One of the great films of all time

Rating: Null/10 (25 July 2011)

It may sound a little dramatic to call this one of the great films but I genuinely believe it to be true. I have been going to the movies for over 40 years and I can't think of any way that Chinatown could be improved or made better. I first saw it 25 years ago but watched it yesterday on TV and was again overwhelmed by how good it is. The other thing worth mentioning is that it has hardly dated at all. Certainly Jack Nicholson looks younger than we're all used to seeing him these days (me and him both!) but because the story is set in the 1930s, it could have been made yesterday. The cast, the locations, the script, the direction, the dialogue, the photography and that evocative score are all pretty much perfect. Above all, the great fast paced story with an ending that hits you right in the stomach has as much power today as ever. I'm sure that anyone reading this will have seen Chinatown but if not, go out of your way to see it. A true cinematic masterpiece.