an Oscar-winning script by Robert Towne, Polanski crafts an excellent noir set in thirties Los Angeles that evokes the milieu of Chandler and Hammett and also some of the better film noir of the forties. To give away the surprises of this film would be a big no-no. Needless to say it involves a private detective hired for a routine snoop job and uncovers along the way a water diversion plot, a land grab, murder and other nasty business. Jack Nicholson gives an effective performance here as detective Jake Gittes, simultaneous determined and befuddled in his attempts to uncover the truth. Faye Dunaway is equally good as Evelyn Mulwray, the mysterious daughter of an industrialist who is central to Gittes investigation. John Huston gives a towering performance in a supporting role as Noah Cross, the ruthless industrialist who is used to getting his way. Director Polanski also has a cameo here as a knife-wielding punk who confronts Gittes at a reservoir. You would think that a film of this stature would be given some decent extras on it's DVD issue, however, Paramount at the time used to pretty much release all of it's films as vanilla discs and charge $29.99 retail.