Proves it's not just a noir poser; superb thriller

Rating: 9/10 (25 June 2014)

For my money, Jerry Goldsmith's "Main Theme" for CHINATOWN is one of the all-time great pieces of film music. Both seductive and melancholy, it instantly evokes the period setting of the film and the ridiculously bleak nature of the story.
And it is one hell of a story; a grade-A film noir with a unique Water & Power angle that serves as a red herring to the real narrative substance. It's well-written and proves John A. Alonzo was one of the great cinematographers (there's some brilliant shot composition here). But it really comes down to the core cast. Nicholson fits into the PI mold well, both educated and crude around women, while John Huston, playing a monumental scumbag, brings the affable charm to really highlight the menace. Faye Dunaway ably pulls off the femme fatale component, until we realize that she's the film's heroine . . . unbelievably tragic though that is.
It's the kind of movie that gets under your skin and stays there. Both the ending and final line are a testament to '70s filmmaking, with the balls to forego a happy epilogue for all involved. You couldn't make this movie today, and it sits on the top-shelf with the finest movies of its decade.
It just gets better with every watch.
9/10