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Summary: To live and die in Los Angeles
Review: The movie speaks for itself in terms of character development and mood. It is by far the greatest piece of work ever to come out of the 1970's in terms of telling a solid story with interesting people and depicting a side of human nature everyone tries to forget or repress. But the real beauty of the film is how it conveys the day to day life and environment of living in Southern California- from Catalina Island, to the Valley, to downtown, to residential Hollywood, seeing this movie will give you a feeling like no other of the perils of being a commoner or a sophisticate in the shark tank of L.A.
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Summary: The finest dramatic film ever made- perhaps of any genre.
Review: Much has been already written about this film that is once both superbly crafted and enormously satisfying. It is quite literally impossible to avoid not being drawn into this complex story- which succeeds at so many levels. Ultimately, this is what "high-art" does; it draws us in emotionally inspite of ourselves or even flaws in the work itself. Roman Polanski has made a number of excellent films including The Tenant and MacBeth. None of his films, before or after Chinatown, are as complete. Indeed, few filmakers ever achieve this level of cinematic art; and for the very few that do so, even fewer are able to replicate the achievement. Polanski sadly, never would either. Nevertheless, Polanski has graced the film world with a piece of work that must rival even Welles' Citizen Kane. It is very likely the sublime combination of plot, screenplay (Towne), acting (Nicholson, Dunaway, Huston),scoring, cinematography and ultimately direction, that ensures that films of this calibre are realised only occasionally. It is impossible to imagine anyone serious about cinema not being impressed by the level of filmaking and by moved by the quality of storytelling. This is afterall the goal of any filmaker.You be the judge.
Rating: 
Summary: Fine performances, but...
Review: Watchable for the performances, but wildly overrated, as is nearly every Polanski film. "LA Confidential" probably could not exist if "Chinatown" hadn't, but the truth is "Confidentail" is everything this film isn't. Now if we could have just time-morphed Nicholson and Dunaway into "Confidential..."
Rating:
Summary: Great. Simply great.
Review: Nicholson, as always, is superb in this definitive film noir from veteran director Roman Polanski. Nicholson's performance is a high point, to be sure, but John Huston steals the show as the father with a dark secret. The acting is top-notch, the direction, suspense, screenplay, plot, et cetera are all top-notch. The movie as a whole is intriguing, but the interrogation of Faye Dunaway by Nicholson's character and the unsettling ending are the best. Near-perfect filmmaking.
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Summary: This is the Best Movie Ever Made
Review: This movie has to be seen again and again to be fully appreciated. But if you think of Raymond Chandler novels, the classic film "Double Indemnity," Greek tragedy, and a haunting musical score, you are conjuring up some of the elements of "Chinatown." Jack Nicholson is superb as private detective Jake Gittes. While Nicholson is so great an actor that, like Bogart, he seems to be playing himself in every role, this part was made for him. From his first line, about venetian blinds, to the end of the film, Nicholson conveys the portrait of a man caught up in a larger, incomprehensible web of amorality andmystery that is the essence of film noir. Faye Dunaway is excellent in her role as Evelyn Mulwray, of whom to give a description would be to spoil part of the plot. Her gestures and lines are acting at its finest. John Huston is a towering figure of evil in this film; and the dialogue between him and Nicholson, filmed at the time when Jack was beginning his long relationship with Huston's daughter (and fine actress in her own right) Angelica, is a masterpiece and fraught with double entendre. I could go on and on. But suffice it to say that this is a movie worth purchasing and watching again and again. It will not cheer you up; but it may make you wiser.
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Summary: A Superb Haunting Film
Review: With a chilling screenplay, an excellent period film score,cinematograpy, and casting, the result is clearly one of the classic american movies. If you have seen Chinatown, and find it lingers in the mind, question why. The final scene is always the first scene that comes to my mind, being the culmination of the descent into darkness that permeates the entire film. Particular references throughout, never fully explained, are used to create a sense of impending doom, that virtually dictates the nature of the final scene. I am inclined to focus more on the characters, and less on the symbolism. How much of the symbolism was intended and how much created by critics is not clear. It would certainly be interesting for the producer, writer, and director to review the various interpretations. One can't help but think too much is read into small details. Are the broken eyeglasses, the flaw in the iris, the broken tailight, the broken pocket watches, the slashed nostril, and the final death scene all really pointing at one thing, or rather simply interesting effects which set the tone for the ending? Watch Chinatown, take it at face value, and draw your own conclusions. I'll be surprised if you don't find it highly satisfying, and unsettling.
Rating:
Summary: Superb in every regard
Review: This is a film that can be watched over and over; you will pick out delicate nuances with every viewing. This is Nicholson's tour de force - his strongest cinematic performance without question. This script is simply without equal; dramatic without contrivances. The humor in this film is exceptional as well.
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Summary: A masterpiece and a landmark of film making.
Review: Chinatown has it all: great cast, entertaining plot, well developed characters, good pace, wonderful cinematography, impeccably crafted sets, and a memorable musical score. Nicholson is cast in the lead as Jake Giddes, an anti-hero Los Angeles detective of the 1930's. He is streetwise and successful, but gets egg on his face in a phony divorce case. His pride wounded, he jumps into something much bigger than he ever imagined; involving murder, kidnapping, and multi-million dollar land swindles by some of the most powerful and politically well connected people in the city. Everyone has skeletons in the closets and hidden agendas. Jake is a clever detective, but still gets battered and cut up as he tries to figure out what in hell is going on. Faye Dunnaway is lush and seductive, but she can't keep Jake from finding out her own awful secrets. The tension between Nicholson, Dunnaway, John Huston, and the cops builds to memorable conclusion of the type that could happen only in...Chinatown. Roman Polanski's signature film.
Rating: 
Summary: Yes I did like it, but I can't say I LOVED it.
Review: I didn't quite get the whole plot of this film. It was interesting and complex, however it forced me to waive my hands up and down indicating "okay Jack and Faye, get to the point." It was kind of overlong, melodarmatic, and abstract. The voices and additional backround sounds were too soft to be called a mystery; I could hardly here Nicholson's voice. The costumes as well all looked like the actors were gathering at a Halloween party, they were just too shabby and predicatable. Not one of Jack Nicholson's best performances in my opinion, but I can see why other people love it.
Rating:
Summary: Overated. Overated. Overated.
Review: While Nicholson and Dunaway are fine perfomers, this movie was surprisingly disappointing. Most often, one's impression of a movie is based on the ending, and this movie boasted an awful ending which tarnished the entire movie. It ends suddenly and unintelligently. The overall movie was mediocre, and dragged quite frequently. I wouldn't recommend this movie unless you are a fan of one of the individual actors or actresses in the movie.
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