Rating: 
Summary: A milestone in film noir history.
Review: "Water is the life blood of every community." With this statement, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's website begins its biography of William Mulholland, the real life model of two of this movie's characters, water department chief Hollis Mulwray (an obvious play on words) and water tycoon Noah Cross. And indeed water, the access to it and the wealth it provides, is what drives everything and everybody in this movie set in the ever-thirsty Los Angeles of the first decades of this century, a budding boom town on the brink of victory or decay ... and whether it will be one or th other depends on the city's ongoing access to drinking water."Chinatown"'s story is based on William Mulholland's greatest coup; the construction of the Owen Valley aqueduct which provided Los Angeles with a steady source of drinking water but also entailed a lot of controversy. Splitting Mulholland's complex real-life persona into two fictional characters (the noble Mulwray who thinks that water should belong to the people and who refuses to authorize an unsavory new dam construction project and the greedy, unscrupulous Cross who will use *any* means to advance his personal fortune) creates the movie's one necessary black and white conflict ... other than this, the predominant shades are those of gray. Into the wars raging around L.A.'s water supply, private eye Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is unwittingly thrown when a woman introducing herself as Hollis Mulwray's wife asks him to investigate her husband's alleged infidelity. Before he realizes what is going on he is drawn into a web of treachery and treason, and fatally attracted to the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway), Noah Cross (John Huston)'s daughter. Soon reaching the conclusion that he has been used, he refuses to drop the investigation, and instead decides to dig his way to the source of the scheming he has witnessed - the classical film noir setup. To say that this movie is one of the best examples of the genre ever made is stating the obvious ... actually, it borders on being superfluous. Few other films are as tightly acted, scripted and directed, from Jack Nicholson's dapper-dressed, dogged Jake Gittes, who like any good noir detective is not half as hard boiled as he would have us believe, to Faye Dunaway's seductive and sad Evelyn Mulray, John Huston's cold-blooded and corrupt Noah Cross, Roman Polanski's brooding direction and Robert Towne's award-winning screen play, so full of memorable lines and the classical noir gumshoe dialogue, yet far more than just a well-done copy. And throughout it all, there that idea of Chinatown - that place where you do as little as possible, and where if you try to help someone, you're likely going to make double sure they're getting hurt. "Chinatown" was Roman Polanski's return to Hollywood, five years after his wife (Sharon Tate) had been one of the victims of the Manson gang. Polanski and Towne fought hard whether the movie should have a happy ending or not. Polanski won, studio politics were favorable at the time, and the version we all know was produced. Towne later admitted that Polanski had been right; and in fact, it is hard to imagine what kind of happy ending would have worked with the movie at all - too deep-rooted are the conflicts presented, none of which lends itself to an easy solution. Unfortunately, being released the same year as "The Godfather II" robbed "Chinatown" much of the Academy Award attention it would have deserved; of 11 nominations (best movie, best actor - Jack Nicholson -, best actress - Faye Dunaway -, best director Roman Polanski , best screenplay - Robert Towne -, best original score - Eliot Goldsmith -, best cinematography, and others), the movie only won the Oscar for Towne's screenplay. Generations of fans, however, have long since recognized that "Chinatown" is a milestone in the history of the film noir and in the professional history of its participants, and one of Hollywood's finest hours.
Rating:
Summary: Greed in Thirties' Los Angeles
Review: "Chinatown" arguably represents Jack Nicholson at his very best in his most enduring role, despite not having received an Oscar for his effort. Fortunately Robert Towne netted an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in what film experts consider one of the greatest scenarios ever written. Screenwriting guru Syd Field has used the Towne script as a working model for a generation as a teaching guide. The muted photography of cinematographer John A. Alonzo along with the neatly selected settings reveal Los Angeles in 1937. Jack Gittes is a Los Angeles detective initially used as a fall guy in a battle for water rights. The longer Nicholson as Gittes investigates, the more convinced he becomes that the man behind the skullduggery, which ultimately results in the murder of Horace Mulwray, the honest head of the Department of Water and Power who does not want to build a new dam and risk a tragedy such as the earlier described Van Lipp disaster, is super wealthy Noah Cross, played by John Huston. Gittes is a man used to dealing with criminal minds less powerful and less ruthless than Cross. As Robert Towne noted in an interview about the film, a major element of "Chinatown" is the shocking realization on the part of Nicholson, who had formerly worked as a police officer assigned to Chinatown, that John Huston as Noah Cross is a man who will do anything to get what he wants, and is more ruthless than anyone he ever encountered. When an exasperated Gittes asks Cross at one point what he can possibly gain through a big land payoff predicated on accessibility to water, noting that he could buy anything he wanted presently, Cross answers, "The future, Mr. Gittes, the future." Towne shrewdly used a historical controversy from Los Angeles history, the career of William Mulholland and the tragedy of the Van Norman Dam. History was juxtaposed and the controversy was moved from the first decade of the twentieth century to 1937. It made good sense cinematically since the city was so much more developed by that time. Another integral element of the film is Nicholson's developing romantic relationship with Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray, widow of the slain water chief and daughter of Noah Cross. Gittes' romantic progress is slowed by the manner in which he holds Evelyn, an erudite, sophisticated woman in awe, someone removed from his own rough and tumble middle class world. He ultimately learns that the daughter toward whom Evelyn is so protective was sired by none other than Noah Cross. In addition to adroitly directing the film, maintaining a consistently brisk pace, Roman Polanski also had a small but key acting role. Playing one of Cross' thugs, he tells Gittes, "You've got a big nose, kitty cat." To prove his point, while another Cross hoodlum, a crooked ex-sheriff, holds Gittes, Polanski snips off part of the detective's nose with a knife.
Rating:
Summary: Modern Noir
Review: Robert Towne's extraordinary script receives a first-rate interpretation from director Roland Polanski and actors Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Houston in this 1970s re-invention of the film noir genre. As interesting for its unusual and complex plot (concerning corrupt public officials, water rights, and incest) as for its performances, with all three leads neatly balancing toughness and vulnerability. A truly blistering film with a completely unexpected conclusion, CHINATOWN will be greatly admired by any one who enjoys slick production values and hard-hitting stories.
Rating:
Summary: A movie that improves with each viewing
Review: If it wasn't for the fact that most of the cast would have been too young or not born yet, this movie could have been made in the 1930's or 1940's. It reminds one of the film noirs that Hollywood used to make during that time period. It is a superb example of film making, certainly among the 20 best movies I have ever seen. Jack Nicholson is private detective Jake Gitties, who can be as hard-boiled as Humphrey Bogart's Phil Marlowe. But Gitties is different: He is intelligent, dresses well and has associates whom work with him. Gitties is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to investigate into an extra-martial affair she believes her husband is having. However, the investigation leads into bigger things involving the water supply of Los Angeles, which is in the middle of a drought. A series of double-crosses, murders and plot twists all lead into a climatic showdown in Chinatown which has a surprising conclusion. If the saying "They don't make them like they used to" was ever more true, it was with this movie. Sex is only suggested between the Nicholson and Dunaway characters, yet it is convincing enough. And although Faye Dunaway is a beautiful woman, we never see frontal nudity of her (Directors today would do just the opposite). Some of the plot twists also would not be possibly made today, especially the ending (Which, if you haven't seen the movie, I cannot reveal). Nicholson is a tour de force in his role as Gitties, but the rest of the supporting cast (Including John Huston as Mulwray's deceptive father) is equally superb. As to how Nicholson could loose the Best Actor Oscar to Art Carney in Harry and Toto is beyond me. Faye Dunaway was also nominated for Best Actress, only to loose to Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Fortunately, Nicholson and Duanway have both won Oscars since. In addition, the film itself received nominations for Best Picture and Best Director for Roman Polanski (Who has a cameo in the movie as the knife-welding thug who cuts Nicholson's nose), but those Oscars would be lost to The Godfather, Part II. The only Oscar won was for Robert Towne's screenplay, which is today considered the model for film writing. After watching the movie, one will know why. From the stellar performances to the sharp direction to the superb screenplay, this is a cinema treasure.
Rating: 
Summary: My relationship is dead
Review: theres no spark left. am i the only one who notices?
Rating: 
Summary: The greatest film in the world since "Billy Jack"!
Review: Yes, I'm a Pepper too! That's why I'm so impressed with this movie. All the critics raved about it, especially Rex Reed, so it must be brilliant. Don't bother me with questions about why all that water was being dumped into the ocean; or how a thirty-eight snubby could even reach let alone hit someone at fifty yards. I'm an *intellectual* and have no patience with such pedestrian quibbles. Faye Dunaway is one of the greatest overactresses of all time; and Jack Nicholson is superlatively redundant as the noirish, hard-boiled, sharp-edged, gimlet-eyed gumshoe Jake Gittes. Of course, no discussion of this stupendous movie would be complete without genuflecting before His Worship, The Roman Polanski, who, in a career move worthy of awe, managed to stay on topic even in his private life. The challenge in being an *intellectual* is to see what isn't there. In Chinatown there is a great deal of it.
Rating:
Summary: Transcendent Film Noir
Review: I've seen very few "greatest film" lists that don't have Chinatown among the top 10, or even top 5. It's deserving. It's done in the style of a '50's film noir, but transcends the genre. There are great performances here by Jack Nicholson and John Huston. Nicholson plays a jaded but heroically decent private investigator in the mold of Humphrey Bogart. He's much less the tough guy than Bogart, though, and you get the impression that he'd rather being doing something less seedy for a living. It's a very subtle portrayal. Huston, on the other hand, plays a tycoon whose mere presence on the screen can make your skin crawl. The film stands out in just about every respect. The sets are wonderful and the cinematography beautiful to look at. Even the score is exceptional. The DVD is a little short of extras, but they really aren't missed. The transfer is very high quality in all respects. To the brainiac above who doesn't understand why the water is being dumped in the ocean: they're trying to create a drought to drive the farmers out of business. That's pretty much the key point of the plot. And, yes, a .38 snubnose is perfectly capable of hitting someone at 50 yards. Guns & Ammo tests them to that distance all the time. Get a clue!
Rating: 
Summary: A classic that still holds up today
Review: I've never seen this movie before this year (2001) and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. After I saw it made the AFI Top 100 Films I thought I'd watch it. I'm sure glad I did. The story follows the typical gumshoe format - loner private eye with a mysterious past, a damsel in distress that's also on the dangerous side, plot twists, mysterious secondary characters and an ultimate goal. This time it's not money, gold or a bird statue - it's water and land. Set in LA in the '30s, its style and writing give you a great understanding of what life was like back then (the other film that I can think of that does the same is LA Confidential). Jack Nicholson as J.J. Gittes delivers a great performance. I'm not much of a Nicholson fan - especially in his latter years. But I was truly impressed by his performance in this movie. We see the movie from his vantage point so he is always on the screen. We learn details about the case as he learns them. Polanski's directing style really draws you into the plot - you are there with Jake, experiencing everything he experiences. It's truly a great directing job. Some may not like the ending but I found it very refreshing and poignant. I wouldn't have wanted it to end any other way.
Rating: 
Summary: Totally disappointing!
Review: When I was reading one of the reviews for 'The Usual Suspects', there was a mention of 'Chinatown' and how it was such a great movie. That made me rent this movie and honestly, there have been very few other movies that have been so disappointing! It is laughable that this is being compared to 'The Usual Suspects' (which is at least million times better!). This is a pathetic movie, the ending tries to surprise you and it does, because it is so stupid! Jack Nicholson does a good job, but even his acting cannot hide the fact that this movie stinks. Some comments say that this one is the best Film Noir till date, and I have one word for such reviews: Baloney! Bottom line: Don't see it, see 'The Usual Suspects' again (and again and again and again....).
Rating:
Summary: More Style than Substance
Review: "Chinatown" is one of Hollywood's most over-rated films. Yes, it is superbly made, the script is a model of tightness, the actors are wonderful, the sense of Santa Ana heat nearly palpable. It's a well-upholstered bit of craftsmanship, although there's hardly anything unique in that. Hollywood has never lacked the ability to mount elegantly expensive productions. What it has consistently been incapable of is transcending popular forms, of giving us something *more* than just a handsome piece of entertainment. "Chinatown" is no exception. For, in the final analysis, "Chinatown" is nothing but a meticulously engineered pastiche of a hard-boiled detective story. Don't get me wrong, I love detective fiction. I just don't think it should be sentimentalized into anything more than it is. If the film has any claims to distinction at all, it is for its creamy style, not its slightly atypical focus on the seedy, rotten and hypocritical aspects of American life. Since Hollywood doesn't usually like to show America as anything other than a sunny, adolescent playground, however, the film's mildly critical gestures may seem more insightful than they are. There is nothing radical or subversive about this criticism. In fact, quite the contrary. Recognizing that money buys power and that the powerful frequently get away with much for which the rest of us are punished is hardly profound. It is a message with which we all could agree before entering the theater. There really isn't much more to "Chinatown's" social critique than spinning this truism into an intricate spider web of complicity. To compensate for genuine insight, Towne and Polanski kink up the story a bit, giving the it the veneer of the new and the specific, while also turning corruption into something safely personal. Such mild criticism in fact *confirms* people's preconceptions by repeating a common sense recognition while conveniently locating it somewhere else. Decadence becomes the problem of a few misguided individuals; the rest of us would be fine if we could just get rid of those bad guys. Of course, to expect radical criticism of American society from a big-budget, star-studded Hollywood production is, to put it mildly, naive. That is my point: the bottom line is that "Chinatown" is limited by the middle-brow mind set of the industry that produced it, the requirement to make money, the need to please. The very care exercised in its production insures its expense; its expense requires a large return on investment; the requirement for a large audience makes impossible any criticism that might deeply offend anyone. "Chinatown" is posh, sexy entertainment, a very good film to be sure. As it unabashedly caters to people's prejudices, however, it proves it is far from being a great one.
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