Chinatown remains a modern classic

Rating: 9/10 (8 November 2001)

Chinatown is a landmark film, made during the golden age of cinema. Featuring crisp direction, flawless acting, a taut script and a haunting soundtrack, it is a film that will leave a lasting impression on any viewer. A film noir in terms of style and content, enhanced by colour cinematography, Chinatown is a tense and complex thriller that remains a modern classic.
Private eye Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson), is approached by (whom the viewer believes to be) the wife of Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwirling), the chief engineer of the Los Angeles Water and Power Company. In a seemingly routine case, Gittes is asked to uncover a marital affair, but his investigations leave him entangled in a web of corruption, murder and deceit. The film beautifully intertwines two storylines - one centring upon Los Angeles' mysterious water drought, the other upon the unpleasant and ultimately tragic life of Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway). Gittes, a cocksure former policeman, launches himself into the case with vigour, but with each step, he finds himself increasingly out of his depth, unravelling a unpleasant world of extremities and moral decay. As his enquiries lead him to sinister millionaire Noah Cross (John Huston), the stage is set for an unforgettable night in Chinatown...
As Gittes, Nicholson shines throughout. Clearly relishing his ample role - he is seemingly omnipresent throughout the film - the maverick, Jameson swilling Gittes is colourfully brought to life. As in 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest', this is a part that Nicholson was born to play. As the tortured Evelyn Mulwray, Dunaway also gives a performance of empathy, emotion and sensuality. Similarly, Huston is at ease as the unpleasant and frankly psychopathic Noah Cross. The interaction between the three main characters is a joy to behold. The chemistry between Dunaway and Nicholson is beautifully harnessed by Polanski, and the continual reference to Gittes as 'gits' by Cross provides one of the films' wittiest moments.
Polanski directs with atmosphere and style. The heightened volume of incidental sounds - opening of doors, footsteps, taps of typewriter keys - adds suspense to an already atmospheric and tense thriller. Nicholson, Dunaway and Huston impeccably respond to numerous close-ups, providing intimate portrayals of their respective characters. As the plot unfolds, the viewer shares Gittes' assumptions, frustrations and feelings of helplessness, as the situation becomes more sinister and complex. Polanski does not rely too heavily on Nicholson's dynamism in the role, gaining much support from Huston, and the Oscar nominated Dunaway. Robert Towne's script is ably handled, with the viewer escorted through a maze of plots and sub-plots by a well practised guide. The bleak and bloody finale is an apt conclusion to a film that does not offer hope in a city full of decay and free of remorse.