Indelibly etched on the noir landscape.

Rating: 10/10 (23 November 2001)

Even though it was made in 1974, almost 30 years after the 'noir period' in Hollywood could be said to have ended, Chinatown remains as much one of the hallmarks of that classic style as do movies from the golden era themselves ("The Big Sleep", "Touch of Evil" etc)
Director Polanski and screenwriter Towne have created a faultless universe filled with some of the most memorable characters ever to grace a cinema screen. Chief amongst these is embittered private eye Jake Gittes, played expertly by Jack Nicholson. Gittes has a quick wit and a low tolerance for fools, but he won't rest until he's finally solved a case. When Evelyn Mulray (Dunaway) appears on the scene, it sets in motion an astonishing chain of events that harks back to an era in Jake's life he's trying to put behind him. "Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown... "
The mystery that unfolds is labyrinthine, but even if you're not a big 'whodunnit' fan, it's worth seeing this for the quality of the performances and writing alone. Some might find the ending too bleak and abrupt; I did at first, but on reflection I realised it suited the desperate quality that hangs around the characters in the film like the smell of death. Polanski has never been as good as this, Nicholson has never been better. Great directing, great acting, great writing, great film.
"You can't eat the venetian blinds, Curly, I just had 'em installed this morning"