Depressing but complex and riveting

Rating: 10/10 (29 March 2009)

A murder mystery set in 1930s Los Angeles. Jack Nicholson plays a private detective named Jake Gittes. Evelyn Mulwray hires him to discover if her husband is cheating on her. What starts off as a simple cases quickly snowballs into an intricate and complex scheme involving a mysterious and possibly deadly woman (Faye Dunaway) and her very rich father Noah Cross (John Huston).
I caught this originally at a revival theatre in the mid 1980s. I was fascinated but the downbeat ending depressed me incredibly. I've seen it multiple times since then. I STILL think the ending is not necessary (screenwriter Robert Towne complained a lot that director Roman Polanski changed his happy ending into a horrifying one) but I find the entire movie fascinating. It catches the 1930s perfectly down to the clothes, the houses, the cars--everything. The script is very involved--you have to pay strict attention or you'll miss some of the many twists. The script deservedly won an Academy Award. The acting is just great--Nicholson, Dunaway and Huston are just perfect in their roles. It runs over two hours but I was never once bored. The cinematography and music just add to the 1930s mood. Also this was the last film Roman Polanski directed in the USA before leaving to avoid being jailed on rape charges. Beautifically directed, acted and shot. A 10 all the way.