Riveting and gorgeous classic film with evocative settings , wonderful cinematography and rousing soundtrack

Rating: 8/10 (18 September 2012)

Fascinating mystery thriller in the Dashiell Hammet-Raymond Chandler style about an eye private who becomes involved into a complex criminal intrigue centering municipal corruption, and uncovering corruption , land sell , incest and murder . 1930 , City of Los Angeles , a private detective named Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is contracted by a woman (Diane Lane , Laura Dern's mother) claiming to be a Mrs. Mulwray to spy on her husband . As Jake investigating an adultery case stumbles on to a scheme of murder that has something to do with water . Shortly after Gittes (Jake Gittes was named after Jack Nicholson's friend, producer Harry Gittes) goes to the Town Hall where he learns about ¨The Van der Lip Dam disaster¨ is a reference to the collapse of the St Francis Dam in 1928, 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, which had been designed by self-educated engineer William Mulholland , the consequent flooding killed at least 450 people, a loss of life that remains second only to that from the San Francisco earthquake and fire in California's history . Later on , he is hired by the real Mrs. Mulwray (Femme Fatale Faye Dunaway, after Ali MacGraw was discarded as she lost the role when she divorced him for Steve McQueen, producer Robert Evans wanted Jane Fonda for the part of Evelyn Mulwray while Roman Polanski insisted upon Julie Christie ,when Christie passed on the script , then was to Faye) who appears in his office threatening to sue if he doesn't drop the issue immediately. Gittes goes on his mission anyway, slowly uncovering a vast conspiracy centering on water management, corruption , real estate, and involving at least one killing . After that , there appears a hood (Polanski who knifes Nicholson) who slits Jake's nose (it was extremely complex to shot by using a specially-constructed knife with a short hinge that they began to claim Nicholson's nose was actually cut).
It is a splendid film in noir tradition and considered to be one of the best film about this genre . This exciting movie packs mystery, tension, nail-biting scenes, strikingly suspense and colorful images . Interesting and thrilling script by Robert Towne who wrote the screenplay with Jack Nicholson in mind and deservedly won Oscar for the best original screenplay . The Chinatown screenplay is now regarded as being one of the most perfect screenplays and is now a main teaching point in screen writing seminars and classes everywhere. This was the first film of a planned trilogy about corruption in the development of Los Angeles. It was set in the 1930s and was about the water department and in the original script, no scenes took place in Chinatown at all. . The second film, The Two Jakes, was directed by Jack Nicholson in 1990 and was set in the 1940s and was about the gas company. The third film of the trilogy was about the building of the massive freeway system and was to be called "Cloverleaf", named after the famous interchange in downtown L.A., but it was never filmed. Awesome acting by Jack Nicholson ,because this film was the first of a planned trilogy, Jack Nicholson turned down all detective roles he was offered so that the only detective he played would be Jake Gittes. At the time of filming, Jack Nicholson had just embarked on his longstanding relationship with Anjelica Huston , this made his scenes with her father, John Huston, rather uncomfortable. Secondary cast is frankly magnificent such as Burt Young , John Huston , Diane Lane , Perry Lopez , James Hong , Bruce Glover , among others . Roman Polanski wanted William A. Fraker as his cinematographer, having successfully collaborated with him on Rosemary's Baby, but this notion was blocked by producer Robert Evans .Cinematographer Stanley Cortez was fired soon after production began because his classical style did not match the naturalistic style Polanski wanted for the film and proved too time consuming , Polanski had to find a replacement in only a few days and chose John A. Alonzo. Emotive as well as sensitive musical score by Jerry Goldsmith , including unforgettable leitmotif ; though Phillip Lambro was originally hired to write the film's music score but it was rejected at the last minute by producer Robert Evans, leaving Jerry Goldsmith only ten days to write and record the new score. The motion picture was stunningly directed by Polanski (Repulsion , Rosemary's baby , The pianist , Bitter moon, Frantic, Dance of vampires) . This is the last movie Roman Polanski filmed in the US and resulted to be the 15th biggest grossing film of 1974. And 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #21 Greatest Movie of All Time. And ranked #2 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Mystery" in June 2008 .