As close to perfection as you can come.

Rating: 10/10 (24 November 1999)

With the possible exception of CASABLANCA, this my all-time favorite movie. I am a big fan of the genre (Phillip Marlowe, Sam Spade . . . you get the idea). Jake Gittes is a really great character and I couldn't imagine anyone else BUT Jack Nicholson playing him. In fact, I couldn't imagine anyone else in the whole cast as their characters (including Polanski). CHINATOWN can hold its own along with such classics as THE BIG SLEEP, FAREWELL MY LOVELY (or MURDER MY SWEET) and THE MALTESE FALCON. I remember reading that writer Towne and director Polanski fought over the ending. I'd have to say that Polanski, though still reeling from the murder of wife Sharon Tate, had the right idea. I could not imagine this film having a happy ending. It certainly wouldn't have been as memorable. I was surprised that John Huston wasn't nominated for an Oscar for his performance as evil incarnate. Noah Cross is truly one of the cinema's greatest villains. As much as I like Art Carney, there is no way he should have won the Best Actor Oscar over Nicholson's work here. At least the screenplay deservedly won. Forget it, Jake . . .