One that bears repeated viewing

Rating: Null/10 (18 June 1999)

"Mr. Gittes, most people never have to face the fact that, in the right time and the right place, they're capable of...ANYTHING."
Those words are spoken by John Huston's evil Noah Cross, a rich and powerful old rancher and investor for whom the word "rapacious" was coined. His quote above comes during the film's final scene, but explains everything that has come before....and then some.
If you've ever wondered why politicians leave lucrative careers in favor of running for public office so they can, uhhh, "serve the public", well, this is your film. If you've ever wondered why people donate heavily to politicians, this is your film. The access to power, and the money the power provides, fuels much of what Jack Nicholson's detective J. J. Gittes uncovers when he sets out to investigate what he believes is a simple case of marital infidelity. He finds out that what goes around comes around, and that the road to Hell is, indeed, paved with good intentions.
The film's mood is set even before the credits: The familiar Paramount mountain mural is set in sepia tone, with a flourish of 1930's torch music by Jerry Goldsmith. Despite the period setting, the story and impact are timeless.
Approached by a mysterious woman who claims to be concerned about her prominent husband's philandering, Gittes sets a trap that only he, himself, can fall into. There are so many little details that mean so much that I can insist this film won't display its total brilliance without repeated viewings. Details like:
---The meaning of the SAG card found in a victim's wallet; ---The link between Real Estate plat books and obits; ---One look at the supposed philandering husband, and you know he's faithful, conscientious and honest; ---The meaning of the film's title, which is only hinted at at key points; ---The effect of the friction between the honest Gittes and his malleable former cohort ("Of course, we all have to swim in the same water") from his Chinatown days; ---The mysterious salt water found in telling places (hint: lungs and backyard ponds); ---The significance of the name "Hollis Mulwray": The name is drawn from James Mulholland, a longtime civic leader in L.A.; ---The battle, financial and otherwise, for water in L.A. (then, a desert community), considered a right for the city's residents, but, in the eyes of those delivering it, worth killing for; ---Those deep, deep secrets borne by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway).
Please don't judge this great, great film on a single viewing. Let its music, sets and grandeur take you back to another time, and watch evil unfold, as the do-gooder finds how defenseless he really is when money and evil join forces.