ChinatownReleased: June 20, 1974
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
Plot in a Nutshell:
When private investigator, J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Nicholson), is asked to look into a supposedly philandering water tycoon, he begins to unravel a plot far more sinister and twisted than a simple case of infidelity.
What I thought:
I thought this was going to be a "heavy" film. The past few movies I've looked at have been pretty light (if not downright silly), it was time to look at something with a bit more weight, and I have to say that while my fear was substantiated, the film seemed to zip through its twists and surprises with very little weight indeed.
I'm not even going to try to dissect the plot here, it was a bit convoluted, however confusing it may have been, the pieces eventually fit, and the puzzle showed its face. It takes quite some time before you know it all, and even after it is over, some questions still linger (not a bad thing here). In this film, I think it is simply filled with an enormous amount of detail and life. When the lights come up you can imagine these characters existing. The back stories and history that is displayed is more than enough to get a sense of the characters and their situations.
I think at first glance, the film seems ominous and dark in nature, at least that's what I was thinking, having seen the poster and those iconic stills of a young Nicholson with that ridiculous bandage on his nose. Even though the ending may say otherwise, I didn't think it was nearly as depressing as I thought it would be. It does end on a sad note, and after so much time and effort that Jake has put into in the investigation, it may seem like it's a let down, but not in Chinatown. It has a staying power, and rather than depressing or saddening the viewer, it has a bit more of tragic feeling. You know the path the characters are on, with their actions and motivations, it isn't going to lead down a happy trail. It is clear that it won't end well, but what is important is that you share their journey.Jack performs his character of a private eye without flaw, an the film never leaves his character (every scene has him in it). It is this point of view on the story and other characters that really shines throughout the film. As he uncovers clues and unravels plot, you see it with him. Even though things have been set up well before hand, you don't quite grab it until he does. This method of revealing the story bit by bit can be a tedious a slow process, but here, it never holds back the progression of the story. In fact with every revelation I was drawn further and further into the world.
I can't leave without pointing to the stylistic approach and the direction of Roman Polanski. This is a 35-year-old film, but I found myself marveling at it on more than one occasion. Some of the ways Roman chose to tell the story seem very unconventional to a 70s era film. His method of reveal, of surprise, and his way of telling the story bluntly, is simply fantastic. The scene where his nose is cut (by director Polanski in a cameo no less) comes at you so hard and so visceral, it doesn't seem like a movie at all.It may wear the clothes of a classic film noir story, however I would argue that it is a more than dark alleys and moving shadows. It has those elements, and it is definitely a throwback to older crime stories, but I think to dismiss Chinatown as a simple black and white crime story would be to rob it of it's true colors.
Bottom Line:
Skillfully crafted by director Roman Polanski, and performed with near perfection by Nicholson, Chinatown is a great mystery that is a great experience to watch unfold.
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