Explanation of the title

Rating: Null/10 (13 September 2002)

I'm not going to bother to do a full review. Suffice it to say that it is brilliant, and is even more enjoyable on a second viewing so that it is easier to follow. This one is a 10.
****STOP HERE TO AVOID POSSIBLE SPOILERS****
One of the common remarks is that the title is nonsensical and has nothing to do with the movie. For people who expect the title to be part of the explicit plot, this is true. But Chinatown is a metaphor. It's the seedy side of humanity, a place that Nicholson descends back into. As a result, he ends up getting burned. The idea is that there's not much he can do, it's just the way it is. Hence, the brilliant line "It's just Chinatown." Since, on a level deeper than the action itself, the movie is really about this ugly side of humanity, the title is more than appropriate.