..now I know what a "film-noir" is..

Rating: 10/10 (29 June 2006)

...and I lived right through that era - even before ! I guess people use that term to let you know they are "hip" about film-parlance. I'd call it drama........
"Chinatown" CERTAINLY is a classic, because - as many people noted - it is so nearly perfect. Robert Towne wrote the best screenplay; Boo! to "Citizen Kane" being the best ! AND, it's in rich color - colors that we see and feel. Some commentators noticed how glamorous Ms. Dunaway was, how lovely the autos were, the open lushness of the early San Fernando Valley before it was cannibalized by greedy developers. In the late 30s and 40s, there WERE ranches out here more than a-square-mile.
The film did not bring-out why Chinatown was considered to be as dangerous as sections of Los Angeles is now - because of the Chinese "tongs" - referred to once but not really explained. Who even knows, today, what they were? Mention "MS13" and almost everyone will know what it is - one of the most vicious gangs in the country, which is finally experiencing how it has spread. A "tong" was the Chinese version: if you were Chinese, you belonged to one of its thousands of families, no matter in which city you mention - very similar to The Mafia families. Today, we know that the Chinese race is not the scum it was labeled to be; couldn't even become citizens after opening-up The West. They moved south to Mexico: many Mexicans have slanted eyes because of inter-marriage. I once heard Chinese being spoken with the musical lilt of Spanish - beautiful !
The USA was beginning to come alive again, POST-depression - movies helped its citizens escape the drudgery of every-day life. The best movies were produced then - so many fabulous film-stars. Can you use more than one hand to compare today's stars with them? Nah.....
...everyone told the story: detective film....
It is my opinion Nicholson's role was so effective because Polanski allowed him to be himself - not much acting here. Dunaway was the perfect "femme-fatale". Polanski's bit-part certainly didn't cause any sensation - most likely to save money, although his direction was brilliant. Huston was the epitome of depravity and megalomania - "The future, the future?" He may have stolen the vastness of The Valley, but it was his partner - Hollis L. Mulwray - who made it bloom by opening the valves to bring-in the water - "there it is, take it". You can still find those "steps" the water cascades down into a reservoir where they found his body. Anyone know the name of that steep, winding road down the mountains and across present-day Freeway 101 ? Very similar......Towne just switched the spelling, because that family is still very powerful in Los Angeles....Mulwray wasn't murdered, that's a Hollywood story; he brought the water in and lived to a ripe old-age.
All the ingredients were magically mixed to make this wonderful movie. If directors-actors-actresses-producers fought during the making of film in that era, they knew they were doing important work - it can't be repeated today. Every re-make is surely to be doomed. That "Chinatown" was produced so like the REAL classics is a miracle. Yes, there are wonderful, modern film, but they are of a different genre: why? The originals had STORIES ! The only reason younger generations can "review" them is through the miracle of preservation on VHS and DVD. They've missed the real thing......
If you like good dialog, under-played action and skillful cinematography, then "Chinatown" is a movie for you - if you do not like to wait till character-development can be done, then watch James Bond. If a modern-day star wants to be really noticed, let them arrive at The Academy Awards with that era's look and glamorous gowns - not one of the stringy-haired stars could compete.
Indeed, "Chinatown" is a film that can survive for ever. It shows what most people have missed, but some can still revel in......Bravo!